The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2) [Paperback]

Lemony Snicket (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2000

Book

Product Details

• Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439206480
• ISBN-13: 978-0439206488
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lemony Snicket claims he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. He is the author of several other unpleasant stories, including those in the bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Lump of Coal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Same old, same old, but with a twist., June 25, 2010

By 

Evelyn (Florida USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2) (Paperback)

Though this is only the second book, it feels like the same method has been overused. I mean seriously, you know that the orphans go to new guardians, and encounter Count Olaf over and over, but in different ways. So what is to look forward to in this book? Well not much, but if you really want to know, then its the drama, and well...the small time of happiness the Baudelaires experienced with Uncle Monty (I actually enjoyed that). I will split this into several parts to make it easier to understand, also I will show my opinion of Olaf and how he got into the Baudelaires world.

Drama: This was the first book in the series, to have a murder of a Guardian. This death was actually expected, in my opinion. This is because, we already know what Count Olaf would do to get these miserable orphans fortune, so why not expect him to kill as well?

OLAF AND HIS DISGUISES: I personally got a kick out of his disguise in this book. It was simple, yet the fact he had convinced everyone he was "Gunther" made the whole disguise even funnier. It actually was funny, when the Baudelaires found him out the second they saw him. I mean I find it ironic, that no one recognized him, and the only people who did recognize him where the Baudelaires.

HIS PLAN: I think that his plan to gain the Baudelaire fortune, was stupid. I mean seriously, he tried to frame Uncle Monty's vast collection of snakes, on Monty's death. He left so much evidence around Uncle Monty, that only an idiot would miss it. Apparently everyone in this series are actually idiots and show ignorance, except the Baudelaires, if you haven't noticed. Well back to the plan, then Olaf was going to take the orphans to Peru, which was the trip Monty was going to take them on. Olaf would have full control over the orphans if Monty had died, and according to his plan, they would leave before any police or any official awareness.

Plot Development: No plot development at all. Actually there is no plot development until the fifth book.

Characters: (Old/reoccurring: Sunny, Violet, Klaus Baudelaire. Mr Poe. Count Olaf and his troup.)(New: Uncle Monty, Gustav.)


Final Review: 3/5

Verdict: This book did not contribute to the story growth. Therefore I call this a filler chapter, and is a part of Act 1 of the story. Good book at times, but same old. Boring, might entertain some.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, June 25, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2) (Paperback)

After already having seen the movie, I decided to invest in reading the books. Bk #1, THE BAD BEGINNING, only took me an hour to finish, and it was an enjoyable--if dark--read.

The Baudelaire children--Violet, Klaus, and Sunny--are left orphaned after a mysterious fire destroys their home and kills their parents. Taken into custody by Mr. Poe, the executor of their parent's estate, they learn that their parent's will states that they must be cared for by a relative. The closest relative, unbeknownest to the children, is Count Olaf, an actor and leader of a theatre troupe who lives in a dilapitated house on the other side of town.

Things, of course, only go from bad to worse after the children move into Count Olaf's home, which is strangely covered inside and out with drawings and representations of a strange-looking eye. Count Olaf even has a tattoo of the same image on his ankle. As the Count hatches a scheme to gain control of the Baudelaire fortune, which the children are not privy to until Violet comes of age, the children are alternately scared of their new "parent" and determined to find a way out of their dreadful situation.

I enjoyed this walk on the dark side, and plan on reading Book #2 in the series later today. That said, however, I think it depends on your child and his or her maturity as to whether this would be a good read for them or not. Although the reading material is suitable for around 8 years old and up, the book IS dark-natured, and might scare some children. If they've already seen the movie, they might be prepared for its darkness--if the movie depiction scared them, then hold off on the book for awhile.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A misnomer leads to mystery in the miserable death of Monty, August 22, 2005

By 

bernie "webviator" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2) (Paperback)

The Baudelaire midgets...oops orphans, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, Get to move in with their Uncle Monty. Here they get to use their skills with reading, inventing, and biting. We learn more about books and words. We also learn a little about haystack statistics.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, shortly after the appearance of Stephano (and we all know who he really is), Uncle Monty apparently is nipped by the Mumba du Mal. It is obvious to all but the midgets that the Mumba du Mal opens his cage with the help of other snakes and after doing, the deadly deed locked his self-back up.

Naturally, the orphans must prove who count Olaf is, and get surprised by his assistant. This sets up the pattern for the next book in the series. Where once again access to a library may save their lives.