The Carnivorous Carnival (Series of Unfortunate Events)

I loved the dynamic change of this novel in relation to the previous instalments in the series. The children finally give Count Olaf a taste of his own medicine - disguising themselves to find out information related to VFD, their parents, the truth behind how Olaf can keep finding them.

It's an interesting book, one of the more stronger ones in terms of revealing information that has led us to this point. As an adult reader I appreciated this collective reveal, but not a lot really happens at the Carnivorous Carnival to warrant a child reader being wowed by it. The lions were a great addition though.

Here is the ninth volume in Lemony Snicket's bestselling children's collection A Series of Unfortunate Events. The Baudelaire orphans had hidden in the trunk of Count Olaf's car at the end of The Hostile Hospital to escape from a fire that Olaf and his "associates" had set. With The Carnivorous Carnival They arrive at the Caligari Carnival out in the middle of the hinterlands and are able to get out of the trunk before Count Olaf discovers them. Klaus, Violet, and Sunny disguise themselves as Carnival Freaks so that they can stay at the Carnival and have the opportunity to discover some facts about the possibility of one of their parents still living and the rest of the "Snicket File". Klaus and Violet are disguised as a Two-Headed Freak Beverly / Eliot, Sunny is Chabo the Wolf Baby. They join with other freaks, like Kevin the Ambidextrous Man, Colette the Contortionist, and Hugo the Hunchback.

Laced with dark humor and Snicket's signature warnings about continuing to read the book because of the horrible things the Baudelaires will go through, The Carnivorous Carnival is another excellent entry by Lemony Snicket and with this book and the previous one Snicket has brought some fresh energy to a series that had a sense of a paint by numbers formula. No longer are the stories resolved neatly by book's end being led to a conclusion which may be a few books away but feels immediate and fraught with tension and danger.

-Joe Sherry

Dear Reader,

When we last left the poor unfortunate Baudelaire siblings they had hidden themselves in the trunk of evil Count Olaf's car and were being rushed away from the burning Heimlich Hospital. Klaus and Sunny had just saved Violet from having her brain removed. It was terrible.

But things become even worse. The Baudelaires find themselves at the Caligari Carnival out in the Hinterlands. They are forced to don disguises from Olaf's trunk and pretend to be freaks while they try to discover from Olaf and the mysterious Madame Lulu secrets about their parents. Madame Lulu's motto is "to give people what they want" and she always seems to give Olaf just what he wants.

No one recognizes the Baudelaires, but Olaf has a devilish plan cooked up anyway. He wants to feed a freak to some starving lions to bring in more money. Oh, it's so dreadful. There's so much that goes on. The Baudelaires begin to learn about the V.F.D. and what it is and was and they gain some more knowledge about the questions they have.

Knowledge comes at a price, however, and the price that the Baudelaires and others pay is very high. THE CARNIVOROUS CARNIVAL becomes so violent and the book ends in a most horrific way. Read the book if you must, but be warned that there is no happy ending here.

Sincerely,

Uncle TV

This book is so action packed and full of suspence.This book The Carnivorous Carnival is about 3 children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. They go through great danger to and put them selves in great risk all to know about a secret they have been hearing for a while now." Are on of their parents really alive?" It a really big question considering that their parents were in a huge fire thanks to count Olaf a horrible, horrible person that is very much involved in their lives.

That is how The Carnivorous Carnival got started. The author of this book, Lemony Snicket makes you feel all the emotion and how these 3 kids go through all this pain just to have one question answered. I really like the emotion you can feel in this book because Lemony Snicket kind of makes you feel like you are one of these kids and like you are in the book. This story takes place at a Carnival-the caligari carnival to be exact- Klaus and Violet pretend to be a two headed freak in the carnival and little sunny pretended to be a wolf baby. They pretend so they could get the answers they needed. While they were in disguise they went into a tent and while they were in there they got caught by the fortune teller. They were not in their disguise when they got caught so their disguises were revealed. The fortune made a promise with the children and they made a promise with her. The children weren't sure if they could trust her but they decided to anyway.

This book is a very exciting book because when you are in a certain part of the book you want to know what is going to happen next the author Lemony Snicket changes they effect to a reflection of the parts that have happened so far. I would recommend this book to children who really like action books and a lot of suspense.

This is definitely one of the better books in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (although I would have to say that The Hostile Hospital is still my favorite), and it definitely has the best ending, a phrase which here means, "the darkest and most unfortunate for the Baudelaires". After hitching a ride in Count Olaf's car, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny find themselves at Caligari Carnival, home of Madame Lulu the fortune teller and her freaks. Sensing that Lulu can provide the Baudelaires with much-needed information, the children disguise themselves as freaks in order to safely wander the grounds of the dismal carnival. Violet and Klaus become the two-headed Beverly and Elliot while Sunny poses as Chabo the Wolf Baby.

Some of the best jokes revolved around the treatment of the freaks, in the sense that most of the freaks weren't too freaky, and many of Count Olaf's crew and even the audience members were mistaken as performers in the Freak Show (however, the mistreatment and manipulation of the real freaks was a little sad at times).

Once again, a fire broke out (fires seem to symbolize evil in these books), although assuming that the "F" in V.F.D. stands for fire, it's not that unexpected now.

After this incredible ending, I can't wait to find out what happens next.

As the ninth installment of the "A Series of Unfortunate Events" started rolling, the Baudelaires orphans, Violet (the oldest and with the skills of an inventor), Klaus (the middle son and have the skill of Researcher) and Sunny (the youngest and quite a talent of biting into things); had hitched a ride with Count Olaf and his company in his trunk, so they could escape the fire back in the last book.

They found themselves at Carnival in middle of nowhere and have no place to hide from either the police, community nor Count Olaf and his company who are still quite eager to get his filthy hands on their fortune. They disguised themselves to infiltrate into Count Olaf company as freaks for the carnival, met Madame Lulu, who is the source where Count Olaf looked up to to follow them everywhere. They also found out about the possibility of one of their parents might still be alive and well in hiding from Count Olaf.

