I can't begin to describe how amazing and surprising this book is, and this coming from someone who already watched the series, but Lemony Snicket is one of the most brilliant authors that I ever read, this series keeps getting better. ( )

Book 11 of 13 of the phenomenal series: Series of Unfortunate Events! Another one of my favorites in this series!

Please Read my review of the series here, as my review applies to every book in the series. https://www.librarything.com/work/1748/reviews/227861550 ( )

"People aren't either wicked or noble," the hook-handed man said. "They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict."

though i found this particular book slightly lacking in descriptive coherence (where are they now? what's the layout of this submarine? and the other one? wait, how can they see into that room? what's going on?), the series continues to amaze with eloquent thoughts on family, sadness, and the nature of good and evil. The closer I get to the end, the more I think this series would have been the best thing in the world if there were only 6 or 7 books.

2 more books to go, and it very much feels like everything could be wrapped up in one.

well, we'll see.

PS -- and extra special love to snicket for adding daphne gottlieb to the list of poets whose books the children are looking through for answers in one scene. ( )

Dear Reader:
Unless you are a slug, a sea anemone, or mildew, you probably prefer not to be damp. You might also prefer not to read this book, in which the Baudelare siblings encounter an unpleasant amount of dampness as they descend into the depths or despair, underwater.

I've been reading this series as bedtime stories with Milly, although I did have to go back and read a few myself that she had raced through, unable to wait for me to read them to her at the pace of one chapter a night. They are genuinely brilliant books, funny and dark, mysterious and absurd.

Yep, still wondering what's going on. This book was spent in some submarines, but ended with a Snicket. What on earth is going to happen?? Got to say between Widdershins saying 'Aye' and Count Olaf's new laugh this was quite a struggle to read out loud. ( )