January 25, 2015
Once again, I couldn't resist downloading and breezing through the next A Series of Unfortunate Events book (this one, "Book the Fourth"). As I expected, the poor Baudelaire kids were put to work, in a lumber mill owned by a horrible chain-smoker called Sir. The absurdity was over-the-top in this one, and I wasn't really feeling it this time. I've heard that the next book is critical in moving the plot of the series forward, and that's a good thing. It kinda seemed to me like Handler threw this one together as a lead-in to the important boarding school situation.
Okay, so the hypnosis idea was interesting, and it made sense that Olaf would bring somebody with that ability in on his scheme. I'd want to know more about Dr. Orwell...did she and Olaf have some sort of history? After all, her optometry office is in the shape of an eye, same as his tattoo. She seems to be established in pathetic little Paltryville, so the whole eye thing has to be more than a coincidence.
Apparently there aren't any child labor laws or worker's unions in this world. The employees of the mill are paid in useless coupons, not money. They sleep in bunk beds and get crappy casseroles for dinner, gum for lunch, and nothing for breakfast. I don't really get how Mr. Poe placed the kids there in the first place, as the kids don't seem to be related to "Sir" at all. He's such a useless dolt.
Olaf's disguise as Dr. Orwell's receptionist Shirley was very silly, but there wasn't enough of him in the story. Sorry to say, but I found myself wanting more Olaf. He's behind the whole thing, of course, but was rather minor in this book, and Dr. Orwell ended up being the most evil here. I mean, she was gonna cut a baby's throat. What a bitch.
Snicket was delightful and silly as usual. This book on the whole just didn't really do it for me. I think I ought to just stick to reading the series at work. I am looking forward to "Book the Fifth," as it seems to be a bit of a game-changer. This is the point in the series where the author could lose me, or hook me until the end. In the meantime, I'll spend my reading time outside of work on the much longer, more age-appropriate novel that I spent most of the weekend on, anyway.
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