Blog 126 - The Wide Window

Author: Lemony Snicket

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 214

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication date: February 2, 2000

ISBN-13: 9780064407687

About the Book

Dear Reader,

If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all. If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signaling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair. I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

My Review

Things that I liked: I really enjoyed this book. The first two books lead right into this third book, and after the second book I really wanted to see what happens to the Baudelaire orphans. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are sent off to another family member after the tragedy at Uncle Monty’s house. Aunt Josephine is their new guardian. In my opinion, I wonder how she has survived after her husband died. She eats cold food never warm or hot food, she never used the phone in fear of getting zapped, and she never touches the door handles in fear that they will shatter in her hand. Weird. I’m not sure I could live with that woman. Anyways I digress. I find it fascinating how the author creates these guardians for the orphans, and each of them has their own quirks and lifestyles that are very different from the previous guardians. I also really enjoyed the fact that Count Olaf keeps coming back to try and get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune and fails every time.

Things that I didn’t like: It still bothers me a little bit about the narrator injecting with telling the audience about words and their meaning at certain times of the novel or randomly injecting another piece of information instead of unfolding it in the story itself. I still can’t get over that. I just have to keep telling myself that this is a middle grade story.

Overall: I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to ready the rest of the series to see what happens to the children with their encounters with Count Olaf. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Until next time, Happy Reading!