Point of View

The Reptile Room is told by a third-person omniscient narrator, who inserts his own commentary into the book. As in the first book, The Bad Beginning, the narrator often uses asides to the reader, encouraging readers to stop reading throughout the book.

Through the use of asides, the narrator reveals that the book contains dramatic irony, a plot device that lets the reader know what is about to happen. The characters in the book are oblivious to the imminent death of Uncle Monty, but the reader is made aware, well in advance, and left to wonder when and how it will happen. When Sunny is bitten by the Incredibly Deadly Viper, the chapter ends suddenly, leaving the reader to think that Sunny might actually be dead. However, the narrator quickly reveals that a character will die but that it is not Sunny. The premise is discussed...