Product Description

DISCLAIMER: The long term effects of listening to this audio are unknown. Scientists have detected slightly higher rates of panic, fright and free-floating anxiety amongst listeners to this audio than that found in those listeners who engaged in more pleasant listening activities.

Dear Listener,

Like handshakes or housepets, many things are preferable when not slippery. Unfortunately, in this miserable volume, I am afraid that Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire run into more than their fair share of slipperiness during their harrowing journey up -- and down -- a range of strange and distressing mountains.

It would be best not to mention any of the unpleasant details of this story, particularly a secret message, a swarm of snow gnats, a scheming villain, a covered casserole dish, and a surprising survivor of a terrible fire.

Unfortunately, I have dedicated my life to researching and recording the sad tale of the Baudelaire Orphans. There is no reason for you to dedicate yourself to such things, and you might instead dedicate yourself to letting this slippery audio slip from your hands into a nearby trash receptacle, or deep pit. With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #845854 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-11
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .1 pounds
• Binding: Audio CD

From Amazon.com
What would you do if you found yourself trapped in a runaway caravan hurtling down a precipitous mountain slope? Fourteen-year-old Violet, the oldest orphan of the three Baudelaires, decides to try to slow the velocity of the caravan with a drag-chute invention involving a viscous combination of blackstrap molasses, maple syrup, maraschino liqueur, peanut butter, etc. If plummeting to their death weren't scary enough, Violet and her brother Klaus have been separated from Sunny, their baby sister who is in a car headed in the opposite direction up the mountain with the "facinorous" Count Olaf, his "villainous and stylish" girlfriend Esmé Squalor, and their creepy sidekicks. Do Violet and Klaus find Sunny on the mountain? How will they survive the treacherous, snow-covered peaks with not much more than a ukulele and a bread knife, especially in the face of the "organized, ill-tempered" snow gnats? Will they finally unearth the mystery of the V.F.D.? Will they find out if one of their parents is alive after all? The suspense! As ever, the Baudelaires' unfolding tale of woe is sprinkled with Lemony Snicket's ridiculous, hilarious observations such as "Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like." The tenth book in The Series of Unfortunate Events takes readers through the Mortmain Mountains to the churning waters of the Stricken Stream with all the coexistent horror and silliness a Snicket fan could hope for along the way. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

From AudioFile
This tenth book in the Series of Unfortunate Events finds the long suffering Baudelaire orphans in their worst predicament yet. Sunny is in the clutches of evil Count Olaf while Violet and Klaus are careening down a mountain in a trailer with no brakes. Tim Curry gives another masterful performance, pulling out more unique voices as the Baudelaires encounter new characters, good and bad. Curry's reading is exuberant, often over the top, but he knows when to pull back and allow the characters their moments of grief and tenderness. The transitional music has a wobbly quality that doesn't play well, but fans of the series won't mind. Listeners will walk away ready for the next installment. A.F. 2004 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. It's clear throughout that Snicket hasn't lost his sense of the absurd or his momentum in this "Book the Tenth." As in previous episodes, the adventures of the Baudelaire sibs spin out with the zest and cliff-hanger dramatics of old-fashioned serials. Left hurtling down a mountain at the close of The Carnivorous Carnival (2002), Klaus and Violet concentrate here on saving themselves; rescuing baby Sunny, who is once more in the clutches of the evil Count Olaf; and continuing their campaign to put a stop to Olaf's evil doings once and for all. Of course, they have their work cut out for them, but with a surprising ally, they stumble through the usual assortment of clues and secret messages that actually seem to get them one step closer to their ultimate goal. Characters are true to form, ridiculous and fun, and, once again, the wry telling is pitch-perfect, with plenty of the joyful wordplay and the quirky imaginative touches Snicket's legions of fans expect. Stephanie Zvirin
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