A Few Words from Daniel Handler
Due to the world-wide web of conspiracy which surrounds him, Lemony Snicket often communicates with the general public through his representative, Daniel Handler. We were lucky enough to hear from Daniel, and asked him the questions we ask every author, Amazon.com's The Significant Seven
Book Description
Warning: Your day will become very dark – and possibly damp – if you read this book.
Plan to spend this spring in hiding. Lemony Snicket is back with the eleventh book in his New York Times bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Lemony Snicket's saga about the charming, intelligent and grossly unlucky Baudelaire orphans continues to provoke suspicion and despair in readers the world over. In the eleventh and most alarming volume yet in the bestselling phenomenon A Series of Unfortunate Events, the intrepid siblings delve further into the dark mystery surrounding the death of their parents and the baffling VFD organisation.
Ages 9+
Customer Reviews:
Grim Reading.......2007-10-05
The Baudelaire orphans continue their search for the VFD and the sugar bowl with the hidden message as they escape down the slippery slope of the Mortmain Mountains and away from the evil Count Olaf. Their toboggan ride down the stream leads them to discover a submarine manned by a Captain, his stepdaughter, and Phil - a man the siblings met previously, all of which are friendly to the search for the sugar bowl and interested in keeping it out of Olaf's clutches. But just when it seems as though the Baudelaires have other people to work with and confide in, Olaf manages to strike again and keep the children on a collision course with disaster. The children must work together and keep their wits about them if they are to hope that they will someday escape from Olaf and his evil henchmen for good.
This installment contributes almost nothing to the overall plot line of the series. After a slight increase in the pace of the series, this one brings the fun back to a screeching halt. The concept is frustrating at this point and ready for the big conclusion. As in some of the earlier novels, the writing at the beginning of chapters is often disjointed and seems in need of good editing. It is good that there are only two books left because if there was no end in sight, I would likely put an end to it myself.
Oh, Dear! The Dreadful Happenings Continue........2007-09-09
Dear Reader,
When we last saw the Baudelaire children, they were being swept out to sea after having fallen down a mountain. It was most dreadful. I should have just left them there and not continued reading about their unfortunate lives in THE GRIM GROTTO, the eleventh chronicle of those poor, unhappy Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny.
THE GRIM GROTTO finds them even in more dire circumstances than before. They are misled into believing they have found a former ally of the VFD. Then they have to live in the cramped and tight living arrangements aboard a submarine with no chance of getting out unless they put on these horribly heavy underwater-breathing suits. Aboard the submarine they are threatened from the outside by a giant mechanical monster and Count Olaf and his crew. Then we they finally do get out to walk around they are almost killed by poisonous mushrooms and despite all the precautions they take, disaster strikes anyway.
You'd best stay away from this one. But if do choose to read THE GRIM GROTTO, it's not my fault if anything happens.
Sincerely,
Uncle TV
Hook-Handed Man's secret revealed!.......2007-08-14
After nearly escaping from the almost-melting Mortmain Mountains in the previous book in the series, The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 10), the Baudelaire orphans (Violet, Klaus, and Sunny) are taken in by the eccentric Captain Widdershins and his stepdaughter Fiona aboard a submarine. The Queequeg submarine is not exactly in good shape, so the Baudelaires are not exactly any more safe in this particular chapter of their lives than they ever were. During their perilous quest to find the mysterious sugar bowl down in an underwater grotto found on the bottom of the Striken Stream, the unlucky children encounter a poisonous fungus known as the Medusoid Mycelium. The deadly mushroom has the ability to grow on human throats and choke its victim to death in an hour or less. Of course, one of the Baudelaires is infected by the horrible fungus and might not make it to the next book! This book, along with all of the other books in the series, is great read for the little kids and the teens and the adults and everyone else who loves a good page-turner. Not only is this book a good mystery, but also touches on the subject of villainy. Just like in real life, characters in the book change from being good to evil and vise-versa - a serious topic to discuss to readers. Besides that, Lemony Snicket (the author) makes references to various famous writers and their words through the Verse Fluctuation Declaration poem-involving V.F.D. code (similar to Aunt Josephine's and the Quagmires') and the submarine's name and uniform. Even though it is fiction, I would not doubt that A Series of Unfortunate Events will someday become a book required in many schools. They are simply so well-written with suspense, humor, mystery, and a bit of drama! (By the way, my review`s title speaks the truth).
How Could You Not Like It.......2007-08-03
If you are reading this series you obviously like the books. The author hasn't disspointed you with this one. Another creepy amazing little story about the 3 children you have grown found of... another suspenseful ending.... a must read.
MUST HAVE!.......2007-07-23
This audio version of the Lemony Snicket book, Grim Grotto, is excellent. Tim Curry reads and he does different voices for the characters and there is music which is catchy and fun, one song for each book (I also recommend getting the CD, Tragic Treasury by the Gothic Archies). Only get this if you like the series. Start with Book 1, A Bad Beginning. Not all audiobooks in the series are read by Tim Curry, but I think 11 of them are.
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The Dilemma Deepens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 7-9 (The Vile Village; The Hostile Hospital; The Carnivorous Carnival)
The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13)
The Situation Worsens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 4-6 (The Miserable Mill; The Austere Academy; The Ersatz Elevator)
The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 9)
The Trouble Begins: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-3 (The Bad Beginning; The Reptile Room; The Wide Window)
The Gloom Loons... FOR REAL!!!.......2005-11-19
Keep the wrong people out of your room! Print, personalize, and post this important sign.
Lemony Snicket has captured the hearts of childen and adults alike with the hilariously gloomy series that began, of course, with The Bad Beginning. Amazon.com had a chance to question the author of this marvelously morbid and delightfully depressing series, and the communication was grim indeed. Read the cumbersome
