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| The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 12) | 
 enlarge | Author: Lemony Snicket
Creator: Brett Helquist
Publisher: HarperCollins
Category: Book
List Price: $12.99
Buy Used: $2.98
You Save: $10.01 (77%)
New (85) Used (106) Collectible (23) from $2.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  215 reviews
Sales Rank: 4946
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.2 x 1.4
ISBN: 0064410153
EAN: 9780064410151
ASIN: 0064410153
Publication Date: October 18, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Buy from the best: 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship today!
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Amazon.com Review
10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Daniel Handler Q: Your Wikipedia (online encyclopedia) entry defines you as author, screenwriter, and accordionist. Is that how you would describe yourself? A: I find that nothing makes people back away faster at a social gathering than "accordionist." Except perhaps "screenwriter." And, even "author" always makes people nervous, so I usually say "writer." Q: How long have you been writing? A: All my life really, since I was able to write all I wanted to do was write. I think largely I ended up becoming a writer because I could think of nothing else that I was good at--at all. As a kid, I always wanted to be a writer, and I had no backup plan whatsoever as an adult. Q: Are the Baudelaire children ever going to be happy? A: Well, they are happy on a regular basis, just not for very long. Um, are they ever going to be happy permanently? I don't know any permanently happy people, thank goodness. Q: Okay, then is the series going to end on a happy note? A: Well, I always remind readers of the Snicket books that happy is a comparative term, so the end will be happier than some people would think, but less happy than others. Q: When can fans expect the final book? A: I believe the thirteenth volume will be released in the fall of 2006, although something terrible could happen to the author at any moment and then the books would not be released at all. Looking for more from Daniel Handler? Check out his answers to Amazon.com's The Significant Seven.
Amazon.com Exclusive: The Horrendous Heap  Experience Snicket in the worst way possible: from the very beginning. Here are twelve books contained in four boxes in one terrible shipment. The Horrendous Heap also contains four unfortunate gifts, more upsetting than an itchy sweater in an unflattering color, including: *A full-color print of one of Brett Helquist's most worrying illustrations, suitable for framing or burying in the backyard. *A door-hanger, designed to keep unfortunate events out of any room with a door. *A full page of black-and-white stickers, fit for sticking wherever unfortunate events arise. *An iron-on, which can render any piece of clothing a part of the uniform of a secret organization. Please be warned. This offering is a great deal of misfortune. Lemony Snicket advises against the reading, framing, hanging, sticking, or wearing of unfortunate events. In fact, you might be better off ordering a less horrendous heap, if you prefer that sort of thing.
Make Your Own Misfortune Teller  Fans of the Lemony Snicket books can download and fold their own Misfortune Teller, by following these simple instructions. Once the Misfortune Teller is complete, all that is necesary is a willing victim, er, subject, and let the games begin!
An Interview with Lemony Snicket  Lemony Snicket has captured the hearts of childen and adults alike with the hilariously gloomy series that began, of course, with The Bad Beginning. Amazon.com had a chance to question the author of this marvelously morbid and delightfully depressing series, and the communication was grim indeed. Read the cumbersome communique and see for yourself. Product DescriptionLemony Snicket returns with the last book before the last book of his bestselling Series of Unfortunate Events. Scream and run away before the secrets of the series are revealed! Very little is known about Lemony Snicket and A Series of Unfortunate Events. What we do know is contained in the following brief list: - The books have inexplicably sold millions and millions of copies worldwide
- People in more than 40 countries are consumed by consuming Snicket
- The movie was as sad as the books, if not more so
- Like unrefrigerated butter and fungus, the popularity of these books keeps spreading
Even less is known about book the twelfth in this alarming phenomenon. What we do know is contained in the following brief list: - In this book, things only get worse
- Count Olaf is still evil
- The Baudelaire orphans do not win a contest
- The title begins with the word, 'The'
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. Ages 10+ |
| Customer Reviews: Read 210 more reviews...
 The End Is Near October 20, 2005
104 out of 116 found this review helpful
The Penultimate Peril is one of the best in ASoUE. It's the next to last book in the series, and everything is starting to come together.
When we last left Violet, Klaus, and Sunny that had met up with Kit Snicket on Briny Beach, and that's exactly where out story picks up. She takes them to a hotel, where in just a few days, there will be a gathering of volunteers at the last safe place. However, we all know that nothing ends in sunshine & happiness for our favorite unfortunate orphans.
