THE MISERABLE MILL

For the Baudelaire orphans life means escaping from Count Olaf, whose quest is to become the beneficiary of the Baudelaire fortune. In this fourth adventure, Snicket's characters find themselves working "midgets" at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill, with Count Olaf nowhere in sight. Snicket's tale lends itself to being read aloud, and what better person to do this than the author! His commentary on word meaning and life experiences becomes informative asides. His treatment of the array of zany characters is humorous and full of appealing voices. He champions Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, whose individual strengths and devotion to each other are detailed in the adventure and underscored through Snicket's tender narration. Whatever the odds, the power of family triumphs. A.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 01]