Really enjoyed the first third of this series, but the books have really become formulaic at this point, even with a long time between picking them up. At this point, I'm not really finding them enjoyable and am continuing only because I'd like to see how they end. Right now I feel like I could have skipped from book three to book 13 without missing a whole lot. ( )

the siblings go to a carnival and pretend to be freaks.

With Number 9 in the Series of Unfortunate Events, the ongoing saga gets even better. Count Olaf and his girlfriend Esme Squalor are ever more nefarious. The poor orphans manage to outwit them only by disguising themselves as a two headed Carnival freak and Chabo the Wolf Baby. And while with the Carnivorous Carnival, the orphans encounter sloppy eating, a confusing map, an unruly crowd, hungry lions, and an ambidextrous person. But wait, they might not be orphans after all!

Lemony Snicket is a genius, and that's all there is to it. ( )

It was when I was trapped behind the waterfall, and my opponent approached me, bearing a foil, that I, having nothing but a tattered umbrella with which to defend myself, thought it best to distract him until my helicopter arrived.

"Have you heard of the Caligari Carnival?" I asked. He had not, or he was as fabulous a liar as he was a swordsman and interior decorator. There was a reason my parents had given me the middle name Scheherazade, and it wasn't because I was married to Shahryar (we were just friends).

"It was a carnival in the hinterlands. A group of orphans who had otherwise lived a miserable life found themselves there. They had nowhere to go, for it was in the middle of the hinterlands, and their vile opponent Count Olaf was close enough to capture them once more. They asked themselves a serious question: 'What would Olaf do?' Their answer: disguises.

"They disguised themselves as carnival freaks, Violet and Klaus, the oldest and middle orphan, respectively, posed as a two-headed individual, while Sunny, their baby sister, wore a beard and disguised herself as a wolf child. Thus, they were able to seek employment from Madame Lulu, and worked along other suck 'freaks' as Hugo the Hunchback, Colette the Contortionist, and the Ambidextrous freak Kevin.

"Madame Lulu, who was more than she initially appeared to be, had a penchant for giving the people what they want. The people want to gawk at freaks: give them freaks. The people want to see lions eat said freaks: give them lions. The people want to know more information about the Snicket file: tell them that one of the Baudelaire parents (the parents of our orphans) is still alive and well, hiding out in the mountains. Lulu would give the people what they wanted, even if it wasn't honest, or helpful to everybody involved."

He then asked whether he would like this book. I told him that he probably would, as he has a fascination with learning of others' miserable lives. It somehow makes him feel better. He asked if his mother would like it, or his adolescent daughter. I said "yes," knowing them both to have the same fascination as he.

By that time, my helicopter had arrived. The umbrella did help defend me a bit, but I find I'll have to get a new umbrella before too long. As I clung to the rails of the helicopter, drifting away from my adversary, I couldn't help but wonder if I had it lucky compared to those poor orphans. ( )

Snicket is doing a great job cranking up the peril and the tragic nature of his unfortunate events. The costuming of the Baudelaires in the this installment borders on ridiculous, but I'm enjoying the suspense as they close in on the VFD and the mystery surrounding their parents deaths. It's also interesting to see the horrible guardians disappear. ( )

This is the 9th book of The Series of Unfortunate Events, the continuing saga of the Baudelaire children. We last left the trio in the car trunk of their archenemy Count Olaf, where they hid themselves to escape from the Horrible, Hostile Heimlich Hospital. When the car finally stops it's in the Hinterlands at a little Carnival run by Madame Lulu. Being in the middle of no place they have to figure out how to hide without Olaf finding out who they are.

As their story continues, the Baudelaires continue to grow and learn about the world around them and become more self sufficient, creating their own goals and working as best they can toward them, even against all adversity. Are they ever going to find out the meaning of V.F.D.? Are they ever going to clear their names? Are they ever going to be free of Count Olaf? Are they ever going to get a candy bar for dessert? Maybe but I doubt it. ( )

I love all of Lemony Snicket's books and this one is no exception. It is amazing! I enjoy his dark humor. ( )

Twas fun but also tedious, but I suspect that's because I am a tad over the age of the usual readers of this series.

How much trouble can three little kids get into? Have the Baudelaires finally found something to end this madness - well, maybe someday! ( )

Easily the best of the series so far.

