A Series of Unfortunate Events #10: The Slippery Slope 雷蒙·斯尼奇的不幸历险10：绝命的山崖 ISBN9780064410137

　　Like bad smells, uninvited weekend guests or very old eggs,there are some things that ought to be avoided.
　　Snicket's saga about the charming, intelligent, and grosslyunlucky Baudelaire orphans continues to alarm its distressed andsuspicious fans the world over. The 10th book in this outrageouspublishing effort features more than the usual dose of distressingdetails, such as snow gnats, an organised troupe of youngsters, anevil villain with a dastardly plan, a secret headquarters and somedangerous antics you should not try at home. With the weatherturning colder, this is one chilling book you would be better offwithout.

　　What would you do if you found yourself trapped in a runawaycaravan hurtling down a precipitous mountain slope?Fourteen-year-old Violet, the oldest orphan of the threeBaudelaires, decides to try to slow the velocity of the caravanwith a drag-chute invention involving a viscous combination ofblackstrap molasses, maple syrup, maraschino liqueur, peanutbutter, etc. If plummeting to their death weren't scary enough,Violet and her brother Klaus have been separated from Sunny, theirbaby sister who is in a car headed in the opposite direction up themountain with the "facinorous" Count Olaf, his "villainous andstylish" girlfriend Esmé Squalor, and their creepy sidekicks. DoViolet and Klaus find Sunny on the mountain? How will they survivethe treacherous, snow-covered peaks with not much more than aukulele and a bread knife, especially in the face of the"organized, ill-tempered" snow gnats? Will they finally unearth themystery of the V.F.D.? Will they find out if one of their parentsis alive after all? The suspense! As ever, the Baudelaires'unfolding tale of woe is sprinkled with Lemony Snicket'sridiculous, hilarious observations such as "Fate is like a strange,unpopular restaurant with odd waiters who bring you things younever asked for and don't always like." The tenth book in TheSeries of Unfortunate Events takes readers through the MortmainMountains to the churning waters of the Stricken Stream with allthe coexistent horror and silliness a Snicket fan could hope foralong the way.
　　Gr. 3-5. It's clear throughout that Snicket hasn't lost his senseof the absurd or his momentum in this "Book the Tenth." As inprevious episodes, the adventures of the Baudelaire sibs spin outwith the zest and cliff-hanger dramatics of old-fashioned serials.Left hurtling down a mountain at the close of The CarnivorousCarnival (2002), Klaus and Violet concentrate here on savingthemselves; rescuing baby Sunny, who is once more in the clutchesof the evil Count Olaf; and continuing their campaign to put a stopto Olaf's evil doings once and for all. Of course, they have theirwork cut out for them, but with a surprising ally, they stumblethrough the usual assortment of clues and secret messages thatactually seem to get them one step closer to their ultimate goal.Characters are true to form, ridiculous and fun, and, once again,the wry telling is pitch-perfect, with plenty of the joyfulwordplay and the quirky imaginative touches Snicket's legions offans expect.