This series has become darker, but yet it pretty much made me sit down and actually read this book, page by page. The plots and characters really pull you in, but in some areas where Lemony Snicket started rambling off is a turn off point for me. Great cover as always and can't wait to read the next one for me.

Lemony Snickets books are full of mystery and suspense. That's why I like to read them. His books are really hard to put down. The endings leave you hanging on a string and you have to get the sequel. So far he has written nine books and is on his tenth. I can't wait for it to come out. Over the year at John Winthrop I have read the ninth book. The title is "The Carnivores Carnival". Out of all of his books in "The Series of Unfortunate Events" this book has had the most suspense. Some people have read the first book and stopped because they couldn't get into the book. But, I didn't stop because the way he ended the books you couldn't stop reading them. The Carnivores Carnival is about three children who have the worst life you could ever possibly imagine. Their life is miserable. There is something bad waiting around every turn. In every book they find a clue on what they are trying to find out. They have come close to it but it has never been correct and their lives still stay miserable. What makes the book funny is that while Lemony Snicket writes the book he brings up things from the past in his life and thinks of everything in the book to be real. Hopefully the tenth book will come out this summer so I can get to read that book. Lemony Snickets books are great.
by Aleaha

The Baudelaire orphans left "The Hostile Hospital" in the trunk of Count Olaf's car; clearly a potentially very dangerous situation for Violet, Klaus and baby Sunny. However, once again the children use their wits to figure out how to escape their predicament.
The children find themselves in a run down carnival with another bizarre cast of characters, including several supposed "freaks." However, the freaks are not really all that freakish, one being a contortionist and one being ambidextrous. The children disguise themselves as freaks and manage to fool Count Olaf and his gang for most of the book. However, as we all know, eventually Count Olaf finds the children and another harrowing ending ensues.
Over the last two or three books we've been given tidbits about bigger mysteries surrounding the children and their parents. In this book the tidbits become much more substantial, and give us a clue as to the direction the series might take. While it may seem that my description is a bit vague, that is because I do not wish to give away any of the surprises in this book, and there is at least one very big surprise for the children and the reader, as well as a number of smaller surprises.
Because of the twists and turns, I am unable to provide the description I normally do for books in this series. As I noted earlier, there are a lot of surprises. Those surprises make for one of the most intriguing books in this series. I am anxiously anticipating the next volume, and even more, the end of the series, when I am hoping all the mysteries are finally revealed.
This particular entry in the series does involve death, again, and in your imagination the death is likely somewhat gruesome. Fortunately the amount of description given to the death is minimal, and is left mostly to the reader's imagination. Because of several intense moments, and the death, I would recommend this book for children 9 and older, though as always you should know the ability of your child to handle books similar to this one. This book does have its educational moments, though somewhat muted in comparison to some of the other entries in this series. Overall, the continued challenge to the paradigm that children's books for the stated age range should be relatively tame along with the creativity of this particular book requires a rating of 5 stars. Another solid entry in this series, which just seems to get better and better.

The Carnivorous Carnival is the 9th installment in the Baudelaire orphans' Series of Unfortunate Events. The orphans have escaped the burning hospital from Book 8 by climbing in the trunk of Count Olaf's car and sneaking away with him and his evil henchmen. They arrive at a carnival isolated in the barren hinterlands and immediately realize that they must disguise themselves so that Olaf and his friends will not recognize them. They get jobs as carnival freaks and try to find a way to escape and continue to look for the Snicket file and the possibility that one of their parents might still be alive.

This book is another fun installment in the series, but unfortunately, for some time the series has been dragging. It is possible that for children each book is entertaining as a stand alone book, but for me, I find that the repetitive formula of each is now tiresome and I am ready for it to conclude. I continue to be impressed by the writing style and the clever way the author uses language to instruct and entertain. Overall the series is fantastic, but the pace is frustratingly slow at this point. Hopefully the pace will accelerate as the ending draws near.

The Carnivorous Carnival is the ninth book in the Series of Unfortanate Events. It takes place at the Caligari Carnival in the Hinterlands where the Bauldelaires find themselves after they climb into the trunk of Count Olaf's car. They decide to get into the action of the fortune telling tent. So they disguise themselves as freaks after hearing that the carnival needs more freaks. The Baudelaires get jobs as freaks at the carnival. It becomes more popular than ever with the new freaks. But then the carnival has a new idea. They will choose a freak to be thrown into the lion pit and get eaten. Just then the Baudelaires convince Madame Lulu to stop giving Count Olaf what he wants in the fortune telling tent and to take the orphans to the Mortain Mountains to try to find their parents. Will they be eaten by lions?Will they find their parents? You will have to read the book to find out.

When we last saw the Baudelaires, they escaped into Count Olaf's trunk. Klaus and Sunny had saved Violet's life from certain uneccesary surgery, and escaped from the terrible fire that destroyed Heimlich Hospital. Way better than the last, Olaf, Esme and the rest of the troupe journey to the hinterlands to Caligari Carnival where Madame Lulu the fortune teller awaits. The Baudelaires find out how Olaf knew their whereabouts every single time. But is Madame Lulu really a 'real' fortuneteller.

So Olaf doesn't know who they are, Violet,Klaus and Sunny disguise themselves as carnival freaks and live and sleep in a caravan full of badly treated freaks. They share a caravan with a contortionist, an amphidextrous person and a person with a big hump on his back. They find out who exactly is Madame Lulu is, and why she isn't really a fortune teller and why she had tricked Olaf so many times. But unfortunately Lulu dies and is enjoyed by a group of fierce and happy lions. Also, her carnival gets burnt by Olaf and the help of the Baudelaires.

In this grim tale there are anry lions, a very stylish lady, the death of one of Olaf's comrades, a dark pit, very uncomfortable hammocks, a wolf baby, a two headed freak, an unruly crowd, an unstable wooden plank, an arsonist, many more information about V.F.D, a liar, an attempt to murder someone, a hurtling caravan and the tagliatelle grande.