The book is very well paced, and a bit darker than some of the others in the series, but just as silly as well. We see lots of familiar faces, and will have you wanting to reread the entire series over just to see if you missed the slighest bit of a clue. We also meet some new characters, and discover some remarkable secrets. We also run into some new questions, and ponder the true meaning of noble. Right & wrong are not always black & white, especially for the Baudelaires. The Penultimate Peril is a very enjoyable read, and is a must buy for fans of ASoUE.
And make sure you have a mirror when you read.
Now looking forward to book 13! October 18, 2005
20 out of 26 found this review helpful
I managed to get my hands on this one 3 days before the offical release date (a store in my hometown had it out early). Needless to say that I tore through it really quickly. While the mystery and story are (finally) coming together, I have to admit I am really looking forward to the final (post-pentultimate) book, so the mystery will finally be solved. However, judging by some of Mr. "Snicket's" comments in some interviews, I rather suspect that the series will end with more questions than answers. While the end of this episode took me a bit by surprise, I am looking forward to seeing what the author has up his sleeve for the orphans and their friends.
The Baudelaire Orphans Meditate On Good vs Evil October 24, 2005
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
I think the biggest surprise of this penultimate book was the moral debate that's posed by the end of it. Who is good and who is evil becomes the conundrum that's processed through the wacky world of the Baudelaire orphans. Some small questions are definitely answered, but unfortunately, we'll all have to wait till the final book to see how it all shakes out. Can't say it was my favorite thus far, but I can say (and I never thought I'd say it in regards to these books) it absolutely made me think.
 Very disappointing October 21, 2005
12 out of 17 found this review helpful
Let me just say that this series was EXCELLENT up to this point, with tons of humor, an intriguing story, and plenty of adventure. Books 1 through 11 were perfect for all ages, and a true delight. But this one left me with a very "meh" feeling.
First, there was not as much humor as we've become accustomed to. Snicket's narration isn't as creative or funny as the other books. Also, a major blow to this book's humor is that Sunny has learned to talk, using real words and even full sentences. Therefore, the subtle jokes in her speech, which really hit their stride in books 10 and 11, are almost entirely wiped out. Bummer.
The next key ingredient in any Snicket book is the plot. In each book, we usually get a few more tantalizing hints about VFD, plus a standalone story with characters, settings, and conflicts unique to that particular book, such as the lumbermill adventure in book 4, or the apartment complex in book 6. Book 12 does not follow this pattern. Instead, characters from all the other books are pushed together for a reason that is never explained, and the few new ones that are introduced are not fleshed out at all. There doesn't seem to be any coherent plot, either; characters babble on and on, never explaining anything, and often contradicting themselves. In the worst section of the book, a character was introduced, promised the Baudelaires (and, consequently, the readers) answers, proceeded to spout nonsense about an underwater library (huh?), and then was promptly killed (rather gruesomely, parents be warned) in the next chapter. The plot, overall, leaves a bad taste.
Finally, this book does not have any of the creative problem-solving that was so fun to read about in the rest of the series. Violet doesn't invent anything, Klaus doesn't research anything, and Sunny doesn't bite (or cook) anything. They seem to float around in a sea of confusion, endlessly pontificating on the nature of good and evil. The struggle between right and wrong is a key theme of this series, of course, but this book takes it too far.
Overall, there are only two main reasons to read this book. First, it provides a setup for the last entry, which fans of the series will want to read no matter what. Secondly, the book's setting (the Hotel Denouement) is very clever, and one of the only places where Snicket's uniqueness shines through. Other than that, all I can say is thank goodness it's a quick read, and hopefully the series (like Harry Potter) is just having a misstep before ending with a satisfying bang.
The Penultimate Peril October 19, 2005
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
I just finished this book 5 minutes ago after 2 and a half hours of steady reading. I really enjoyed it, and would recommend this book to anyone who loves the first 11 books in this series.
In this latest installment of the Series of Unfortunate Events, the Baudelaires arrive at the Hotel Denouement for the meeting of the Volunteers. But first, the Baudelaires must first check out the hotel to make sure that the last safe place is indeed safe. While disguised as concierges, the Baudelaires encounter a number of charecters from previous books. They must figure out if these people are volunteers or villans before the meeting on thursday. If they find that the hotel is not safe, they must signal to the volunteers not to come.
I thought this installation lacked a few things. For one, Violet doesn't have to invent anything, and this is one of my personal favorite things to read about. Klaus does do some research at the end, but his wealth of knowledge is not called opon as frequently as in the other books. Also, there is little refrence to Sunny's cooking or biting skills. Overall, however, I found that this book was thoroughly enjoyable because of discovering many new questions to be answered. This book was more of a mystery than the other ones, and I can't wait to see what happens in book 13!
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