The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 3)

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Summary: The Wide Window Review by Billy Lane
Review: I would say this book is a great add-on to the Series of Unfortunate Events. This exciting tale by Lemony Snicket is wonderful for children as young as eight, but still can still be easily enjoyable by anyone above that age. I would say this adventure is a great story that should not be missed by anyone.

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Summary: For fans of Gorey (who need to fill the Harry Potter wait)
Review: If you enjoy the dark humor of Edward Gorey, this series will probably enchant. The characters are intelligent and sympathetic. However, while the books may be a tad bit dark for some younger readers, portions of this series are too simplistic for more mature readers. Snickett often writes in definitions for "big" words used. When the definitions stay in context, they're amusing and maintain the atmosphere. When the definitions are more dictionary like, they distract. The Series of Unfortunate Events, nonetheless, is a great series that children of all ages can enjoy. If anything, kids will sympathize with the Baudelaires frustration with the adults around them. For a turn on the lighter side - I recommend Gail Levine's "Princess Tales" series.

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Summary: The Wide Window
Review: I thought that the book was boring. Its good and all, but it is slow. They are sent to live with Aunt Josephine, a woman who is afraid of every thing, even the doorknob. Count Olaf appears and tries to steal the fortune.

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Summary: 3rd good book
Review: Sent to the care of their Aunt Josephine, the Baudelaire orphans hope to finally get away from Count Olaf for good. Aunt Josephine, another distant relative, takes them in. Josephine is paranoid about just about everything, from ovens to realtors, making her seem like a rather hilarious and sad character. But like the book's back cover suggests, the Baudelaires encounter Count Olaf yet again. Once again he has disguised himself, only this time he doesn't have to kill Aunt Josephine-at least not right away. Count Olaf's plan is uncovered by the Baudelaires again, and they set out to avoid having to go into his care (he gets away with these plots because he is in disguise). The book's ending involves the person of indeterminate gender, a stolen sailboat, and the horrible Lachrymose leeches. A recommended read, also lacks the questionable baby in a birdcage outside, marrying a teenage and profanity problems of the prior books.

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Summary: A Very Fascinating Discovery for all ages!
Review: Lemony Snicket, The Wide Window (Scholastic, 2000)

It's somewhat hard to find something new to say about the Series of Unfortunate Events books, which have stirred up all sorts of hornets' nests over the past five years. The Baudelaire children have gnashed their way into the hearts and minds of countless thousands of youths (and adults) worldwide, so much so that the franchise has now spawned a Jim Carrey film, and reflecting on that popularity is the stuff of a few reviews, but not enough for the whole series. In this episode, the Baudelaire orphans are sent to live with their overly cautious Aunt Josephine in a rickety house well above Lake Lachrymose. Josephine is a grammar nut (one thinks that had this book been written a couple of years later in the series, Josephine would have got on quite well with Lynne Truss, had the two chanced to meet) who is afraid of everything from the kitchen stove to realtors. (As a sidelight, Mr. Snicket is demonstrably wrong about one thing in this novel; it is eminently reasonable to have a fear of realtors.) Count Olaf, of course, is not far behind.

Of the three I've read so far (I'm going in order), this has seemed the weakest of the three. The series, being as it is a one-trick pony, is necessarily episodic; this book seemed to emphasize the point a bit much. Still, it's a fun read in the same vein as the previous books, and if you liked the first two, you're probably going to find you feel the same about this one. *** ½