This book is great and awesome, especially the last chapter where the two Baudelaires are by themselves in a caravan as there sibling Sunny is held and in possesion by Count Olaf in Olaf's car. It is great and a bit unpredictable as well as suspenseful. Great to read.

Lemony Snicket again provides suspense about V.F.D and the mystery behind Jacques Snicket. The storyline is great. Better than 'The Hostile Hospital'.

Reading the Series of Unfortunate Events is like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle with only a few of the pieces, having no idea how many pieces there are supposed to be and without the picture on the cover of the box because your brother lost it. And I mean this as a compliment. Nine books down and we still have far more questions than answers. Each time we get a puzzle piece, instead of making things clearer, we just wind up getting more confused about how it's supposed to fit in.
It's hard to discuss the plot of this book without spoiling the previous eight, so if you haven't read those other ones, go read `em now. This time out the Baudelaire orphans are forced to disguise themselves as freaks in the Caligari Carnival (love references like that), desperate to hunt down a the truth about their parents, Count Olaf, Jaques Snicket and V.F.D.
By the end of the book they have no more truths than they began with, but they do have a place to look next, assuming they get out of what has to be one of the best cliffhanger endings I've ever seen in a kid's book. HOW long are we supposed to wait for "The Slippery Slope"?

Second only to the Harry Potter books, "A Series of Unfortunate Events" is the best children's/adult series I have read in some time. To say these books are only for kids is the same as saying Bugs Bunny cartoons are only for kids - BULL!
"The Carnivorous Carnival" is Book the Ninth in the proposed 13-book series - in this one, we re-join Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny Beaudelaire in the trunk of Count Olaf's long, sinister black getaway car; the orphans hid there at the end of "The Hostile Hospital" as their only means of escape, since everyone is looking for them after the local paper, "The Daily Punctilio," branded them murderers of Count Omar - who, in reality, is Count Olaf, and he is very much alive.
Count Olaf drives his troupe of theater performers/criminals way out to the hinterlands, to the Caligari Carnival. There they greet Madame Lulu, the owner of the carnival and a personal friend of Count Olaf. At their first opportunity, the children escape the trunk of the car - but where to go, now that they are stuck way out in the hinterlands, with everyone thinking they are murderers?
Easy - they adapt Count Olaf's methods of trickery and disguise. In each previous book, Count Olaf has found the orphans in their newest home and, in disguise, plots to get his hands on them and their fortune. Now it's the Beaudelaire siblings' turn - using stuff found in the count's own disguise kit, the children dress themselves up as freaks and actually join the carnival with Violet and Klaus as the two-headed freak Beverly/Elliot, and Sunny donning an old beard Olaf wore from a previous book and becoming Chabo the Wolf Baby. When they join the contortionist, hunchback, and ambidextrous man in the freak show at Madame Lulu's House of Freaks, right under Count Olaf's nose, the orphans think they will finally be able to learn the secrets of V.F.D. and whether one of their parents really may have survived the fire that had made them orphans in the first place.
But everything is not what it seems at Caligari Carnival, and soon the Beaudelaire's are in more trouble than ever before. After eight books of Olaf in disguise trying to steal the Beaudelaire children (and their fortune), it was a great twist to find the children in diguise trying to thwart Olaf's latest scheme! Really, these books are THE BOMB, funny and exciting and real page-turners for anyone of any age. With each book we feel we are closer to finding out all the secrets hinted at, but then something happens to tease our curiosity even more, making us wait breathlessly for the next installment. I thought "The Hostile Hospital" ended on a cliffhanger, that was NOTHING compared to "The Carnivorous Carnival," and with 4 more books to go (there will be 13 total, as there are 13 chapters in each book chronicling the sad, unlucky lives of these unfortunate orphans), Lemony Snicket will surely drive us readers crazy by the end with our unanswered questions about V.F.D., Beatrice, the possible survival of one of the Beaudelaire parents, what the eye tattoos mean, and if Count Olaf will ever get his just desserts. Heartily recommended but you have to start with Book One and read them in order, or they won't make sense. An incredible series for ALL ages, and I eagerly await "The Slippery Slope"!!

The Carnivorous Carnival
My book is The Carnivorous Carnival. I would suggest you read this book, if you have read all the books before it in the series. This is my favorite book so far, of this series. This book is about 3 orphans named Sunny, Klaus, and Violet Baudelaire. They hid in the back of their enemy Count Olaf's car. They ended up at a carnival. They disguised themselves as freaks to hide from Count Olaf while he is asking the fortune teller there where are the Baudelaire children. They got a job there to be in the house of freaks attraction. Count Olaf gave Madam Lulu the owner of the carnival and the fortune teller there a new attraction for her carnival. The attraction was lions that were meant to eat the freaks in the house of freaks. Will the Baudelaires make it out alive? You will have to read this exciting book to find out!

The Carnivorous Carnival
My book is The Carnivorous Carnival. I would suggest you read this book, if you have read all the books before it in the series. This is my favorite book so far, of this series. This book is about 3 orphans named Sunny, Klaus, and Violet Baudelaire. They hid in the back of their enemy Count Olaf's car. They ended up at a carnival. They disguised themselves as freaks to hide from Count Olaf while he is asking the fortune teller there where are the Baudelaire children. They got a job there to be in the house of freaks attraction. Count Olaf gave Madam Lulu the owner of the carnival and the fortune teller there a new attraction for her carnival. The attraction was lions that were meant to eat the freaks in the house of freaks. Will the Baudelaires make it out alive? You will have to read this exciting book to find out!

