A Series of Unfortunate Events #12: The Penultimate Peril
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Praise for A Series of Unfortunate Events:
“Wicked Good Fun.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Vivid. Designed to alight on the best-seller lists.” – The New York Times Book Review
“Hilarious. Luckily for fans, the woes of the Baudelaires are far from over.” – Publishers Weekly
Daily Mail
Intelligent, morbid bestsellers.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The 12th book in 'Series of Unfortunate Events', actually entitled 'The Penultimate Peril', is the strangest one so far. Far from being conventional childrens' novels, Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) has written very intelligent books, name-dropping authors or novels who make a point he can use to comic effect. Also, the plot is very convoluted, and while this book does answer one or two questions, it poses about a hundred other left unanswered. But in a year, we'll get the final book, and I have every confidnece it will be worth the wait.
This book finds the Baudelaires reaching the Hotel Denouement, and the mysteries that lie therein. The plot whizzes along at a cracking pace, with the reader being just as confused as the siblings at several points. One neat part allows you to choose the order in which you will read the chapters, as each centres on either Violet, Klaus or Sunny. Also, many of the characters from previous books return, as the loose ends from the past begin to come together. As Snicket himself says at one point, a denouement refers to the tying-together of loose ends, but not necessarily the end.
This is the case here - once again, the novel ends on a cliffhanger, but the final book is set up marvelously, with much at stake for our heroes. The full mystery of VFD has yet to be resolved, as does the mystery of Beatrice, the Snickets, and why a fire department would want animals ... Overall, this book works reasonably well on its own, but essentially whets the reader's appetite for what should be an excellent ending.
This book finds the Baudelaires reaching the Hotel Denouement, and the mysteries that lie therein. The plot whizzes along at a cracking pace, with the reader being just as confused as the siblings at several points. One neat part allows you to choose the order in which you will read the chapters, as each centres on either Violet, Klaus or Sunny. Also, many of the characters from previous books return, as the loose ends from the past begin to come together. As Snicket himself says at one point, a denouement refers to the tying-together of loose ends, but not necessarily the end.
This is the case here - once again, the novel ends on a cliffhanger, but the final book is set up marvelously, with much at stake for our heroes. The full mystery of VFD has yet to be resolved, as does the mystery of Beatrice, the Snickets, and why a fire department would want animals ... Overall, this book works reasonably well on its own, but essentially whets the reader's appetite for what should be an excellent ending.
42 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The twelfth and Penultimate book in the series is another corker. It offers more tantalising morsels of what final acts of Peril await our 3 intrepid explorers but again leaves us with a feeling that the end maybe something quite unexpected. This book is the first one in the series where you really get the feeling that all may not end in a happy way. Throughout the terrifying ordeals that the Baudelaire’s have gone through you have been left with a sense that something will make everything better. I am really not so sure anymore…
The story picks up where the Grim Grotto leaves off with Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire still hunting down the Hotel Denouncement and the final safe place for VFD, they are currently assisted by mysterious Kit Snickett – will she be another guardian for the Baudelaire’s to fear? Or will she be noble of mind, brave of spirit and frankly useless as a guide? Or will she finally be the allusive guardian the Baudelaire’s have been searching for? Someone who will bring them up in a protective, caring environment?
One thing I should mention at this point is that this is the twelfth book in the series and as such if you chose to start it here you are going to miss out on a lot of back story. As with all of the Series of Unfortunate Events books they have been easy to read stand alone, I do feel you lose something from not reading them in the order that they were intended to be written.
However, back to the dastardly plot…
The books have been plunging head first towards a crescendo of an ending for sometime now. We can see this more clearly than ever in this book as so many of the central characters from the past 11 books (including Charles and Sir from the Lucky Smells Lumber Yard, Hugo, Collette and Kevin from The Carnivorous Carnival, Justice Strauss from the Bad Beginning, as well as sundry other appearances, and a whole host of others). This gathering is not coincidental but the point of them being there doesn't come apparent until near the end with emergence of the man with a beard and no hair and the women with hair and no beard, however can even they match the wickedness that pours through the veins of non-other than Count Olaf himself…
Once again Lemony Snickett has written a book that both adults and children can really enjoy, there is energy, a plot, a good storyline and most importantly of all good writing. These books are such great fun that I would recommend them to anyone.
