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The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket: B

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From the back cover:
Dear Reader,

The word “carnivorous,” which appears in the title of this book, means “meat-eating,” and once you have read such a bloodthirsty word, there is no reason to read any further. This carnivorous volume contains such a distressing story that consuming any of its contents would be far more stomach-turning than even the most imbalanced meal.

To avoid causing discomfort, it would be best if I didn’t mention any of the unnerving ingredients of this story, particularly a confusing map, an ambidextrous person, an unruly crowd, a wooden plank, and Chabo the Wolf Baby.

Sadly for me, my time is filled with researching and recording the displeasing and disenchanting lives of the Baudelaire orphans. But your time might be better filled with something more palatable, such as eating your vegetables, or feeding them to someone else.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

Review:
I had trouble getting into this one, and read it in a few spurts separated by as much as a week. Again, not much happens. Pretty much the main thing of note is that one question that had been around since the beginning of the series is answered. Nice, but…

As the orphans themselves admit, they didn’t really learn anything new in this attempt. And since I primarily enjoy these because of the overarching mysteries and not because of the supposed dangers of the plight in which the siblings now find themselves, I came away underwhelmed.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins: B+

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From the back cover:
The light that streams from the Moonstone, a yellow diamond of unearthly quality, is like that of the harvest moon. Rachel Verinder receives the stone for her 18th birthday. But on that very night, it is stolen. Although all members of the household must give account for the day’s events, Betteredge offers the most insightful renderings. His story is made all the more enjoyable by his uproariously honest assessments of human nature and his reliance on Robinson Crusoe, a book he firmly believes answers the fundamental questions of life.

Review:
The Moonstone has been hailed as the first English detective story, and is well worth reading for historical merits alone. That said, I found the mystery here to be a shade lackluster. From my modern perspective, certain conclusions that were obvious to me were overly explained, and I didn’t find it very hard to guess the perpetrator after a number of facts came to light.

So, as a mystery, it’s not going to be the tightest or cleverest you’ve ever read. As a story, however, it’s very entertaining and often quite funny! It’s told from a variety of first person narratives, as each person concerned with the loss of the moonstone has been charged with committing the things they witnessed to paper, but not to comment on the things that they personally did not know at the time. Particularly amusing are Gabriel Betteredge, the steward of the house, and Miss Clack, a proselytizing cousin whom everyone finds extremely distasteful.

Fushigi Yûgi 10 by Yuu Watase: B

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From the back cover:
Miaka Yuuki is an ordinary junior-high-school student who is transported into the world of a book, The Universe of the Four Gods. Thinking that her mission has failed, she runs off to the land of Sairou, where a warrior of her arch enemy, the God Seiryu, finds her! And before the adventure is over, Miaka will find out who are allies, who are enemies, and who is determined to see her dead!

Review:
This volume was pretty durn silly, but not precisely bad. First of all, I lost track of how many times Miaka wound up with a guy on top of her. That was, like, the recurring theme of the volume. She acted plenty stupid, as well, and I’m going to need to start a tally box of how many times the names Miaka or Tamahome are called out into the void with lots of exclamation points. Lastly, there’s no progress on the shinzahou front—just a lot of trials and tribulations at the hands of the Seiryu folk.

Still, Miaka learns a couple of important things this volume, someone returns and acts unexpectedly, and Tomo’s illusions are cool. I quite liked the one to which he subjects Miaka, particularly seeing Yui and another classmate teasing her about a boy.

The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket: A

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From the back cover:
Dear Reader,

Before you throw this awful book to the ground and run as far away from it as possible, you should probably know why. This book is the only one which describes every last detail of the Baudelaire children’s miserable stay at Heimlich Hospital, which makes it one of the most dreadful books in the world.

There are many pleasant things to read about, but this book contains none of them. Within its pages are such burdensome details as a suspicious shopkeeper, unnecessary surgery, an intercom system, anesthesia, heart-shaped balloons, and some very startling news about a fire. Clearly you do not want to read about such things.

I have sworn to research this story, and to write it down as best I can, so I should know that this book is something best left on the ground, where you undoubtedly found it.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

Review:
I really liked this one, as it felt just a shade darker in tone somehow, but must confess that nothing much really happened in it. Really, Olaf’s scheme takes a back seat, even in the orphans’ own minds, to discovering what the Library of Records in the hospital can tell them about the mystery of the fire that claimed the lives of their parents.