A fantastic balance of humor, drama and suspense. With a surprise twist at the end. The Baudelaires continue to grow as characters. This time they find themselves struggling with decisions they've made; Are they doing the right things in order to survive and uncover the mystery? Or are they compromising what they believe to be right...

It took 9 books to get to one that I would give five-stars, but it was worth it. ( )

In which the Baudelaires become carnival freaks and discover how Count Olaf has managed to track them down. The siblings continue on their quest to find out if one of their parents survived the fire. This book ends with the siblings in a terrible situation. ( )

I'm still enjoying these. They're great for listening to in the car. And I like how the Baudelaires are growing. Sonny no longer has to be translated every time she speaks! Plus, the mystery is getting more mysterious, and the endings are getting more unexpected! ( )

I am reading the series of Unfortunate Events out of order but it doesn't matter a jot. This book opens with the three Baudelaire siblings in the bullet-ridden car boot of their nemesis, Count Olaf. They find themselves at a carnival (of all things) in the middle of the wilderness. I won't ruin the story but as promised by its gloomy narrator, the book ends with the children once again in the "belly of the beast". Wordplay seems to have taken precedent over the plot, which is thin, but I couldn't help smiling at each and every incidence. Still, it was surprising to see the phrase "la petite mort" in a children's book. There's not much in the way of character development either (all the carnival folk are freakishly similar) but the joy of turning those rough-cut pages and the ironic narration make it all worthwhile. ( )

Another tale that is a lot like the others. The thing I liked about this is that Sunny's utterings are getting more recognizable as words. Sometimes, Snicket quite cleverly uses French and Spanish words with some relation to 'what Sunny means by this.'
At this point, I am just reading because I'd like to know the secret of V.F.D. and what happens in The End. ( )

this entire series is cute, very quick and easy read. It makes you think that your life may not be so bad afterall. You would think that someone would help these poor kids lol but i guess it all works out in the end, or so thats the way most series likes these go. Now I started reading this series (book 9) a while back cause someone said its comparable to Harry Potter and let me tell you, whoever tells you this, it's in no way, shape or form like Harry Potter. Harry Potter ranks so much above this it isnt funny. But anyways. its a cute, easy, light read...... a worth reading if you like ya series' ( )

The creepiest book in the series yet, the Baudelaires are forced to disguise themselves as freaks to spy on Olaf and the mysterious Madame Lulu. This book is full of betrayal and people with a nauseating taste for violence and sloppy eating. Not only that but it is also the first book in the series with a cliffhanger ending. ( )

I thought that this was a really interesting books. Its the ninth book out of thirteen altogether. It continues the adventures of the bauldelair children as they once again find themselves in a conundrum. They get stuck as exhibits in the freak show of a traveling circus. They are treated cruely by the owners, but do meet some good friends while they are there. The climax in this story i would say is when all of them are standing next to the lion pet, and their basically being threatened to be pushed in. ( )

Lies and secrets! ( )

After a bit of a break from reading this series, I thought I'd get going again. I was losing interest with some of the previous books, but really enjoyed The Carnivorous Carnival and picked up Book 10 straight after! It was great to see the Baudelaires use skills they'd picked up in previous books, like mob psychology, and Sunny is getting progressively more understandable! Now I'm very keen to see what happens to the Baudelaires..... ( )

Summary: The Beaudelairs are back and in action at a "carniverous" carnival. Can a mysterious gypsie help them?
Review: I'm getting tired of this series. ( )

More and more things seem to go wrong for the poor orphans, while they struggle as best they can. The ending proves suspenseful to an unusal degree; a play on the word "cliffhanger", perhaps? ( )

In the ninth book of the series it is for once the Baudelaire orphans who disguise themselves and work as freaks in the carnival where Count Olaf is staying. As usual misfortune follows them at every turn, but they still manage to stay alive by being quite clever. Although they are even separated in the end.
As always very entertaining. Snicket manages to keep up the high level of suspense and silliness. ( )

Violet, Sunny and Klaus beat Count Olaf at his own game (temporarily, at least), disguising themselves as "freaks" and becoming part of a carnival sideshow. They manage to gain some insight into how their enemies operate, and uncover some of Olaf's secrets, such as how he always seems to turn up everywhere they go. But as always, things only go their way for so long before their luck turns sour again. This one ends with a terrible cliffhanger, when one of their worst fears becomes a reality... ( )

I really like how they meet new friends in this book and how their friends help them. ( )