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    A Series of Unfortunate Events #4: The Miserable Mill
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    A Series of Unfortunate Events #4: The Miserable Mill
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    A Series of Unfortunate Events #4: The Miserable Mill
    Ebook141 pages2 hours

    A Series of Unfortunate Events #4: The Miserable Mill

    By Lemony Snicket, Brett Helquist and Michael Kupperman

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

    I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumber mill, and they find disaster and misfortune lurking behind every log. The pages of this book, I'm sorry to inform you, contain such unpleasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons. I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, but you haven't, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection.

    With all due respect,

    Lemony Snicket

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061757167
    Author

    Lemony Snicket

    Lemony Snicket had an unusual education, which may or may not explain his ability to evade capture. He is the author of the 13 volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events, several picture books including The Dark, and the books collectively titled All The Wrong Questions.

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    Reviews for A Series of Unfortunate Events #4

    3.5/5

    2,053 ratings63 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      After terrible experiences trying to live with relatives. the Baudelaire children are sent off to work at a mill. Predictably, this is truly terrible and things only go from bad to worse when Count Olaf manages to worm his way back into their lives again.This book is another excellent addition to the quirky series. It is necessary to read the other books first, but fans of the previous three titles will enjoy this one as well.  
    • 3/5
      Certainly the most different of the books so far, adopted by the owner of a lumber mill, the Baudelaires have to work in the mill and watch out for Count Olaf at the same time.

