Book Review: The End by Lemony Snicket

[slightlymadmom]

Meant to do this weeks ago when I read the book, but things got in the way. Basically, I was disappointed in the book. I was not a huge fan of the series, I liked some of the characters, but it's very hard to like a series when the main characters keep losing everything. I like some of the style that was used, but I picked up Adverbs by Daniel

Comments

[redpram]

I read the first three and really didn't like them, despite recommends from two very intelligent 14 year olds of my acquaintance.

[slightlymadmom]

Yeah, I was never sure if I liked them, except I liked the three main characters. I also thought it might be a real solvable mystery. Although I am not a mystery-solving person, I like stories where all the pieces fall in to place. That never really happens, at least not in a sane-story sort of way.

[arensb]

I would advise reading the first book, and then be *sure* you like the style before continuing.

A lot of times, you can buy boxed sets of book series (Lord of the Rings, Shanana, Hyperion, etc.). Why don't they sell boxed sets with books 2 through N, but with space for book 1, for the people who bought the first book to see if they liked it, then decided to get the series?

[slightlymadmom]

That would be a very clever idea! I have started using the library -- or friends -- for that, though. I have a copy of Eregon from my brother in law, and if I like it, I will get them all, most likely. My sister and I did have, for a while, one copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as well as my boxed set. Which, by the way, is/was so tattered I really couldn't read it any more. Luckily, DH's grandmother had a boxed set, newer, but with the same covers. Yay! But those I used to re-read every 2-3 years at the least, and I haven't read them since...well, before child 2 (3.5 years) I think. I may be done re-reading them until it is time for reading them to the kids...

[redpram]

You can pick up some clues and notice some links, but you can't really build an answer out of them (at least I don't believe so). So if you are a mystery-solver-person, you will be disappointed.

I didn't think there was much of a mystery to solve in those books. I am definitely one of those people, though. When I first got the Harry Potter books, there were 3 out. I spent a long time reading through and making notes in order to figure out Harry's class schedule for each year. I find that sort of thing a fun intellectual exercise. But it was very very annoying because you couldn't actually figure it out. Didn't ruin the books for me, but it did lessen the pleasure and make me wonder if the author actually bothered to work out the schedule properly herself.