I had some time to kill after work today, so I decided to stop by the
mall library and see if I could plop down with a good book for a couple
of hours. Several years ago, my aunt introduced me to the deliciously
dry wit of Lemony Snicket, and after reading the first installment of
The Series of Unfortunate Events I vowed the rest would soon follow.
Alas, though I continued to identify myself as a fan of the series, I
never got around to reading the second book, let alone the remainder of
the volumes. What I did read, inappropriately as I soon discovered, was
the Unauthorized Autobiography. After an introductory chapter
that, along with the cover, had me shaking with laughter, I found I had
no idea what was going on. The book made no sense whatsoever and I
decided I would have to give it a shot again once I’d read considerably
further into the series. Because the library happened to have the second
chronicle, The Reptile Room, handy, I am now on my way.
This second installment is as quick and enjoyable a read as the first. Well, perhaps not quite
as enjoyable, since Snicket has to go and introduce us to the cuddly
bundle of fun that is Dr. Montgomery Montgomery (aka Uncle Monty), only
to kill him off halfway through the book. This tragic incident comes as
no surprise, as nearly every time Uncle Monty appears in the book the
narrator reminds the reader of his untimely demise, but it is still most
unfortunate when it happens as he is the most likable character to
grace the series thus far. Delightfully eccentric and boundlessly kind,
he provides the children with an all-too-brief oasis in their vast
desert of doom.
The Baudelaire orphans behave precisely the same in this novel as they did in A Bad Beginning.
Violet thinks up inventions, tying up her hair in a ribbon every time
she must think especially hard. Klaus reads books, quickly becoming an
expert on the subject of snakes and Peruvian terrain. And Sunny bites
things. She also, in this novel, makes the acquaintance of the
Incredibly Deadly Viper, who turns out to be almost as interesting a
character in his own way as Uncle Monty. Rounding out the cast are Mr.
Poe, the well-meaning but useless manager of the Baudelaires’ affairs;
Stephano, Uncle Monty’s new assistant who the children immediately
discover to be Count Olaf; and Dr. Lucafont, the somewhat unsettling
doctor who arrives to perform an autopsy on Uncle Monty.
Although my brother has a tendency to dislike novels, I think I’ll keep
this one around for him as he shares the same fondness Uncle Monty does
for reptiles, particularly snakes. The Reptile Room itself is a glorious
collection of reptiles, most of which do not actually exist but are
wonderfully imaginative. In addition, he loves Snicket’s skewered sense
of humor. As much as I enjoy the exploits of the orphans, I attribute
the success of the series to the amalgamation of Snicket’s dry wit and
etymological obsession. I find it hard to imagine that the movies can
truly capture the essence of these books when the best part is the
author commentary, which is not only amusing but educational as well. I
walked away with a couple of new words myself, including “brummagem,” a
lovely term for “fake.” I also was afforded a reminder of C. S. Lewis’
admonitions about shutting oneself in a wardrobe when I read Snicket’s
shockingly accentuated warning against fooling around with electrical
sockets.
Although I was very disappointed to see such a
wonderful character as Uncle Monty disappear so quickly, such is the way
of this series, and I’ve got the bug to read the rest in the near
future. Then maybe I can tackle that autobiography again…
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