The interestingly twisted humor which is A series of Unfortunate Events continues to please with its 9th installment. Filled with the careful style, and constant asides, this continuation brings the reader to another anticipation of revelation about VFD, the orphans parents, and quite possibly a ray of hope for their future. However, most of us read this series as an adjunct to the Harry Potter novels which have been turning long winded and taking darker paths of late. These stories are fun in the vain of a Rocky and Bulwinkle cartoon, the characters never despair of their circumstances for long. Herein is the problem, the characters haven't developed nearly enough. They're still the same children we met in Book 1. I would have wished that the Quagmire Triplets had returned to help, if only to return the favor from the Ersatz Elevator.
Hopefully, the next book introduces a few more "good guys".

When we last left the Baudelaire orphans at the cliff-hanging ending of the 8th book in the Series of Unfortunate Events series, The Hostile Hospital, Sunny, Klaus and Violet were hiding in bullet hole-ridden trunk of Count Olaf's car on their way to parts unknown. As it so happens, the orphans are out of the frying pan into the fire in this new book, a phrase that herein means, "have gone from one bad situation where Violet was barely saved from certain unnecessary surgery, into a possible worse one by hiding in the trunk of the Count's car."
The count, as it turns out, is barreling off with his troope of odd characters to the tent of Madame Lulu the fortune teller, who lives far out in the Hinterlands. Like other books in this Unfortunate Series, the orphans continue to be in mortal peril (a phrase that herein means "dreadful danger") as they avoid the clutches of Count Olaf. Managing to disguise themselves as carnival freaks, they take up residence in Madame Lulu's freak show aside a humpback, a contortionist and a very glum ambidexterous fellow who can use either hands equally well.
Madame Lulu, who may not be all that she appears to be, has mysteriously always provided the Count with information about the Baudelaire trio, which finally explains how exactly he always knows where they are and how to find them. She drops hints that one of the orphan's parents may have survived the fire that apparently killed them back in book #1 (The Bad Beginning), and she gets oh-so-close to explaining the true meaning of VFD, and readers of the series and of Mr. Snicket's unauthorized biography are lead tantalizingly close to the answers for which they've sought about VFD and why Count Olaf, Jaques Snicket and Madame Lulu have tattoos or insignia of an eye on or about them. Pieces of the puzzle are just beginning to fit together, but not...quite...
This is, of course, the ninth book in the series, and Mr. Snicket gives us some hints, as he always does, at the end of the story to the next book in the series, which I assume will be called "The Slippery Slope." Readers who have read up to this point will be delighted and enthralled by the mysteries that peek out here and there throughout the book, like prarie dogs peeking out of their burrows before quickly disappearing again. If you have not yet read books 1-8 in the series, it is recommended that you do so before attacking "Carnivorous Carnival", as much of what happens in this story won't make sense if you've not been following the sad lives of the Baudelaire orphans since the beginning. From this quiet part of the world ;) this reviewer and constant reader of the Series highly recommends this and other books in the series.

And now the story of the Baudelaires grows far more grim. Not because of the things happening to them directly, but instead because of the choices they have to make. Is it right to take on the methods of a villain to do good? Is it even possible to do good that way?

In previous books, readers reach the end and are a little angry, perhaps a bit sad. But this time, you'll finish the book worried and not at all certain that this series is going to have a happy ending.

In this book, the Baudelaires arrive at a carnival where they disguise themselves as freaks. Madame Lulu is able to tell Count Olaf different secrets, including how to find the orphans. She also keeps some papers that may help the orphans learn about V.F.D....and their parents.

Could one of them survived the fire?

WHO IS JACQUES SNICKET?!?!

The end really forces us to continue reading, moreso than previous books.

Having narrowly escaped Count Olaf once again, the Baudelaires (Klaus, Sunny and Violet) join Madame Lulu's circus as freaks. While working in the circus, the children discover that they may not be orphans after all ... and readers discover that there is more to Mr. Snicket than previously let on.

_The Carnivorous Carnival_ is one of the better written books of the series - I enjoyed learning more about the author's role in the sotry of the Baudelaires, much as I enjoyed learning (and speculating) about how the two are tied together. As usual there are the "inside jokes" for adults and teens, and lessons for those younger, as Violet, Klaus and Sunny learn a hard lesson: that people can be both good AND bad.

Lemony Snicket, The Carnivorous Carnival (Scholastic, 2002)

The main thing there is to be said about the ninth book in the Series of Unfortunate Events, for most everything about the series I have to say I've said in the first eight reviews, is that the books continue to get darker-- a lot darker. Snicket is almost to the point of ranging out of children's territory here. That said, the quality of the writing is about as good as it ever was, and if you like the humor in the series, it doesn't let up here; it just has a much, much blacker twist to it. But then, if you've some this far, even if the book were awful, you wouldn't stop reading at this point, would you? *** ½

The Baudelaires have escaped the fire of the hospital in the trunk of Count Olafs car and now find themselves at the Caligari Carnival where Olaf is using a psychic to gather information. Madam Lulu has been giving Olaf information on how to find the Baudelaires. Violet, Klaus and Sunny disguise themselves and become a part of this carnival and hope to gain more information about the mysterious VFD and about the fire that killed their parents. A cliffhanger ends this installation of the Series of Unfortunate Events.

I am sticking with this series only because I have gotten this far. I am getting a bit bored with the books and sometimes feel I have to drag myself through until the end. Thankfully they are quite short. Then again, Im not the age group that Mr. Snicket is writing for.

The carnival was a little scary! This was the most violent book, I think. I wanted the psychic (Lulu?) to have a bigger role. But I was quite surprised by the ending and how disturbing it truly was. The crowd, the lions, it got to be a little much

From my very own 10 year old who thoroughly enjoyed this book & had this review to share:

Really I love this series but this one was probably the goriest I've read so far.Madame Lulu surprised me.Snicket talks of his own life,and I didnt understand the message(but then again I never do).

The plot definitely changed a lot because instead of Count Olaf going to find the Baudelaires, the Baudelaires were where Olaf was. We finally get to find out how Olaf always knew where the Baudelaires were, and where one of the Baudelaire parents or Lemony Snicket might be. There was a nice build of suspense in the end because you had no idea who was going to be thrown in the pit, and you did not know that this book would end with such a cliffhanger.

