Kay's Bookshelf

It seems that, when writing this book, the author was somewhat captivated by the idea of cycle. First of all there are endless descriptions of the water cycle (usually meant to be so boring as to scare readers away from the miserable content of the book). Then, at one point, the cycle of the relationship between Olaf and the three children is mentioned, namely he wants to do them harm, but whenever the Baudelaires are in his clutches they manage to escape and the cycle starts again. My favorite cycle though was the one at the end of the book (although it was a bit soon for me since this is only book 11): somewhere near the end the children end up talking with Mr. Poe on the Briny Beach — the same beach where the same Mr. Poe told them about the deaths of their parents all those books ago. The circle thus came to a close, and presumably a new one has started. Details? In the next book :)

You know, each time I open one of these books I am somehow reminded by the Harry Potter series. Not that there is anything remotely similar regarding the plot, but in the way the series were conceived: the first few books were tame and almost standalone, with a plot spanning exactly one book — however the closer we get to the ending the books became more complicated, more things are at stake and the more complicated it gets to tie up the threads at the end. This particular volume is no exception, and it’s probably the most complicated one yet (without being too complicated for his child readers, of course).

For example, this is the first book where we meet ambivalent characters: usually we knew almost as soon as we set eyes on a new character whether he or she is on the Baudelaire’s side or not. Here we meet “volatile” characters (as the author calls them), characters that aren’t simply good or bad, but a mix or the two. One of the notorious examples is one of Olaf’s henchmen, and I loved the way that particular character, whom we have known for quite a long while now (ever since the first book), turned out to have a side one wouldn’t have thought of before. In his own words, “People aren’t either wicked or noble,” [he] said. “They’re like chef’s salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict.”.

Another one of the changes in the series is Count Olaf himself. Now the boyfriend of a very a la mode Esme, and the co-adoptive parent of Carmelita Spats (aka the “tap-dancing ballerina fairy princess veterinarian” of the book), he somehow loses his villainy edge, starting to border on ridiculous at times. The fact that Carmelita ridicules him and calls him County, and his all new laughter (“Hee hee terry cloth!”, “Ha ha handiwork!”, “Ha ha hedgehog”, “Tee hee tonsillectomy!”) make him a less impressive character than before. Gone are the days when he tried a daring disguise, trying to snatch the kids under the very eyes of their legal guardians. While he isn’t less evil, he ended up more like a caricature of his former self than anything else.

It is worth noting how, with each book, the Snicket family enters the scene more and more. We now find out there were three siblings (Kit, Jacques, and “the one with the marmosets”, as it seems Lemony avoids mentioning his own name — although there is no doubt he is the marmoset guy, especially as he has previously stated something about owning a pet marmoset: “Having a personal philosophy is like having a pet marmoset, because it may be very attractive when you acquire it, but there may be situations when it will not come in handy at all.“). While we know the whereabouts of Jacques (or do we, since his initials keep appearing on letters?), and we get to have a short meeting with Kit, Lemony is the only one whose involvement in the story (other than recording it, of course) is not yet clear. This is one of the things I am most curious about in the next two books: will Lemony ever reveal himself as a full fledged character? Will he ever actually help the children and participate in Olaf’s downfall? I’m looking forward to finding out.

The title also has a double meaning, like the one in the previous book did: a literal meaning, an actual grotto (as there previously was an actual slippery slope) and a more philosophical one, best explained by Captain Widdershins: “There was a philosopher who said that all of life is just shadows. He said that people were just sitting in a cave, watching shadows on the cave wall. Aye – shadows of something much bigger and grander than themselves.“. Another image of the situation the Baudelaires find themselves in, a grim grotto of malevolent shadows that hide secrets yet unknown to the three kids.

And, of course, I couldn’t end this review without mentioning the author’s warning at the very beginning:

“Of course, it is boring to read about boring things, but it is better to read something that makes you yawn with boredom than something that will make you weep uncontrollably, pound your fists against the floor, and leave tearstains all over your pillowcase, sheets, and boomerang collection.”

What I liked most: Despite the fact that this is a series of children’s books, there are times when I actually end up learning something new. For example, in this one I have found out the literal sense of “shiver me timbers” (“It is an expression of extreme amazement, used in circumstances when one feels as if one’s very bones, or timbers, are shivering.“) and what a Hobson’s choice is.

What I liked least: Captain Widdershins’ manner of talking. He speaks in rapid short exclamations separated by “aye!”s. Try as I might I couldn’t picture someone speaking like this: “Aye! For the sugar bowl! Aye! For justice! Aye! And liberty! Aye! For an opportunity to make the world quiet! Aye! And safe! Aye! And we may only have until Thursday! Aye! We’re in terrible danger! Aye! So get to work!”. It got tiring really fast, especially as at times some of the sentences didn’t make any sense. Not to mention that, to my chagrin, at one time the Captain leaves his ship and Fiona remains to take his place and adopts more or less the same manner of speaking!

Recommend it to? Completely unsurprising, I recommend this to anyone who read and liked the rest of the series. I really don’t think it works as a standalone book since it heavily references the previous volumes, but if you do know the world involved by all means jump in, as this may be one of the best books the series has (or at least it’s one of my favorites, aye).

This book is a sequel to:
The Bad Beginning
The Reptile Room
The Wide Window
The Miserable Mill
The Austere Academy
The Ersatz Elevator
The Vile Village
The Hostile Hospital
The Carnivorous Carnival
The Slippery Slope

This book is followed by:
The Penultimate Peril
The End

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