Synopses & Reviews
Dear Reader,
I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumber mill, and they find disaster and misfortune lurking behind every log.
The pages of this book, I'm sorry to inform you, contain such unpleasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons.
I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, but you haven't, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
Review
"The story is deliciously mock-Victorian and self-mockingly melodramatic. Helquist's deft pencil drawings and the author's many asides to the reader underscore the droll humor, which many children will relish. Another plum for the orphans' fans." Booklist
Review
"This fourth book in the series about the Baudelaire orphans works fine as a stand-alone....This is for readers who appreciate this particular type of humor; it exaggerates the sour and makes anyone's real life seem sweet in comparison." School Library Journal
Review
"The pseudonymous Snicket returns in fine fettle....It remains...irrelevant what gloom and doom actually descends upon these children while Snicket is the omniscient narrator in charge. His marvelous asides and play on words are what enliven these Victorian-style satires. It's unclear how many actual children there are out there who can follow Snicket's verbal swoops, but he's a joy to the literate adult." Children's Literature
Synopsis
Dear Reader,I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumber mill, and they find disaster and misfortune lurking behind every log.
The pages of this book, I'm sorry to inform you, contain such unpleasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons.
I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, but you haven't, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
Synopsis
NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumber mill, and they find disaster and misfortune lurking behind every log. The pages of this book, I'm sorry to inform you, contain such unpleasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons. I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, but you haven't, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
Synopsis
As Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire look out the grimy window of the train taking them to The Lucky Smells Lumber Mill to live, they can't help but wonder what lies ahead. Will misfortune lurk behind every log? Though these children are clever, resilient, and good-looking, everything that could possibly go wrong for them, unfortunately, usually does. In this fourth book in A Series of Unfortunate Events, I'm sorry to say, the children will encounter a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a ghastly accident, and coupons.
From the tradition of classic tales for children, where terrible things always seem to befall orphans, comes this exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. This latest installment in Lemony Snicket's uproariously unhappy series may just be the worst yet.
About the Author
Lemony Snicket is often despondent, mostly about his published research, which includes A Series of Unfortunate Events and
The Composer Is Dead.
Brett Helquist's celebrated art has graced books from the charming Roger, The Jolly Pirate, to the alarming New York Times bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events, to the cozy E. B. White Read-Aloud Award finalist bedtime for bear. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. Michael Kupperman has done many illustrations for such publications as Fortune, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. He frequently writes scripts for DC Comics. This is his first book.
Reading Group Guide
A Series of Unfortunate Events is the term HarperCollins uses to
describe a sequence of books written by Lemony Snicket concerning
the miserable plight of the three Baudelaire children at the hands of the
sinister Count Olaf. It is a
New York Times Best-selling series and has
sold hundreds of thousands of copies in North America and will soon be
appearing all over the world. This guide is a desperate attempt to stop this
travesty before it is too late. The discussion topics,suggested
reading list and author biography in this reading group guide are
intended to guide the public toward books that are less dreadful and so to
promote comfort and vitality rather than despair and anxiety in our large
and unnerving world.
Questions for Discussion:
- In The Bad Beginning, Mr.Snicket warns his readers, "If
you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would
be better off reading some other book." Yet many people
have insisted on continuing to read this book anyway. What
is wrong with such people?
- The theme of The Reptile Room might be best stated, "Look out
for Count Olaf he will try to murder you!" Why do you think
there are so few books that deal with this theme?
- In The Wide Window, the character of Aunt Josephine is fright-
ened of many things,and then a very frightening thing happens to
her. Is it useful to feel fear, because it prepares you for nasty events,
or is it useless, because nasty events will occur whether you are
frightened or not?
- The Miserable Mill brings up many
important issues of the day, including child labor
in the lumber industry, hypnotism within the medical
profession, gum-chewing, cigar-smoking, cross-dressing,
and the futility of coupons, bankers and optimism.
How does the treatment of these issues in Snicket 's
work differ from their treatment in the newspaper,
on television and in musical theater?
- Does anything in your life compare with the
anguish the Baudelaire children encounter in The Austere Academy? If so,how terrible for you.
If not, how nice. Discuss.
- In The Ersatz Elevator, Violet, Klaus and
Sunny encounter many things which are not what they
seem. Yet The Ersatz Elevator is what it seems a
book containing nothing but despair, discomfort and
woe. Discuss.
- Violet, the eldest Baudelaire child, often risks
her life when using one of her inventions in a desperate attempt to escape
Count Olaf 's treachery. Is this a proper role
model for young women?
- Klaus, the middle Baudelaire child, often finds out disturbing
information when researching Count Olaf 's evil ways.
Is this a proper role model for young men?
- Sunny, the youngest Baudelaire child, occasionally uses her four
sharp teeth in an aggressive manner, in order to defeat Count Olaf 's
dreadful behavior. Is this a proper role model for young babies?
- Each of the books in A Series of Unfortunate Events
is dedicated to Beatrice. When HarperCollins
asked Mr.Snicket about this mysterious woman,
he burst into tears and was unable to answer. Is this
an appropriate author for young readers?
- In each of Mr.Snicket 's books, there is no evidence
that Count Olaf has ever been captured by the
appropriate authorities. Is this more terrifying than
horrifying, or more horrifying than terrifying?
Discuss.
- If Count Olaf is still at large isn't it risky to attract
his attention by purchasing and reading any of Mr.
Snicket 's books? Discuss.
- Who is standing behind you right now? Discuss.