It Seems to Get Worse with Every Book

This series seems to get more bizarre as it progresses. In the third boxed set there are twists and mysteries and ever more scary moments as the children try to make their way in the world. V.F.D. seems to crop up in ever more places without a resolution as to the meaning of V.F.D.

As a fan of this series is aware, in the last story, "The Ersatz Elevator", the Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny, had just lost their last home as one of their guardians was in league with the awful Count Olaf. On the theory that it takes a village to raise a child, Mr. Poe, the children's supposed guardian, takes the children to V.F.D., a village populated by crows and weird people in the middle of nowhere.

The children's fortunes do not improve. The townspeople force the children to do chores all day long. Many of the people for whom they do chores little appreciate what the children do. Lastly, the children and everyone in town must follow an extensive list of incredibly ridiculous rules.

Soon after the children arrive in town they find a note (a rhyming couplet) from their previously kidnapped friends, Duncan and Isadora Quagmire, kidnapped two books ago by Count Olaf. As time proceeds, the children find more couplets written by Isadora Quagmire. The children hope and believe the couplets will lead them to the Quagmires.

As always happens, Count Olaf shows up again. As usual, he has assorted followers with him, including one surprise returning character (I'm not telling!). This time Count Olaf shows up as a detective to solve a murder in the village. The victim will be an amazing surprise to every reader (and I'm not telling you that one either!).

Of course the story climaxes in a way that might lead the reader to believe that the Baudelaire's will escape. Well, the children do get away from town, but they are on the run for a crime they didn't commit. The ending of this story neatly fits into the beginning of the next book, "The Hostile Hospital."

In the eighth book in the series, we not only get to be miserable with the Baudelaire orphans, we also get to be afraid. "The Hostile Hospital" picks up where "The Vile Village" left off. The children are walking away from the village of V.F.D., trying to figure out what to do now that they are on the run from the law.

The children come to a general store in the middle of nowhere, which fortunately contains a telegraph. They try to contact Mr. Poe to tell him they did not commit the crime of which they are accused. Unfortunately, the children do not hear back from Mr. Poe before the person that delivers the newspaper arrives and shows the store owner a picture of the children in the newspaper. After a chase through the store the children escape into a van containing the most bizarre collection of hospital volunteers that you have ever seen.

The children realize they need to do some research to see if they can find more information about their family, and the murdered person in the village of V.F.D. By a strange coincidence, the hospital has a huge records department in the basement containing hundreds of file cabinets of information from all over the county. By another strange coincidence the children are able to volunteer to work in this facility.

As you can imagine, the children have to live somewhere, and they would rather not have to drive back and forth in the van lest someone recognize them. Further, where would they go anyway? So the children live in the unfinished half of Heimlich Hospital, using a canvas cover for a blanket and to keep warm.

The children's search through the records is disturbed by the arrival of, you guessed it, Count Olaf. This time we see very little of Count Olaf, and instead see another character the reader will know from a previous story (I'm not telling!). During a chase through the records room one of the Baudelaire orphans is captured, and Count Olaf and his gang of criminals plan to do an operation on the captured orphan that is planned to turn fatal.

The Baudelaire orphans left "The Hostile Hospital" in a very dangerous way. However, once again the children use their wits to figure out how to escape their predicament.

The children find themselves in a rundown carnival with another bizarre cast of characters, including several supposed "freaks." However, the freaks are not really all that freakish, one being a contortionist and one being ambidextrous. The children disguise themselves as freaks and manage to fool Count Olaf and his gang for most of the book. However, as we all know, eventually Count Olaf finds the children and another harrowing ending ensues.

Over the last two or three books we've been given tidbits about bigger mysteries surrounding the children and their parents. In this book the tidbits become much more substantial, and give us a clue as to the direction the series might take. While it may seem that my description is a bit vague, that is because I do not wish to give away any of the surprises in this book, and there is at least one very big surprise for the children and the reader, as well as a number of smaller surprises.

As I noted earlier, there are a lot of surprises in this book. Those surprises make for one of the most intriguing books in this series. I am anxiously anticipating the next volume, and even more, the end of the series, when I am hoping all the mysteries are solved.

These three books will provide readers with hours of enjoyment. The mysteries deepen with each, and all I can say at this point is, when will we see the final book in the series?!?!

READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The books Snicket writes are different from other books. Like no happy things happen. Everyone in my class loves them! The movie is good too but not better than the books. The first book is The Bad Begining if you want to start reading them. But you should read the frist tree books frist before you watch the movie!! Take it from some who reads them, ME!

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im a big fan of Lemony Sniket!!!!!!!!!! Have you seen the movie?Ill ;ist all of the MAGFICENT books:)THE BAD BEGGINIG THE REPTILE ROOM THE WIDE WINDOW THE MISAREBALE MILL THE AUSTERE ACADMY THE ERSAZ ELEVAGATER THE VILE VILLAGE THE HOSTIL HOSPITAL THE CARNIVOROUS CARNIVAL THE SLIPPERY SLOPE THE GRIM GROTTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy? I think you should read these books!!!!!