      I hope this spells a change in the series, as I said before, I want to see the kids set out on their own path, to discover the mysteries being kept from them and more.
    • 5/5
      I simply cannot put down every adventure of Klaus, Sunny, and Violet! Snicket's writing draws me in!
    • 5/5
      In the fourth book of the series, the Baudelaire orphans are ordered to work at the Luck Smells Lumbermill in Paltryville, a dark and gloomy place that none of the children likes very much at all. It was very interesting and quite amusing to see the way Count Olaf disguised himself this time around. The book has many interesting and unusual parts (in a good way), including Klaus being hypnotised, a man with smoke for his head, and a dentis who isn't what she seems. A great addition to the series.
    • 4/5
      The Baudelaire children are off to stay with yet another guardian, this time in Paltryville, a dingy little town whose main function is to house the Lucky Smells Lumbermill. The owner of the mill also happens to be their new guardian, the cold and unsympathetic Sir. Sir promises to provide the children protection from their nemesis, Count Olaf, while under his care. However, he also requires that they work in the mill as the condition of their stay with him. His partner, Charles, is actually a nice man who feels sorry for the poor juggled-about children, but is unfortunately too weak to stand up to Sir and demand that they receive the kind of care children deserve. At least he shows them the library, and books are always a haven for Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. Of course, even this grim and difficult way of life is too much happiness for the children to keep for long. They quickly notice a building in town that looks suspiciously like the eye tattooed on Olaf's ankle. When the mill's foreman intentionally trips Klaus, causing him to break his glasses, the children discover that the ominous looking building is an optometrist's office, and it is there that Klaus has to go to get his glasses repaired. When he returns, Klaus is not acting like himself, and even causes an accident to befall one of the nice mill workers. Klaus confesses to his sisters that he doesn't remember anything from the time he went to the doctor's office until after the accident. So when the foreman trips Klaus again, once more breaking his glasses, the girls decide to accompany their brother on his visit to the eye doctor.The Baudelaires quickly begin putting the pieces together after they arrive at the office and realize that the receptionist is actually Count Olaf in another of his terrible disguises. The girls also realize that the optometrist, Dr. Orwell, has been hypnotizing Klaus, resulting in his strange behaviors and lost memory. The battle with Olaf is on again. By this stage in the story, the children realize that they are probably on their own in figuring out what Olaf's scheme for stealing their money is this time, and how they can reveal Olaf - who none of the adults believe is an imposter despite his absurdly unbelievable costume as a female receptionist - to the authorities. Fortunately, the three of them are up to the task, far more so than the adults that are supposed to be providing their protection. In this gloomy world that Snicket has created, the adults continue to be cruel, incompetent, completely out of touch with reality, or some combination of all three.
    • 4/5
      If the fourth of the Unfortunate Events Series the Baudelaire orphans once again find themselves in a new home. Now, they are living at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill under the care of a man named, "Sir." The children are forced to work at the mill in exchange for the payment of coupons. The orphans existence at the mill doesn't last for long when their good friend, Count Olaf appears again. Violet and Klaus have the chance to switch roles in order to save Sunny and themselves; and they each develop a deeper appreciation for the other's gifts. (Klaus' reading and Violet's inventiveness) Another great adventure by Lemony Snicket!
    • 3/5
      Yeah it may be an exciting story, but Count Olaf appers in like the third chapter!
    • 3/5
      The Miserable Mill, fourth book in the Series of Unfortunate Events, finds Violet, Klaus, and Sunny working in a lumber mill situated next to an eye-shaped building. Klaus breaks his glasses 3 times and is forced to visit the optometrist in the eye-shaped building, and he returns with a strange change in his personality. The tattoo of an eye on Count Olaf's ankle, the one thing that convinces the good adults (Mr. Poe, for example) that "Shirley" the secretary is really Count Olaf, hints of some bigger conspiracy against the Baudelaire children. Is the eye a symbol of some sinister secret society bent on torturing and controlling the children? Is there some connection between children reading this story and this sinister society? Could the narrator's lesson to the reader on how to read an impenetrable book (on eye diseases and hypnotism no less) be more than just an explanation of how Violet found the information she needed to help Klaus? We certainly hope so. And so onward to the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      This book is slightly different from the first 3 as the identity of Count Olaf is revealed quite late on- there are several sinister and mysterious characters who could be him. It was an enjoyable read, but not as funny as the first 3.
    • 4/5
      While not my favorite book of the Series of Unfortunate Events, it's still very good. For the first time we are introduced to some very nice characters who aren't the orphans' guardian (and thus perhaps may survive the story). Phil and Charles are both very nice and very cool, though with their own quirks.This book is also cool because we get a real element of danger for the orphans. Klaus gets hypnotized, Sunny has a sword fight, Violet has to read a very very large and complicated book. It gets downright intense at the end.
    • 3/5
      This book in the series was a bit different than I thought it'd be. I liked how it ended and thought it was amusing the way Olaff was dressed in drag as a disguise. But it was one of the more duller ones so far.
    • 3/5
      A fast read. Not quite up to the standards set by the previous books, but perhaps it's simply that the newness has worn off.
    • 5/5
      Omg! I can't say I can't believe that happened to the Baudelaire Orphans but like I say before, this isn't just "another" children book. This is a SURREAL REALITY kinda of children book, where there hadn't had a happy ending. YET! For followers of this series, you all know where the kids are from, but for new, I suggest reading from the first book to know what exactly been going on. The Unfortunate Events Series brings you the story of the Baudelaire Orphans, Violet (the oldest and the inventor), Klaus (second borned and the genius bookworm) and Violet (youngest and the biter). Their parent died from horrible fire that burnt their house down to the ground and since then they have been moving from home to another starting from Count Olaf (who'se determined to get the Baudelaire Orphan's fortune) to their Uncle Monty's Reptile House and their Phobic Aunt Josephine. Things hadn't improved since we last seen the Baudelaire Orphans. Mr Poe, their fortunes caretaker until Violet comes to an age, took them to their next guardian who's the owner of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill in Paltryville, where they are made to work in the mill and they shared the place to sleep with the rest of the workers. Close to their cabin, to their horror a building that resembled the mark of Count Olaf! In this Lucky Smells Lumbermills the only option of food for them is Gum and occasionally bits and pieces of food from Charles, their guardian's partner, one of the good people they know there, next to Phil, the extreme optimist who tried to look things in their bright side. Their foreman, named Foreman Flacutono, who just won't give them a break, and also one of the pawns to make the Baudelaire Orphans' life as miserable as the place itself. With the simple prank by him, Klaus was sent to the building that bears the mark of the feared Count Olaf (who seems to be missing) and came out all wrong. He was hypnotized! While he was under it, he did things unimaginable! But of course adults just never listen in this story. Sad isn't it.
    • 4/5
      I highly recommend this series.
    • 4/5
      This book was one of the more boring books in the series "A series of Unfortunate Events." I recommend this to children who like these books.
    • 3/5
      Once again Snicket keeps the same basic formula, but changes it just enough to keep it interesting. I have to respect him for this. Too often in children's literature, the storyline is repeated again and again and when a change does occur, it often lacks originality. Snicket does a great job breathing new life into a series that could grow old very fast. I am excited to see, now that he's tapped most of the new-guardian/Count-Olaf-in-disguise angles, how he might shake it up, or take the story in a completely different direction. Snicket's good at this, and I expect that despite the length of the series, he has no trouble finding fresh, new perspectives.

      The Miserable Mill shook the pattern established in the previous books a little, but it wasn't vastly different. The change was enough to keep me going, but to make it through a fifth book, Snicket will have to make some bolder moves (I trust he will). This fourth book in the series is lightly humorous, but not as funny as books 2 and 3, in my opinion. The story lacks the drive of books 1 and 3. None of the extra characters in The Miserable Mill were as developed as they had been in any of the previous books and this was disappointing: Phil had definite potential, and Charles and Sir were little more than cardboard people used to further the plot. Despite the negatives, The Miserable Mill was a more rounded book than books 1 and 2; therefore, I'd say The Miserable Mill is the second best in the series so far, but barely.

