The Reptile Room: Or, Murder! (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2)

Favorite series as a kid. Still as great now. The writing completely holds up. Sure, it won't be exactly "adult level" reading, but it's not painful, childish or uninteresting like many children's books come to be as you grow older. Lemony Snicket was and is, a great writer. Authoring great books with captivating rhetoric and a true, progressive story. These miserable Bauldelaire children face horrible circumstances and grow throughout the series. The way he writes their story is not only comprehensible to both children and adults, it is very real and emotional (while the circumstances are exaggerated and play out in a strange chaos a bit like Olaf's theatre troupe) and no description I could give would do it justice. I like him, because he doesn't underestimate children in the way that he writes. It's definitely a children's book, but he doesn't dumb it down one bit. Sure, it's overall pretty dark (many Unfortunate Events occur) but he writes like this because he knows that his audience can; in fact, comprehend it in both meaning and rhetoric. Even though, I know some parents may be wondering if this is a bad book for their children because it is "too dark", I would recommend not underestimating your child and base your decision on if you think they would be able to understand it. Though these children are miserable and living miserable lives, it is not a bad influence or harmful reading in the least. I have gained a lot from this series. If nothing else, I gained empathy through their strife and loved them the whole way through. I admired their strength and their bonds together. They take care of each other and love each other the entire time, no matter what happens to them. They are each their strength and they each have the ability to trust and never lose faith in the world. They are all intelligent; extremely so, and remain strong as they are thrust into an unfriendly and disappointing world, due to A Series of Unfortunate Events.

I loved reading these growing up and now my 7 year old does too! Quality of the book was perfect!

A Series of Unfortunate Events 2: The Reptile Room / 9780061757143I came to this series after already watching the tie-in movie "Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events". I had been fairly certain I would like the series for its dark humor, and the first book in the series - "The Bad Beginning" - most certainly did not disappoint, so I was not too surprised when I also loved "The Reptile Room".Like the rest of the novels in this series, this book is very slender and can be whipped through in a few short hours - if it has any drawbacks at all, it would perhaps be the price-to-page ratio. However, the story is engaging and well-told and it's impossible to not be drawn into the drama of the Baudelaire orphans as they struggle to survive in the home of their kind-but-eccentric Uncle Monty. Having already seen the movie, it was a bit tricky for me to adjust from Billy Connolly's delightful and warm characterization of Uncle Monty to the somewhat cooler and more oblivious Uncle Monty presented here on page, but the characterization fits more easily within the confines of the story.A note about the audiobook edition of this book: this installation in the series is narrated by Tim Curry. He narrates the story superbly and adds a wonderful layer of creepy inflection over the entire affair. The pacing is excellent and the overall effect on the reader is very immersive and well worth the listen.~ Ana Mardoll

A series of unfortunate events is an evolving tale which while aimed at children, can be very dark and starting this series you should be aware this book continues that legacy. While book one seemed fairly innocuous in lacking and on screen character deaths (book two technically does too) this is the first time you are introduced to a character that you will both appreciate and will not make it to the end.If you are familiar with the movie you may recall Jim Carey's over the top depiction of count Olaf. In the first book (and I believe I remarked in the review) the character of Olaf is much less of a bumbling idiot than a calculating and cold villain. I appreciate that a great deal in the book and this book continues to give the character a very real sense of menace and foreboding. There are plenty of instances in the movie where I thought the children could of made a bigger effect to make their predicament known where as in the book the children make every reasonable effort. Olaf for his part actually makes much more visible efforts to block them and these efforts are all the more menacing and frightening.Additionally I found the adults to be a little more realistic in this book than in the movie and book two is an improvement from book one. While I do find Lemon's commentary about how terrible their lives to be a little over the top, as was in book one, in book two I actually start to really see how they really are suffering. I took this to be a big improvement.I would recommend this book and will continue to read the series, but I should warn anyone planning to read this to their children that the dark nature is starting to rear its head and might not be appropriate for some of the very young.

I am reading this series with my 9yr old niece. The stories are a bit dark, but in a funny way. The language is very appropriate for her. He will sometimes use big words and then spends a sentence on what that means and why it's used in this context. Never feels like a vocabulary lesson....just a friendly and often funny explanation of a word or phrase. We are currently on book 9. The story has become a bit repetitive for me, but she is still reading them at warp speed. All I can do to keep up!

Great books. Gf was missing this one. She loves it. Great story definitely approved.

Esta serie de libros le encanta a mi hija. Me gustó mucho el material y las hojas, igual a ella

Amazing book... My son has been super engrossed in this series... This particular series i quite expensive but thanks to Young2020 or shall I say Young intellects for providing me the second hand version of it that too in great condition... And also for providing me other parts as well... Me and my son we both love buying books from you.... I would recommend each and every reader to get in touch with you guys... Thanks a lot. And keep up the good work.

I really like this book because it has many adventures,like the first one,the bad begining.I like it because it uses easy words( i am italian ) so i understoodit perfectly.

Compré este libro y otro de la misma serie y estoy encantada con los productos. Han llegado antes de la fecha prevista, en perfectas condiciones y mejor de lo que me esperaba.Son de tapa dura y las páginas tienen un aspecto antiguo, color amarillento y las hojas como desgastadas pero se nota que esta hecho a propósito.Lo recomiendo 100%