The Wide Window

Series: The series of unfortunate events #3 

Author: Lemony Snicket

Original publication date: February 2nd, 2020

Genre: Children, Fantasy

Book description ( I just love the letter the author gives us as the description): 

Dear Reader,

If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted; but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all. If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signaling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair. I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

Thoughts:

The Baudelaire siblings are sent to live with their aunt Josephine. She is a fanatic about grammar and is afraid of so many things. 

Aunt Josephine is a very stubborn and self-centered woman. She is scared of everything and intends to make the children live her lifestyle even if it's full of fears and paranoia. Like most adults in the series so far, she does not believe anything the children say and makes very bad decisions. 

As you can tell I do not like the new guardian. She is not the best option to take care of any children, be it the Baudelaire siblings or other children. She does not make meals for them, she is afraid of the stove, but still, that is not a good excuse. She is afraid of so many things it sounds ridiculous. 

Count Olaf is of course present in the story, he manages to find the children the same day they arrive practically. When the children let their aunt know about him, she refuses to believe them. Then when she is faced with a difficult situation instead of calling the cops or doing something about the safety of the children she is entrusted with. She runs!

She pretends to do something and yet does another thing. The clues are left in grammatical errors in a letter addressed to the children and it's very cleverly done. Even more, so that she expects children she knows very little about to understand. 

But she chooses her own safety over the safety of the siblings. She knows the Captain is dangerous and yet she leaves the letter appointing him as their new legal guardian. They have to end up saving themselves as in the previous installments of the series. 

Like many children's stories, it is a bit formulaic, so it might be a bit less enjoyable than the first time read as a child. And it is very annoying to see adults be so crappy towards children. It was still an ok read and I can see why so many people like this series. For me is an ok read but not one of my favorites of all time either.