It’s nifty how the orphans have become much more self-reliant in these past two books. In fact, there was no Mr. Poe at all in this one, as they’ve completely given up expecting any sort of help from him. I wish my faith that they’ll emerge from Olaf’s clutches unscathed could be chalked up to their own skills, but I never truly believe that they’re in any jeopardy. Maybe Snicket’ll surprise me and kill one off; that’d be Whedony.

The Lighthouse by P. D. James: A-

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From the back cover:
Combe Island off the Cornish coast of England has a bloodstained history of piracy and cruelty. Owned for centuries by the same family, it now serves as a place where over-stressed men and women in positions of high authority can come to find serenity in conditions of guaranteed security. But when one of its distinguished visitors is found hanging from Combe’s famous lighthouse, an apparent murder victim, the peace of the island is shattered.

Review:
What an improvement over The Murder Room. Although the mystery is a good one, and the atmosphere of the island (both threatening and peaceful) is skillfully rendered, it’s the development of the members of the investigative squad that I liked best.

I still don’t completely buy Dalgliesh’s relationship, though I cannot precisely say why. I did love Inspector Miskin’s reaction to it, however, and the thoughts and decisions it prompted her to consider and to make. When Dalgliesh is sidelined by illness, responsibility for the case shifts to his team, and that’s where things truly take off. As Miskin takes up the challenge of the lead role in the investigation, I was instantly more invested for her own personal and professional sake. Learning more about the personality and abilities of Sergeant Benton-Smith was also a boon.

The solution to the mystery is rather lackluster, bearing too much in common with another recent book in the series. I would’ve been more put out except for the fact that the novel seems to clearly be about the investigators, and not the crime.

It seems possible this might be the final Dalgliesh novel, with the man himself poised on the threshold of marriage, Kate with renewed spirit and new possibilities of her own, and Benton-Smith fitting in with the group and establishing himself as someone who’ll go places. If this is the end, then I’d be very satisfied.

Fushigi Yûgi 9 by Yuu Watase: B+

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From the back cover:
Miaka Yuuki is an ordinary middle school student who is suddenly whisked away into the world of a book, The Universe of the Four Gods. In this alternate world, she must summon the god Suzaku by retrieving the Shinzahou. But, in order to get the treasure, Miaka must choose between her love for Tamahome and protecting the nation of Konan.

Review:
The B+ grade is for the story itself; the translation earns a D. For the entire first chapter, Nuriko is referred to with female pronouns. This is incredibly distracting from such a poignant, important scene! If the translators were even reading the material, they’d see that, too!

Anyway, the plot itself is pretty interesting, featuring an encounter with some nifty Genbu warriors. I quite fancy Hikitsu. I’ll have to try to remember what’s established about them and see whether continuity is maintained when I proceed to reading Genbu Kaiden.

When the Suzaku warriors learn there’s still more questing to do, we enter another little arc and meet another Seiryu warrior, Tomo, who I think is pretty durn cool. I really like the misdirection he perpetrates upon the group, even though it has the unfortunate effect of spurring another of Miaka’s too stupid to live moments. It had been a while since she’d run off idiotically and I was getting used to not finding her all that annoying.

The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket: A

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From the back cover:
Dear Reader,

You have undoubtedly picked up this book by mistake, so please put it down. Nobody in their right mind would read this particular book about the lives of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire on purpose, because each dismal moment of their stay in the village of V.F.D. has been faithfully and dreadfully recorded in these pages.

I can think of no single reason why anyone would want to open a book containing such unpleasant matters as migrating crows, an angry mob, a newspaper headline, the arrest of innocent people, the Deluxe Cell, and some very strange hats.

It is my solemn and sacred occupation to research each detail of the Baudelaire children’s lives and write them all down, but you may prefer to do some other solemn and sacred thing, such as reading another book instead.

Review:
The Quagmire arc is still in full swing, making each book less of an episodic stand alone. The basic plot of The Vile Village is pretty unremarkable in and of itself. It’s really the furtherance of the quest to free the triplets and the continued hints of some linkage between the Snickets, the Baudelaire parents, and Olaf that make for engrossing reading.

As usual, I found the ending of this installment to be very satisfying, both with how the arc was handled, Sunny’s continued gradual development, and with the uncertainty regarding the Baudelaire’s futures. I also think I might finally have figured out what V.F.D. stands for. We shall see!

Hikaru no Go 8 by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata: A

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From the back cover:
Hikaru faces the preliminary rounds of the pro test, during which he must eliminate not only his classmates at the insei school but also any outsiders who want to take the test. One of them in particular appears to know how to exploit Hikaru’s weaknesses, and poor Hikaru seems powerless to stop him.

