The tenth book in this outrageous publishing effort features more than the usual dose of distressing details, such as snow gnats, an organised troupe of youngsters, an evil villain with a dastardly plan, a secret headquarters and some dangerous antics you should not try at home. With the weather turning colder, this is one chilling book you would be better off without. (From Amazon)

 

The title of this book refers not only to the mountain the Baudelaire children find themselves on but also to the slippery slope that could lead them to become villains. The Baudelaires are challenged to save their sister and find out the secrets of VFD without comprising their principles.

 

The performance of Tim Curry (who reads the story) is flawless - to the point where I forget who I'm listening to. His portrayal of Count Olaf is deliciously evil.

❝The Baudelaire orphans, however, had no choice but to be on the road less traveled.❞

The 'Slippery Slope' finds the orphans divided, as Klaus and Violet must save their little sister from the clutches of their mortal enemy: count Olaf. In this chapter of their unfortunate adventures they do find a very resourceful ally. Plus I should mention that the wordplay with the letter V.F.D is ingenious!

 

I really like this book very much and I would have been surprised to find who that ally was, had I not accidentally read it on a wiki page of the series (people should really avoid reading these pages, they are full of spoilers....) I am already on the next book and I can't wait to see how the story ends...

This review can also be found at Goodreads.

 

With the carnival in flames below them and Olaf revealing their disguises are no longer fooling him, things aren't looking good for the unlucky orphans. Separated from their younger sister Sunny it's up to Violet and Klaus to save her and get to VFD headquarters before Olaf does.

 

Although it isn't clear how much time has passed since the first book, which is shame, in this book I realised how much the children had grown. Sunny is no longer baby, and has to rely on herself if she's going to survive Count Olaf and his troupe as well as spying on them as best she can to find out any information that might be valuable to her and her siblings. We also see the children using their skills and becoming more like volunteers, as the series progresses it becomes clear that just maybe their parents were preparing them for world, for VFD.

 

As always the children are faced with more questions than answers, Violet and Klaus race to recuse Sunny and meet a familiar face along the way, along with someone else who might hold some answers. We also get to meet two people who even Olaf fears.

Happy reading.

xx

Think how hard it is to write one really good book for *any* age group. Lemony Snicket wrote 13 terrific books in a row, and it's accurate to say they're splendid for all ages. (I know I'm getting ahead of myself, since this is only book 10. I've actually read them all already at least once before; but now I have all the recorded versions, so I'm treating myself to a mostly-Tim-Curry-narrated run-through.)

"The Slippery Slope" continues Snicket's ongoing philosophical exploration of, well, slippery slopes. As if they weren't busy enough just managing to survive, the Baudelaires are now troubled by a recurring, critical question: How do you tell the difference between a good guy and a bad guy?

The two older Baudelaire siblings have to rescue their younger sister Sunny from the clutches of Count Olaf and his cohorts. Violet and Klaus eventually find, to their horror, that they've talked themselves into trapping and kidnapping one of those cohorts in order to arrange a hostage exchange. Easy enough to rationalize that they are, after all, trying to rescue a baby, and that the potential hostage in question is thoroughly evil and tried to kill *them* earlier in their adventures. The question won't go away: How can you call yourself a good person when your actions mirror those of your enemy?

Snicket manages to engage readers on this issue without being the least bit ham-handed. He also touches gently and beautifully on the first awakenings of romantic attraction Violet feels -- toward a character whose existence is a delightful surprise to Baudelaires and readers alike.

It's been interesting to watch the evolution of this series. The first four books certainly followed a particular formula with slight changes. The tone was almost gothic, with an attempt at dark humor. The next two stepped out a little farther, but remained close to that formula. Each book seemed to become more action based. With the seventh book, the arc that made this a series began to tighten. Over the next few books, the series became more of a mystery. And here, with book ten, The Slippery Slope the facts begin to come together; finally, I am drawn into more than just the individual plight of the Baudelaire children—I want to unmask the global conspiracy that lies at the heart of these unfortunate events.

 

The Slippery Slope wasn't the funniest in the series. It certainly wasn't the most action packed or memorable of the stories. What it is however, is that moment of reward—the “we're finally getting somewhere” moment. And that can be one of the greatest moments of a series. People don't want answers, they want those moments before they get their answers, as they sit on the edge of their seat waiting. Think about it, The X-Files was at its best when Scully's cancer was a big unknown and Mulder's life-long belief was being tested. Lost was at its best when we were given glimpses of the past and the future, but had no idea what the common thread was. I have a feeling A Series of Unfortunate Events will shake out the same way. I'm eager to have the answers, but I think the next couple of books, the moments when the clues are falling but haven't been pieced together yet, will be the best of the series.

 

A Series of Unfortunate Events:
The Bad Beginning – 3.1
The Reptile Room – 3.2
The Wide Window – 3.6
The Miserable Mill - 3.3

The Austere Academy - 3.4

The Ersatz Elevator - 3.3

The Vile Village - 3.1

The Hostile Hospital - 3.4

The Carnivorous Carnival - 3.9

The Slippery Slope - 3.6