Book Review: The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10)

Release Date: September 23, 2003
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Length: 337 pages
Source: Purchased Book

Dear Reader,

Like handshakes, house pets, or raw carrots, 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.

In order to spare you any further repulsion, it would be best not to mention any of the unpleasant details of this story, particularly a secret message, a toboggan, a deceitful map, a swarm of snow gnats, a scheming villain, a troupe of organized youngsters, 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 your-self to such things, and you might instead dedicate yourself to letting this slippery book slip from your hands into a nearby trash receptacle, or deep pit.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

    

Review:

Protagonists: As the last installment left off, 2/3rds of our heroes headed toward certain doom, I will ease your suffering now and tell you that they survive the start of this most unfortunate journey. However, this tale of the Mortmain Mountains and what the Baudelaire's discovered there, like so many installments before, isn't a happy tale. In this installment, our heroes are still struggling between right and wrong, or more accurately, between selfish deeds and selfless ones.  As with other installments this late into the series that attempt to provide some actual character development into the story, I have to say that I appreciate the attempt, but the struggle feels hollow when it's not fleshed out more and explored. It ends up feeling more like a large game of chicken rather than a struggle with a hard choice. I will admit that it was nice seeing them interact with someone around their own age as they haven't really had a chance to do that since the Quagmire triplets had to escape.

World Building: Taking place in a dark and dangerous mountain range and probably one of the most secluded locations the Baudelaire's have visited,  this installment starts to flesh out the world a lot more. While many questions still remain, this installment begins answering questions on the mind of readers since Duncan and Isadora were kidnapped by Count Olaf shouting three letters at the Baudelaires. This is actually sort of the beginning of the end, as this is the start of as much clarification on this world, and these mysteries that have been brewing for many books, that we will get in this series. I will bring up again though, that I wish there was more depth to the world that we get. I know this series is supposed to be absurdist and out there and a more concrete world could conflict with that style, yet the Netflix series adds depth to the stories while still keeping the absurdist and dark comedy that made this series so popular in the first place. Granted I shouldn't be comparing the two since this came out first and because so it has not exactly aged very well.

Predictability: I actually forgot a good deal about this installment. However, that didn't stop me from knowing most of the important information and twists that this story held, mainly because there aren't many. Due to the nature of these stories, it's not hard to predict what turmoil the story will take next and what small reprieves the children may be given. There is a pretty big twist in this tale for those who haven't read this book before and it's a really great twist too, but it's probably the only surprising thing in the entire story.

Ending: So, honestly, while there are a few insane things that happen at the end of this story, there's nothing to make the twists feel like they count. I guess when you have a series of unfortunate events, another unfortunate event, no matter how unpredictable, though this one is pretty predictable, doesn't hold as much weight when stacked up against other unfortunate events. The final climax was pretty good, and there are a few changes to the typical formula of this series, but at the end of the day, while the ending is pretty exciting, compared to the other ending in this series so far, it feels a tad underwhelming.

Rating:

So, while this is the beginning of the end, and answers are coming, at least a few answers are coming, and things are getting more intense, but still as with the other installments in this series it feels that the depth of the story is sacrificed for the absurdist comedy and "brand" of this series.