I liked that the book ended with such suspense because it has gotten me to want to read the next book to see what happens. This book is definitely not as boring as some of the others were. I think the suspense will continue to build hopefully to a good ending.

thank you for your time,

Loran

I'm an adult reader who really enjoys this inventive series. The CARNIVOROUS CARNIVAL is another terrific entry - much better than #8 in the series ("The Hostile Hospital"). This time around, the Beaudelaires are chasing Count Olaf in order to get information about VFD and the potential whereabouts of their parents. They disguise themselves to hide from Count Olaf and his troup. It's a great twist in the series, although I really liked the early entries where the family was sent to live with a different foster parent each time. Overall, however, this book is another great entry in a series of excellent books. Highly recommended for young readers as well as adults who enjoy well-written, darkly humorous books.

In the begining of this book, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are in Count Olaf's car's trunk. Luckily, they escape. Then, they use the costumes to discuise themselves as freaks, to get into the evil Madame Lulu's carnival, were Olaf and his troupe are staying. Chabo the wolf baby (Sunny)and Beverly and Eliot, the 2 headed guys,(Violet & Klaus) are what Klaus, Sunny and Violet become. At the end, Colette the contortionist, Kevin the ambidexterous guy, and a hunchback guy whose name I forgot, are tricked into being Olaf's helpers. Even farther into the end, something truly sad happens, and I am so glad this is a series, and is not just the very sad end. I highly recommend this book, but I've read other books in the series that are better, so I gave this 4 stars.

The narration style in the books A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket is almost as unique and creative as the eccentric characters, the scary and interesting settings and the imaginative plots in the stories. The ninth book in the series, The Carnivorous Carnival, is no exception. Although it is hard to put a definite narration device on Lemony Snicket's writing style, it is closest to an non-participant, third person omniscient narration style. The narration in the story is from an unnamed character who is telling the story in flashback, where the events have already happened but no one (not the other characters in the story) knows the outcome except for the author, and even he is discovering events in a separate plot involving his beloved Beatrice as the series goes on. In fact, one of the major reasons that the narrator is investigating and telling the story of the Baudelaire children is in relation to a tragic happening to his Beatrice. In other books in the series, Snicket will give away key plot points to the audience (example: he told the reader that one of the secondary characters was going to be killed before the book's end, which is a very common thing in Snicket's morbid novels). Snicket's intriguing writing style helped to transport the audience into the world of the novels, which was a very complex and overwhelming place for the reader and the character both. In spite of the chaotic narration style, the books make you want to keep reading them, leaving you anxiously awaiting the next book in the series once you're done.

With each unfortunate outing, the poor Baudelaire orphans get themselves in deeper trouble than they could possibly imagine. This time the ending will leave you literally hanging, with clues that reveal more about both V.F.D. and the childrens parents.In fact the only negative in this ninth part of the series is that you'll have to wait for the tenth book before you get any resolution. It's also interesting to note that each subsequent volume gets longer and longer, but I find myself reading them faster and faster. The mystery is starting to unravel!

book 9,The orphans are still by themselves,no guardian.

so without a guardian, how will count olaf find them? He doesn't know where they are...he should try the trunk of his car.

The count doesn't have a disguise from here on. but...The Baudelaires do! Count Olaf is 5 inches away from them and he doesn't know its them!

This one's a violent one, as 2 people become lion food, one of which probably could have answered a lot of the Baudelaires questions,but she's dead now!

One of the best in the series.

The book I read was The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket. I liked this because in this book of the Series of Unfortunate Events. I found a lot of secrets that were reveled. One of the Baudelaire's parents might still be alive! They were in a secret organization called V.F.D. Now Sunny has been separated from Violet and Klaus, that's not going to be good. Olaf's troupe now has three freaks that are going to make the Baudelaire's lives a lot worse.

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny sneaked into Olaf's trunk and arrived at the Caligari Carnival. Instead of hiding, they disguised each other to find out what Olaf was up to. They joined the House of Freaks and met Hugo, Collette, and Kevin. They all had to perform skits on how freakish they all were. Then lions came and that show was for the lions to devour one of the freaks. They found out Lulo (a fortune teller at the carnival) was a fake and she wasn't evil after all. Instead of Violet and Klaus being eaten, Lulo fell into to the pit. After that, the kids went off with Olaf and left Violet and Klaus in the middle of nowhere and took Sunny with him.

I think someone who likes adventure, non-happy stories, and suspense. That's because the Baudelaire's always get stuck in a miserable situation, which makes it an adventure. Then there's suspense do to at the end if Olaf gets away or not or something like death is about to happen to a character. Also a reader who likes good voice in an author. Snicket has a knack for talent in that category. His style is very different from the rest he tells you the story like it was an actual event. In the series you have to read the books in order or you will not know what is happening. That's all the reasons why I like the Series of Unfortunate Events.

This book is excellent! I have read every book in the series, and this is probably my favorite. Even though I am 13 (a tad bit older than other readers), I enjoyed the unpredictable plot and constant witty humor. I also enjoyed the action that forced me to keep reading. All of my friends think I am crazy for reading a child's book, but the content isn't childish at all. I strongly reccomend this book for anyone that enjoys humor, action, and great plots. Also, the tons of unusual vocabulary is great for anyone studying for the SAT's :)

So called Snicket's writing is purely new and gives children an inspiring way in the field of reading. The carnivorous carnival is no exception to any other of Snickets writing. The presently miserable characters who star in the book are Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire who love to do things no ordinary kid would want to do and are hunted and made miserable by their devious uncle cousin guy Count Oloaf who does anything he can to steal The baudelaire fortune. Greatly anticipated by even myself this book was and recieves 5 stars prestigiously under reccomendation to anyone who adores abnormal but entertaining wriing and the odd philosophy that Snicket donates.

"The CArnivourous Carnival" - Accused of murder and on the run from Count Olaf, The Kids find their way to the Caligari where Madame Lulus House of Freaks employs the kids as a sideshow attraction with vilot and Klaus playing a two headed freak and Sunny playing a Wolf baby. The kids continue to unravel more of the mystery about their parents.