      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
    • 4/5
      The Baudelaire orphans are put to work in a mill. After Klaus is hypnotized, Violet and Sunny must rescue him and escape from Count Olaf’s latest plan.Another exciting adventure. The series continues to develop and more hints are dropped about Lemony Snicket’s (and Beatrice’s) story. Only 9 to go!
    • 2/5
      This was a bit tiresome by the end of the story. And a swordfight with a Sunny's teeth was even a bit of a stretch for me. But oh well. At least Sir won't be in the next book.
    • 5/5
      I'm only half way through this book and its one of the best books ive ever read!
    • 2/5
      Continuation of The Series of Unfortunate Events. Nothing exciting or particularly memorable.
    • 4/5
      Book #4. Again, I watched snippets of this episode but glad to have read the book and understood the parts I've missed. Funny this time around with Olaf (not giving it away) and how we could not see Sir's face throughout the book. As usual, the orphans escape the clutches of Olaf and goes onto the next disaster in the next book. I'm really enjoying the series.
    • 3/5
      A bit more outrageous than the previous ones, but once again filled with little quips and metaphors that even a full grown, boring adult should be able to relate to. On a much less outrageous scale, of course.
    • 3/5
      While this novel does share a lot of similarities with its precursors, it does manage to change things around enough to make it feel a little different. Count Olaf is not as central to the story, there is no focus on a new distant relative and hints are beginning to be dropped towards a larger picture. Although the children do not quite cotton on to this, it did leave my curious as to what the Count's tattoo actually means. Now that it's appearing other places, it seems that it ties into a larger plot.On top of this, the children continue to be likable and are even forced to work outside of their comfort zones this time while trying to stay alive. The prose still carries Snicket's unique style - heavy in black humor and repetitive sentences - which may not be to every one's taste but I find utterly irresistible.
    • 4/5
      If you are looking for a happy, pleasant book, put this one right down and I advise against reading this review, as the three Baudelaire orphans' lives certainly do not lead to a happy ending, or anything at all happy.

      The orphans are taken to the Lucky-Smells Lumber Mill to work there, and when they see a huge, eye-shaped building that resembles evil Count Olaf's tattoo and Olaf himself, they get very worried. Charles, a nice man, cannot help them, but can only try to persuade people to take them away from the Lumber Mill. Of course, this does not work, and so when Klaus (the middle Baudelaire orphan) breaks his glasses, he has to go to the eye-shaped building. He comes back in a very sleepy way, and thinks he saw Count Olaf...

      This book is very good, and I recommend this terrifying series to everyone who loves reading brilliant, but horrifying, books.
    • 3/5
      Last one for 2012! (A quick one sneaking in under the radar... much like Count Olaf keeps sneaking after the Baudelaire children).

      This one sees the children forced to work in an absurdly horrific sawmill. Their new guardian is the cruel and mysterious owner of the mill; his partner is almost kindly, but utterly ineffectual.
      When the evil count Olaf (in disguise, yet again) teams up with a hypnotist/optometrist, and giant saws are in evidence - well, things are bound to get messy.
    • 2/5
      I wish I hadn't started reading this series but now I have to find out how it ends.
    • 4/5
      Lemony Snicket has a way with words, especially big, complicated words that may be difficult for some children to understand, so he breaks them down and defines them, though, he doesn't always define them correctly. Nevertheless, the humor of his definitions prevail.The Miserable Mill, the fourth book of A Series of Unfortunate Events, is also the first book not made into a movie. If you are familiar at all with A Series of Unfortunate Events, you will no doubt know of the Baudelaire orphans: Violet, the inventor; Klaus, the reader; and Sunny, the biter. You will also most certainly know about the bumbling banker, Mr. Poe, who always seems to send the orphans to their doom, and Count Olaf, their doom.In this volume, the orphans are sent to the Lucky Smells Lumber Mill, and put to work turning logs into planks, receiving nothing for lunch but chewing gum, and getting no pay other than coupons. Their guardian, Sir, seems to think that it is a pretty good deal for the orphans, to have such a horrible existence at his mill, though his partner, Charles, is a little more understanding.It's only after Klaus breaks his glasses and has to go to an optometrist in an eye-shaped building that the orphans begin to see things a bit more clearly, such as the optometrist's receptionist is a little too mannish and Count Olaf-y to be named Shirley.The orphans must outwit the count and talk sense to the rest of the adults before Sir hands them over to Shirley.If you do so enjoy the Lemony Snicket works, I would definitely recommend reading this and the rest of the Unfortunate books. Otherwise, if you're into independent reader fiction, and are looking for something entertaining, that can appeal to both children and adults alike, you might also enjoy this series.
    • 4/5
      This is probably the goriest of the series, though it wasn't tastelessly done. I really enjoyed Olaf's disguise in this one.
    • 3/5
      While I appreciated that the author found a new and interesting way to introduce this book, I found it much slower paced until the very end. The final payoff was good, but I prefer some of the previous volumes in the series.
    • 3/5
      [Minorish spoiler warning, I promise it won't bother you too much.]This was not my favorite. I'm not sure if it's because the series is getting too formulaic, but I just was not feeling this book. Of course I find his rhetoric still endlessly charming, but the characters are getting a bit ridiculous in their quirks and defects. And an infant winning a sword fight with her teeth? I dunno about all that, my disbelief is being suspended by a frayed rope at this point.