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Title: The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events Book 4)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Illustrator: Brett Helquist
Published: New York: HarperCollins, 2000
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 208
Total Page Count: 129,671
Text Number: 378
Read Because: continuing the series, e-book borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: This time, the Baudelaire orphans are sent to live with the mysterious owner of Lucky Smells Lumbermill, who inconceivably sets them to live in the employee dormitory and begin work at the mill. But it can—and will—get worse, because Count Olaf is still on a quest to steal their fortune. A Series of Unfortunate Events has attained a standard of quality which continues in The Miserable Mill: a practiced mournful narrative, particularly delightful running jokes, and a growing cast of deceptively engaging side characters. Unfortunately, The Miserable Mill has a conspicuous lack of atmosphere: while gothic in tone, it has almost no sense of place.
In many ways, this is an adequate addition to the series—no more, no less. The tone of the books remains delightful, and Snicket's narration only grows stronger (the hints about him and his tale of tragedy may be the most interesting part of the book), but The Miserable Mill does more to sustain than progress: it has recurring tropes and a limited, episodic plot. But under all that consistency is the beginning of change. In the previous books, the ineffective adults were increasingly frustrating; here, there's an atmosphere of resignation. The Baudelaires are growing up. Their simplistic characterization is growing more diverse, and while they remain victims to the whims of fate they are attaining an emotional distance from the world and a reliance on themselves and each other. This isn't enough for me: I want the series to be shorter, bolder, and less content to reiterate itself. But each volume is sufficiently enjoyable, and there's just enough change and forward motion to keep me intrigued; I'll continue reading.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Lemony Snicket
Illustrator: Brett Helquist
Published: New York: HarperCollins, 2000
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 208
Total Page Count: 129,671
Text Number: 378
Read Because: continuing the series, e-book borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: This time, the Baudelaire orphans are sent to live with the mysterious owner of Lucky Smells Lumbermill, who inconceivably sets them to live in the employee dormitory and begin work at the mill. But it can—and will—get worse, because Count Olaf is still on a quest to steal their fortune. A Series of Unfortunate Events has attained a standard of quality which continues in The Miserable Mill: a practiced mournful narrative, particularly delightful running jokes, and a growing cast of deceptively engaging side characters. Unfortunately, The Miserable Mill has a conspicuous lack of atmosphere: while gothic in tone, it has almost no sense of place.
In many ways, this is an adequate addition to the series—no more, no less. The tone of the books remains delightful, and Snicket's narration only grows stronger (the hints about him and his tale of tragedy may be the most interesting part of the book), but The Miserable Mill does more to sustain than progress: it has recurring tropes and a limited, episodic plot. But under all that consistency is the beginning of change. In the previous books, the ineffective adults were increasingly frustrating; here, there's an atmosphere of resignation. The Baudelaires are growing up. Their simplistic characterization is growing more diverse, and while they remain victims to the whims of fate they are attaining an emotional distance from the world and a reliance on themselves and each other. This isn't enough for me: I want the series to be shorter, bolder, and less content to reiterate itself. But each volume is sufficiently enjoyable, and there's just enough change and forward motion to keep me intrigued; I'll continue reading.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