This was maybe the weakest of the 9 books so far. Not bad at all, but the kids didn't seem quite as clever as we have come accustomed to seeing. Still quite a fun ride!

The Carnivorous Carnival
By:Lemony Snicket
Reviewed by:K. Shimamoto
Period:1
This book is much like the previous books of the Unfortunate Series collection. The three Baudelaires, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are being pursued by Count Olaf. He continuously tries to steal the Baudelaire fortune, but each of his schemes are failures. The three children are now in the hinterlands at a hideous and terrible carnival, the Caligari Carnival. They undergo many horrible things during their stay at this carnival, but somehow get through it. In the end though, it almost seems like Count Olaf has finally captured one of the Baudelaires, and has gotten rid of the other two, but you never know.
This book was enjoyable because, the plots are so interesting, like all of the books are. The story is written in a way that makes you want to keep reading. Another thing I liked about it was, it was a book that you could read in a day or two. It's not like one of those books that you have to struggle through to finish. I also like how Sunny, the youngest Baudelaire who's only a baby, has her own kind of "baby language", but you can understand what she is saying because the author translates. For example she would say,"Whaque", but she meant, "or pretending to be surgeons."
I didn't like this book because, at times when there is a good suspenseful part of the book coming up the author will interupt in the middle of it. He would put a story about something else, that kind of relates to what was actually happening in the book. I also don't like how some of the characters are treated. Even though it's fiction, some parts can get frustrating.
My favorite part of the book was when Count Olaf told the Baudelaires that he knew who they were all along. It wasn't exactly the best part of the book, but it was pretty surprising. I didn't expect that to happen at all. All in all I thought this book was fun and very enjoyable.

The Carnivorous Carnival
Author:Lemony Snicket
Reviewed by:J.Li
Period 1
The Baudelaire orphans went to a carnival with Count Olaf in the back of his car and were dressed up as freaks. They wanted to find out if one of their parents are still alive and this lady who can find answers to any questions just by looking into her cyrstal ball. However, they find out that the lady is part of the V.F.D. and the Baudelaires and she are planning for a escape. They also found out that the crystal ball is not magical and that she uses resources from libraries and newspapers to find the answers to the questions that people ask. At the end, the lady dies, Count Olaf takes Sunny away, throws Violet and Klaus into the mountains.
I like this book because it starts another story at the end of the book. It makes you want to go straight to the next book and find out what happens. This way it makes the stories more exciting.
I don't like this book because in every plot, if something good can happen, it always turns out bad-that's why it's called A Series of Unfortunate Events. You just want something good to happen and let the story end with a "happily ever after" but it never does.
My favorite part of the book was when the Baudelaire find out that the lady with the crystal ball was a good person and that she was part of V.F.D, Madame Lulu. The Baudelaires could finally find out what V.F.D. stands for and where the headquarters is.
My least favorite part of the book was when Madame Lulu gets killed and could not tell the Baudelaires the secrets of V.F.D. It could have turned out to be a happy ending but just because of that, it couldn't.

Lemony Snicket

The Series of Unfortunate Events #9

The Carnivorous Carnival

Has a bully ever picked on you and said that he was going to beat you up? Well if they have, enlarge that feeling by one thousand, that's the way that the Baudelaires felt every day of their lives. A couple of years ago their parents died and all three of the children went to live with their very evil uncle named Count Olaf. Thankfully when a friend of their parents came to see how they were doing, he discovered that the children were not in a very happy place. Since then they have been forced to move from one house to another because Count Olaf has been causing tragic things to happen to them and their guardians. Wherever they go, Count Olaf mysteriously finds them and thinks up some evil plan, so he can get his hands on their immense fortune their parents left them.

Now Violet, Klaus, and Sunny have been forced to run away because Count Olaf convinced the police that they are murderers. So they decided to disguise themselves as freaks in a carnival, where Count Olaf is hiding out. They joined the "House Of Freaks," so they can try to find out how Count Olaf is able to track them down, and other questions that they have. The Baudelaire orphans thought that they would be safe for a while because Count Olaf still had no idea who they really were, but they were wrong. Things always work out best for Olaf and the worst for the Orphans. He came up with this plan that the audience of the Carnival would love to see the "House of freaks" be torn apart by Lions!!

Will the Baudelaires be picked first for the awful death? Will they escape?

I loved this book! There was so much drama and suspense. I think that Lemony Snicket is a really good author who can make these sad and tragic stories turn into funny and tragic. For instance when he tells that the Baudelaires are experiencing déjà vu, in a deadly situation, he retold that page, to make the reader think that they were experiencing déjà vu as well. I also really enjoyed the other books of this series (Unfortunate Events).

Ok, this is the latest in the Unfortunate Events series (Book 9). I think it is of on the best. I love how Snicket is moving on with the series and does not always have the same plot. The first 5 books were quite similar, Baudelaires get new home, Olaf finds new home, tries to get the Baudelaires... etc. But in the recent books, it has gotten better. The stories are more connected to one another, and are more exciting to read.
In the beginning of the book, the children are in the trunk of Olaf's car, without him knowing it. Then they disguise themselves and remain under Olaf's nose. Lions, meat eating ones, are involved (what good can come of that?)and then murder comes too (what's new?) There are more unfortunate events occur (duh), and they remian in peril again.

I think it was one of the most suspenful. This is a definite buy for anyone who has liked any of the others. Yet, do the Baudelaires ever get a bit of luck? I mean I know the reason for the popularity is because of the negative side ( I mean who likes reading about people who always have the best thing in the world happen to them? fairy princesses get old fast) but one has to wonder how much we can take of these kids having bad luck.... and the predicabilty of this bad luck...Dont get me wrong I love these books. But how much more will the American Public take? We (the readers) are coming closer and closer to the finding out the meaning of the imfamous V.F.D and sadly, the end of the series. But who knows? Maybe it will be a good ending.