Review:
I really like how the passage of time is handled in Hikaru no Go. Hikaru is improving quickly, true, but it’s still taken him a fairly long time to advance through the insei ranks. Now, in preparing for the pro test, Hikaru is walking his rival’s path one year later. As Hikaru continues to grow, we see a few panels that indicate that Akira is doing the same. Akira doesn’t look energized in any of these panels, though, and we all know he’ll benefit from finally having a true rival.

I thought it was interesting that the reaction of Hikaru’s parents and family was taken into account, too. They have no real way to gauge his abilities. They’re letting him do what he wants for now, but understandably concerned about his future. This isn’t something that I’ve personally seen in a tournament style story before, so it’s neat. The closest parallel would be Prince of Tennis, but everyone there universally acknowledges that Ryoma is awesome, and his dad would be in a position to know.

Lastly, I particularly appreciated that the preliminary round arc is resolved within a single volume. With the wait between volumes what it is, it was nice to get it all at once, and leave off with the boys in preparation for the real thing.

Fushigi Yûgi 8 by Yuu Watase: A-

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From the back cover:
A savage storm shipwrecks Miaka and her Celestial Warriors on a creepy island inhabited by a ruthless matriarchal society that enslaves men! Meanwhile, her former friend Yui and the Seiryu Warriors are within arm’s reach of the sacred treasures that Miaka so desperately seeks. Will she arrive too late to summon the god Suzaku and save the nation of Konan?

Review:
Ack! I didn’t realize that that happened in this volume.

While the story continues to move along nicely, the first couple of chapters in this volume were a little weak and almost felt like a flimsy excuse to draw the guys in drag. This is the first bit I’ve encountered that wasn’t in the anime, so it seems they shared my opinion.

There’s a lot of focus on Nuriko in this volume, whom I adore, and more determination on his part to no longer attempt to take his sister’s place. I still don’t wholeheartedly endorse some of the sudden realizations, but I must say it’s a lot clearer in the manga and I can kind of get a better handle on what he’s been through and what he means by what he says. It’s unfortunate that, while he’s considering what it means to be a man, Viz’s translation keeps calling him “she,” when previous volumes were free of that problem.

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket: A

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From the back cover:
Dear Reader,

If you have just picked up this book, then it is not too late to put it back down. Like the previous books in A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, there is nothing to be found in these pages but misery, despair, and discomfort, and you still have time to choose something else to read.

Within the chapters of this story, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire encounter a darkened staircase, a red herring, some friends in a dire situation, three mysterious initials, a liar with an evil scheme, a secret passageway, and parsley soda.

I have sworn to write down these tales of the Baudelaire orphans so the general public will know each terrible thing that has happened to them, but if you decide to read something else instead, you will save yourself from a heapful of horror and woe.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

Review:
I am happy to report that I liked this every bit as much as The Austere Academy, and that my fears about repetitive plots have been assuaged.

We are truly in the throes of an arc here, and on top of that, another mystery concerning the Baudelaire mansion itself is introduced and even more clues about the mysterious Beatrice are sprinkled into the storyline.

One really oughtn’t judge this series based on the first few books alone. Keep going and your diligence will be rewarded.

Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh: C-

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From the back cover:
The crime was committed on stage at the Unicorn Theatre, when an unloaded gun fired a very real bullet. The victim was Arthur Surbanadier, an actor clawing his way to stardom using blackmail victims. The stage was set for one of Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn’s most baffling cases…

Review:
I think I need a new rating for laughably bad. I simply must quote the bit that literally made me crack up. It doesn’t reveal the identities of the speakers, but you should stop reading now if you’re concerned about spoilers.

She took a step towards him, looked into his eyes, and smiled. In a moment he had her close-held in his arms. “What’s this?” he said roughly. “I know you’re everything I most deplore—and yet—look at this. Shall I kiss you?”
“Why not?”
“Every reason why not.”
“How strangely you look at me. As if you were examining my face inch by inch.”
He released her suddenly. “Please go,” he said.

Bwahaha. It still amuses me.

The mystery itself is neither particularly bad nor particularly good. I could’ve done with less of Nigel Bathgate’s angst about an old acquaintance’s involvement and his propensity to interrupt and/or overhear suspicious conversations. After a time, it seems no new evidence is gathered and it’s just a lot of histrionics. The conclusion is a little unsatisfying, as well, and I wonder if an aspect of the solution really agrees with what had been established early on, but I don’t care enough to go back and verify.

