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A review by notwellread
The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket
3.0
3.5 stars.
This instalment, set in a lumber mill, was a bit darker and more sinister than some of the others I’ve read so far: slavery, starvation, exploitation, and dangerous machinery are all involved, even if they’re not treated with the heaviness they would receive in a less cartoonish setting (and here they are relieved somewhat by the tone being particularly outlandish, even compared to the earlier books). There is something of a Victorian workhouse vibe: the Baudelaires are rich kids, but they really do suffer terribly here, and not at the hands of the villain, whose involvement is surprisingly little in this entry in the series. The setting is particularly grotesque, with chewed-up chewing gum being basically ubiquitous, and the barren surrounding area making escape impossible.
On the Charles/Sir relationship:
The climax was rather implausible: I understand that this is part of the absurdness, but elements like I thought was asking a little too much of the reader’s patience. The ending makes some hints and references to the next instalment, which I understand is the turning point where the themes and plot structures start to be a little more varied, and reading that made me very excited to get to the next book.
This instalment, set in a lumber mill, was a bit darker and more sinister than some of the others I’ve read so far: slavery, starvation, exploitation, and dangerous machinery are all involved, even if they’re not treated with the heaviness they would receive in a less cartoonish setting (and here they are relieved somewhat by the tone being particularly outlandish, even compared to the earlier books). There is something of a Victorian workhouse vibe: the Baudelaires are rich kids, but they really do suffer terribly here, and not at the hands of the villain, whose involvement is surprisingly little in this entry in the series. The setting is particularly grotesque, with chewed-up chewing gum being basically ubiquitous, and the barren surrounding area making escape impossible.
On the Charles/Sir relationship:
Spoiler
instead of the standard mill work, Charles performs more intimate tasks, ironing Sir’s shirts and making him food and milkshakes. It’s at least implied that they’re in a relationship, and this is confirmed in the Netflix series. It almost seems like a BDSM relationship with one dominant partner and one submissive. Maybe it’s okay if all are consenting, but seems a bit heavy for a children’s book? Not sure if this is the intention or if it’s making fun of the traditional gender roles where women in straight relationships cook and clean unpaid, while here it’s recognised as Charles’ job even though he’s in a relationship with the boss. I am probably overthinking it.The climax was rather implausible: I understand that this is part of the absurdness, but elements like