The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events #2) (1999 original; edició 1999)

I've been reading this series as bedtime stories with Milly, although I did have to go back and read a few myself that she had raced through, unable to wait for me to read them to her at the pace of one chapter a night. This is one I had to read by myself a little later to catch up. They are genuinely brilliant books, funny and dark, mysterious and absurd.

This second one sees the orphans placed with Uncle Monty, and it initially seems like their luck may have changed, but they are not called A Series of Unfortunate Events for nothing. Like the first one the writing is written in a very specific style, with words amusingly defined and Sunny speaking nonsense that only her siblings can decode. ( )

The Reptile Room starts with a small recap of the first unfortunate event because it is important for the reader to know that Mr. Poe, a family friend from the bank, is still in charge of finding the Baudelaire orphans a suitable place to live. It is even more important to be reminded that Count Olaf escaped in the first Unfortunate book. When we meet back up with the children they have been shuffled off to their even more distance relative, Uncle Monty. Montgomery Montgomery is a world renowned herpetologist with a roomful of, you guessed it, snakes (hence the title of Book Number Two of the Series of Unfortunate Events). Of course, the snakes turn out to be the Baudelaire children's downfall. I won't say anymore than that.
True to form, the stylistic pattern for Lemony's books is to constantly remind you to slam the book closed and not read another word; to go read another book if you want a happy ending. Dear reader, you also need to accept Lemony is going to define words every now and then. It's all part of the schtick. It just is. ( )

In this book, you can not fall in love with the three orphans and despise Count Olaf. Also how Mr. Poe can sometimes a little bit stupid. I like the series because it teaching a lot of things the children that read them. They are very interesting to find out what is the next unfortunate event that will happen. I have the third one on my TBR shelf and looking forward to reading it.
Maybe I am not the audience to read those books, because of my age, but I enjoy them very much. ( )

Like, I know it’s the point™ and it’s not really a complaint from me, more of an exasperated observation, but I can’t stress enough how infuriating every single adult in this book is.

But overall, I love this. ( )

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