Unfortunately, for the Baudelaire orphans bad luck seems to follow them wherever they go like a nefarious, gloomy, gray cloud. Their many attempts of escaping the vile, and filthy Count Olaf have been hopeless since he always seems to track them down.
In the ninth installment of A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket once again creates a dreadful scenario filled with dark humor, suspense, mystery, and a shred of small hope, if that is even possible. The Baudelaire orphans find themselves forced to disguise themselves in freak costumes and submerge themselves into different identities. Instead of clearing up the mystery that encircles the anagram of V.F.D. they find themselves with more questions than answers. So very close to finding the solution they were until, once again, they lost their chance.
This book, as well as the series are a good read for anybody who wants to have a good time, laugh, or in very rare cases...cry. There's a feeling of impotence as one believes that maybe, just maybe the Baudelaire's might have a happy experience for once but then you find out that this is as unbelievable as ants that can talk. Lemony Snicket's literary voice is unique and worthy of recognition as he creates a ghastly storyline that hasn't been seen before. Seriously, when was the last time you read a book with a sad beginning, middle, and end? I am a mere fourteen years old yet I really delight in hearing his mind perplexing stories with great vocabulary words, and strange yet funny baby talk. These book are great for any age.

The three Baudelaires rustle in the trunk of Count Olaf's long black car to se out one of the bullet holes as to find out were they are as the car pulls to a stop at the Caligari Carnival which is were this horrible story begins. In this woeful story Violet, Clause, and Sunny Baudelaire experience yet another frightening adventure. They encounter such things as "the house of freaks", a mysterious fortuneteller, a pit of lions, and another terrible fire. In the story Olaf manages to capture Sunny Baudelaire, kill the fortuneteller along with one of his assistants, recruit some new members to his group, and set fire to the carnival. In the book the children disguise themselves as carnival freaks and manage to escape at the end with Olaf without him knowing who they really where. But to the Baudelairs surprise Olaf really knew and as They are going up the Mortimain Mountains one of Olaf's assistants cuts the rope connecting the children, in the caravan, to Olaf's car and sends the Baudilaires speeding down the mountain. What will happen to the Baudelaires next?!(Must read next book). The genre of the book is adventure and suspense.

I think the book is tops because it was very exiting and there was never a dull moment in the book. I highly recommend this book because it is a good read, you will not be able to put this book down. Anyone would like this book, girls or boys, but mostly people who like suspense and action, and probably people older than ten. It was definitely a page-turner because there was always something happening and it was always exiting. It was definitely not hard to concentrate on because the book draws you in and you just want to keep reading and reading. There were many surprises in the story, which is what made you keep wanting to read more. All in all I think this was a terrific book.

The carnivorous carnival was a good book

The book was about the baudelaire orphans Sunny, Klaus, and Violet. There are accused of murdering a guy named Count Olaf. He is the real bad guy that is after them for there money.

They are running from Count Olaf and they find this carnival. They decide to disguise themselves as freaks and go join Madame Lulu's house of freaks. They meet the other freaks and become friends with them. Count Olaf comes and stays at the carnival because he thinks they are there. Count brings a new attraction to the park. Lions, he is going to throw a freak into the lions pit for money. The Baudelaire's excape and look into madame Lulu's cristal ball. They see that one of there parents are still alive. They are hiding in the Mortmain Mountains. They're new goal is to find there parents but there is some obsticles on the way.

I thought this book was pretty good and I recommend this book to kids that like mystery because there is a lot of thinking in this book or adventure because they are running around a lot and hiding from the bad guys. The suspence will keep you standing and the end of the book is a real cliff-hanger.

The first few Unfortunate Events books had nice endings...where the main plot of the book had been tied up well, and the reader (maybe just me) felt satisfied, but still wanting more, to see what would happen to the loveable Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire orphans. This book, and the last few, however, I thought had bad endings. It seems as though "Lemony Snicket" had written the most recent books all at one time and then simply cut them into parts at the most climatic scenes, to make sure that his readers would buy the next book, and the next, and the next. To be sure, I will- these ARE great books. Snicket's quirky, unique writing style appeals to me, and his storyline is interesting. The protagonists are so helpless, you just want to reach out the them, and the antagonists are so dangerous and evil, you love to hate 'em.
In conclusion, I do suggest you buy this book, but not until the tenth one is available to buy. Otherwise, you might become as frustrated and bitter as I...

Horrible which here means most utterly obnoxious(Yes, I realize this is quite OVERUSED)! Anyway, I would immensely recommend this book to anyone who is getting tired of the dense descriptions that they have been reading recently! This would be due to that this book engages the readers and makes them guess and shocked every 5 seconds! The characters(Violet, Klaus, and Sunny) were extremely dull during this addition to the series and were in fact not as fun, witty, or resourceful and seemed just slumped. The author, Lemony Snicket, as usual, uses dull verbs and descriptions and never gets into grave detail as to why the Baudelaires are sad that supposedly both their parents died in a tragic fire, but he usually provides enough sufficent dialogue to actually feel what the person is feeling (rather than when Lemony Snickets writes that they just "said" a certain statement).
The author NEVER provides any type of thought-shot or snap-shot he writes, "The Baudelaire orphans were in the belly of the beast--that is, in the dark and cramped trunk of a long, black automobile." (Page 3) Instead of the snap and thought-shot, "Violet sighed at the uncomfortableness of being cooped up in the trunk of a long, black automobile while being squished by Klaus and Sunny, and scarcely being able to breathe because the only source of ventilation is a few bullet holes in the trunk. Violet wondered, as she coughed into a fake beard that tickled her throat, How are we ever going to get out of this trunk alive? Are we ever going to see a long-lost parent that is supposed to be alive? What is Count Olaf's evil scheme now? And where is he taking us? ..." Yes, I realize that my writing is far from perfect but I believe that is better to have that in the book than what was stated above, you decide! Overall, this is an extremely intriguing book that will definitely get you hooked especially with the punch-line ending! I already want the 10th book! I suggest that you wait until the 10th book is out because it is going to be immensely annoying that you can't find out what happens next!
If you are interested it a more detailed book, I would suggest the Red Wall series, Maniac Magee (and other titles by that author), Holes, Sammy Keyes, and the Tillerman (or Tillermen I'm not quite sure)series by Cynthia Voigt. I would also suggest the author Kyle Mills if you enjoy FBI mystery novels.