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Warning! This may contain spoliers:
When i bought the Penultimate Peril i was expecting a great, action-packed mystery book. I had read every other book in the series and had been looking forward to this book for months. I was not let down. The Penultimate Peril is a fantastic book, just what you'd expect it to be, maybe even more. The book is well planned, from beginning to end, with some funny jokes too. There are a lot of events, which are all exciting for the reader, infact i hardly put the book down. I read it within 24 hours of release, and can't wait for the next book. The Baudelaires travel to the Hotel Denouement with Kit Snicket, a strange woman we met in the last book. There, they have a picnic- my favourite part- and discuss what they will all be doing for the next few days. The Baudelaires will become concierges and will try to find the mysterious JS, either a volunteer or villain. Will they succeed? Or will the notorious Count Olaf reach the sugar bowl before them? All awaits in the Penultimate Peril. Great book. No wait... fantastic.
When i bought the Penultimate Peril i was expecting a great, action-packed mystery book. I had read every other book in the series and had been looking forward to this book for months. I was not let down. The Penultimate Peril is a fantastic book, just what you'd expect it to be, maybe even more. The book is well planned, from beginning to end, with some funny jokes too. There are a lot of events, which are all exciting for the reader, infact i hardly put the book down. I read it within 24 hours of release, and can't wait for the next book. The Baudelaires travel to the Hotel Denouement with Kit Snicket, a strange woman we met in the last book. There, they have a picnic- my favourite part- and discuss what they will all be doing for the next few days. The Baudelaires will become concierges and will try to find the mysterious JS, either a volunteer or villain. Will they succeed? Or will the notorious Count Olaf reach the sugar bowl before them? All awaits in the Penultimate Peril. Great book. No wait... fantastic.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fab!
This book is probably my favourite of the series; it is dark and very eerie. It would make a fantastic Tim Burton film. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Martensgirl
Lemony Snicket
Excellent buy excellent quality. I would consider buying again from this site. I would certainly look on this site to try and find what I was looking for
Published 6 months ago by Gail
The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book 12)
arrived on time, quick despatch, item in a good state as descirbed, happy to buy stuff from the same seller in future.
Published 23 months ago by RB
The Penultimate Peril
A great book and great price. Would recommend the series to any kid over 7. My daughter has devoured the whole series. It's way better than the film....
Published on 4 Jun 2009 by Mrs. J. K. Jacobs-roth
Hotel horror!
Probably the next-to-last things you would like to read about are a harpoon gun, a rooftop sunbathing salon, two mysterious initials, three unidentified triplets, a notorious... Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2008 by Mehajabeen Farid
As good as ever
Good book.I've read every single book that Lemony Snicket has ever written.This one was just as good as all the rest.He's one of my favourite authors. Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2007 by lindabookworm
Penultimate Peril
When I was little my sister read them and I really wanted to read them, but I didn't understand them. So, now I got the chance to read them all - except from the last one. Read more
Published on 22 Sep 2006 by FP
Lovely lovely
I thought this book was a return to form - and have never skipped a page in my life! The beauty of these books isn't the story, it's the prose.
Published on 18 May 2006 by b g-w
The Penultimate Peril
I found this book really disappointing as I was really looking forward to it. I've read all the other books in the series and I was bored and constantly skipping ahead. Read more
Published on 15 April 2006 by Deirdre Lynch
A great book of non-fiction from Lemony Snicket
First, a brief, a word which here means "small and rushed", summary of the story. The enigmatic Kit Snicket has just picked the Baudelaires up from Briny Beach, sending memories... Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2006 by AC Smith
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