The main flaw is unchanged from the first book to feature Inspector Alleyn—I just can’t get a handle on his personality. Is he truly breezy, flip, uncaring, rather unprofessional, and capricious? At times, his actions bely these impressions and I just have no idea which is right. Is he supposed to be a mysterious and unpredictable person, or is this just bad writing?

The question of whether to continue the series might appear to be a no-brainer, except that I keep reading that the later stories are an improvement. The library has all but two (many unabridged and narrated by James Saxon, who was excellent here despite the material, and whose voice reminds me of Vivian Stanshall), so I suppose I might as well. Besides, it’s kind of fun to award a lousy grade every now and then.

The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket: A

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From the back cover:
Dear Reader,

If you are looking for a story about cheerful youngsters spending a jolly time at boarding school, look elsewhere. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent and resourceful children, and you might expect that they would do very well at school. Don’t. For the Baudelaires, school turns out to be another miserable episode in their unlucky lives.

Truth be told, within the chapters that make up this dreadful story, the children will face snapping crabs, strict punishments, dripping fungus, comprehensive exams, violin recitals, S.O.R.E., and the metric system.

It is my solemn duty to stay up all night researching and writing the history of these three hapless youngsters, but you may be more comfortable getting a good night’s sleep. In that case, you should probably choose some other book.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

Review:
There are similarities between the plot of this book and the last, and I thoroughly despised the head of the school, Vice Principal Nero, but I’d still rate this as the best of the series so far.

It was good to see the Baudelaires try a different tactic when they recognized Olaf, as it reduced the number of scenes in which the adult authority figure du jour is being excruciatingly obtuse. And I quite liked the Quagmire triplets, as well. I hope we see more of them.

What I most liked, however, was the ending. All of the books have a cliffhangery ending, mostly concerning what unfortunate events will next befall the Baudelaires, but this one is special. It really feels like this might be the start of an arc of some kind. Lemony Snicket’s personal snippets are getting more interesting, as well, and might actually figure in to the overall plot before we’re done.

The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket: A

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From the back cover:
Dear Reader,

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 lumbermill, 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

Review:
This one made me giggle before I even opened it. Why? Coupons. :)

This is also a very big improvement over The Wide Window. Hooray for variation! There were many switcheroos this time around that I greatly appreciated, but shan’t enumerate, a word which here means “blather on about spoilerifically,” because that would be mean.

Suffice it to say that this story is great, good enough for me to overlook some extreme silliness concerning the properties of gum, and that I am now especially looking forward to the next one, which is about boarding school.

The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket: B+

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From the back cover:
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 the one you are holding 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

Review:
The plot of this book is essentially the same as The Reptile Room, though I did not like it as well as that book. Once I paused in my reading, I actually had trouble working up the desire to continue.

To successfully employ a plot formula, one should treat it as a template. A story structure or framework upon which new ideas may be secured, and which might actually inspire creativity by forcing one to find ways to innovate while maintaining the essential pattern. So far, this series doesn’t do that. Maybe it’s too early to expect significant variation, but I’d like to see some soon.

Once I got back into the story, I did enjoy the conclusion, especially the sequence where everyone is going “bluh,” Sunny’s use of a couple actual words, and the moral offered in the final few pages. Bonus points for trying to drill in the concept of “it’s” versus “its,” as well.

Fushigi Yûgi 7 by Yuu Watase: A

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From the back cover:
Now that the Seiryu Warriors have ruined their attempt to summon the god Suzaku, Miaka and her Celestial Warriors are forced to travel to a frozen northern country in hopes of gathering the sacred treasures that will grant them a second chance. Little do they know that they have made new enemies, ones who will stop at nothing to wreak their vengeance!

Review:
The plotting is excellent in this volume, with all events hanging together logically and moving forward with a sense of urgency and excitement as Miaka and friends head off on a new quest with the Seiryu Warriors in active competition. I suppose I’ve been burned too many times by manga that seems to amble around without a point, and it seems pretty clear that Watase knows where this story is going to go, so it impresses me.

Another thing I really liked was seeing more of Miaka’s interactions with others of the group. She is distressed about Tamahome, and sees Chichiri as a good person to talk to. Later, Nuriko is the one from whom she seeks comfort, and also plays a big role in the final chapter. We’re seeing the group bonding more as a whole and also learning more about their backgrounds.

Miaka also grows yet more determined to summon Suzaku. Though she doesn’t wish to fight Yui, Nakago’s tactics are just too cruel to be allowed to continue. I really like her when she is taking the job seriously, and therefore didn’t feel the urge to smack her once this time.