The belly of the beast! Freaks! Lemony Snicket! That's all I have to say...............................OK, maybe I could say more. Lemony Snicket hits the mark for a great book....AGAIN. I have to say, they really stick to the story in this series, which pleases me very much. I can 99.9% guarantee the next one will be a hit. Count Olaf is as 'dashing' as ever(aka horrible, smelly, awful, gross, ugly and mean as ever). Very funny, one of the most humorous! And guess what? We're getting closer to learning all of the secrets about V.F.D. *Smiles mysteriously* Seriously, one of the best in the series, but then again, they're ALL the best in the series. *Whines* Can't choose!

Mr. Snicket does it again! With his hapless orphans Sunny, Violet and Klaus he serves up entertaining humor and edge-of-your-seat pace. Adults and children alike enjoy the gallows humor and witty writing the books offer. School libraries can't keep them in stock and they are flying off the bookstore shelves. Don't miss this 'Carnival'!!!Recommended highly for the age 9 and older crowd. My 10 year old daughter gives it a "one-thousand thumbs up!!"

The Carnivorous Carnival is a great book as well as the whole series. In each book Count Olaf disguises himself as someone different, then tries to kill the kids owners and capture the Baudelaire fortune.
In this particular book, Violet, Claus, and Sunny are in the trunk of his car and find costumes for their disguises. They are dressed up as a two-headed person and a baby wolf. They are at a carnival and are part of the freak show. Olaf finds out who they really are and wants to throw them in a pit of hungry lions. Violet creates an escape but does it work? To know the rest you'll have to read the book. Though it seems very violent, and the author does go on a bit about his personal life, it's a REALLY great book for anyone, whether you like to read or not. I recommend this book and the entire series to everyone, and whoever doesn't like it probably didn't even give it a chance. So be sure to read this great series (preferably from the first book on).

In this tale of the Boudelaires' lives, they find themselves in the belly of the beast when they escape to Caligari Carnival way out in the hinderlands. Included in this book are dreadful things such as a parot, a large noodle, a secret map, a lion's den, and Chabo the wolf baby. I would strongly suggest that you keep your distance from this book so you won't be devoured and find yourself trapped in the belly of the beast.

The Carnivorous Carnival
By Lemony Snicket

Awesome children's mystery book!

The Baudelaires are in the trunk of Count Olaf's car. He doesn't know that they are in the trunk of the car. The story begins in the desert going towards a carnival. Olaf is talking to his friends about his plan to find where the Baudelaires are. Olaf is talking with a crystal ball reader to tell him where the Baudelaires might be, but he soon might find out after Madame Lulu, the crystal ball reader, tells him or if she wants to. The Baudelaires won't find themselves as they once were. I found this book an interesting mystery. You will be surprised by how stomach curling, heart aching, mystery this is. You should definitely read this book!!!!!!

Not my favorite in the series. (Sorry) The storyline moves along a little slowly & I didn't care for the turn of events or the allusions to murder, which is inappropriate for children IMO. It's a bit too much exposure to the world for kids.

say by to beverly lemony sicket! You're not going to see her again! OKAY back to business the Quagmires are safe but what about the bodalars? read the book to find out!! Oh and SIT LIONS! WE LIKE YOU!!!!!!!

This is the 9th book in the seriesof unfortunate events. The Baidelaired are in the back of Count Olaf's car. They got there after the hospital burned down. So they got in his trunk. They came to the carnival. So Violet, Klaus & Sunny get out and disguise them selves as freaks. They work there at the carnival. Then lions are brought to carnival. Each day a freak is thrown into the pit, but instead they throw in Madame Lulu. But Madame Lulu is thier friend. Will one of the freaks throw her in the pit. If you want to know read the book. Personally this a great book. It gives you a lot of detail. I books with a lot of deatail.Like the other books in the series it is a mystery. This is the best book in the sreies.

This has all of the evil villains, surprising twists, and exiting plots that a teenager could ever ask for. With a wearwolf chasing them and a two headed freak right on their tail, their sure to be in for it. This book was the best in the series yet, but I still don't know what VFD stands for, I don't know when it'll be on, but I'm ready to find out!
The way that Count Olaf as been finding out where the Baudalaires are is by this mysterious fortune teller who seems to always know everything! Also, make sure you read the rest of the eight horroble books in this horrible series or you're not going to know what this book is about! Also, if you have to have HAPPY endings DON'T get these books!

The Carnivorous Carnival is definently one of the best Lemony Snicket books i have ever read. This time the kids hitch a ride in the back off Count Olafs car to the Hinterlands. I the story the kids desquise themselves from him as freaks. Sunny dresses up as a wolf baby and Violet and Klaus dress as a two headed person. throughout the story the kids end up finding out something they really want to know but dont find out if it is 100% true. the end of this story is the most sad of them all. so i think that yu should read the book to find out what turns out to happen in the end.

Like King Fortis the Brave and Harry Potter, the Lemony Snicket books are not just for kids. Written on two levels so that young adults and older adults alike can find things to appreciate, these books represent some of the best in modern fiction. And like King Fortis and Harry Potter, the Lemony Snicket books are novels that will continue to be loved by children of all ages for generations to come.

This book is the most outstanding mystery book I ever read! It leaves you hanging most of the time in the book. It leaves you thinking about what happens next. I will rate this five stars for the mystery. The most suspenseful part was when Violet and Klaus were about to jump into the lion pit. The author was so detailed that I could see it happening in my mind. I could not put the book down!