The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)
by Lemony Snicket
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| published
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2000
by Scholastic, Inc.
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| first published
| 1999 |
| binding
| Paperback |
| isbn
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0439206472
(isbn13: 9780439206471)
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| description
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A story about 3 children and their misadventures.
[close]
A story about 3 children and their misadventures.
[close]
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| date added
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02-08-07
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bookshelves:
fantasy
Read in January, 2006
I want to kill Lemony Snicket.
Not because he's written a book where terribly unfortunate things happen to small children - I have no problems with that and in fact encourage it, as it builds character. I want to kill Lemony Snicket because he's a terrible writer who should never have been allowed to have his words put to paper. His hands should be chopped off at the wrists, boiled for twelve hours in turpentine, and then nailed above the front door of his publisher's as a warning to all.
...more
I want to kill Lemony Snicket.
Not because he's written a book where terribly unfortunate things happen to small children - I have no problems with that and in fact encourage it, as it builds character. I want to kill Lemony Snicket because he's a terrible writer who should never have been allowed to have his words put to paper. His hands should be chopped off at the wrists, boiled for twelve hours in turpentine, and then nailed above the front door of his publisher's as a warning to all.
You may be wondering what has roused this level of bibliorage in me. If you are, then you haven't read the book. If you've read the book, and you're one of my friends, then you should already know why.
Snicket has taken what should be an entertaining story, filled with untimely death, physical violence, extortion, deception, and pedophilic overtones, and corrupted it by treating its audience like a bunch of drooling idiots.
I am, of course, referring to his habit of defining "difficult" words within the text, with no regard for the flow of the story or the necessity of the definition.
Page 2: "...occasionally their parents gave them permission to take a rickety trolley - the word 'rickety,' you probably know, here means 'unsteady' or 'likely to collapse' - alone to the seashore...."
Page 13: "...over a dull dinner of boiled chicken, boiled potatoes and blanched - the word 'blanched' here means 'boiled' - string beans."
Page 18: "'Please get out of bed and get dressed,' he said briskly. The word 'briskly' here means 'quickly, so as to get the Baudelaire children to leave the house.'"
Page 44: "...the kitchen grew cozy as the sauce simmered, a culinary term which means 'cooked over a low heat.'"
And so on.
There are a few occasions where a word is defined well, in context and occasionally in character, and I don't mind those. But the constant shoehorning in of definitions made me want to take a sharpened number two pencil and work it under Mr. Snicket's fingernails until he apologized sufficiently for being a hack.
Let's face it - if the book is written for adults, then the author should treat his readers like adults. If the book is written for children, which this apparently is, then the author has to choose whether to talk up or down to them. In a book where the main characters' parents die before the first page and where the eldest daughter nearly becomes a child bride to her blood uncle, one would think the author has judged his audience mature enough to deal with these themes. If that is so, then overtly defining "difficult" words is an insult.
I am reminded of a passage in Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men where the main character, a nine year old girl named Tiffany, asks an itinerant teacher about zoology:
"Zoology, eh? That's a big word, isn't it."
"No, actually it isn't," said Tiffany. "Patronizing is a big word. Zoology is really quite short."
I think Mr. Pratchett may have read Mr. Snicket's work as well.
I will eat rancid, earwax-flavored yogurt out of Karl Rove's red and ulcerated anus before I read another book by Lemony Snicket....less
When I was a child, I learned a thing or two from reading the works of Roald Dahl. The most important of these lessons is that adults are, more often than not, either evil or oblivious and, to co-opt Lemony Snicket's writing style, by oblivious I mean "lacking conscious awareness; unmindful."
As an adult, I have only received mountains of proof substantiating the notion that adults are either evil or oblivious. All you need to do is watch the news or enter the workforce and you too wi...more
When I was a child, I learned a thing or two from reading the works of Roald Dahl. The most important of these lessons is that adults are, more often than not, either evil or oblivious and, to co-opt Lemony Snicket's writing style, by oblivious I mean "lacking conscious awareness; unmindful."
As an adult, I have only received mountains of proof substantiating the notion that adults are either evil or oblivious. All you need to do is watch the news or enter the workforce and you too will realize the same. So it is through this lens of animosity towards grown ups (hey, just become I am one doesn't mean I have to think like one) that I read the first installment of Lemony Snicket's 13-part serial A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Snicket, or his alter ego, seems mighty influenced by Dahl and Edward Gorey. Like the former, most of the adults in the book are worthless. Those who aren't are either dead or somehow taken away from the Baudelaire children. Like the later, bad things keep on happening to our protagonists.
The three Baudelaire children-- Violet, Klaus and Sunny-- live a rather charmed life with parents who love and respect them. Upon an unsupervised excursion to the beach, a fire consumes the Baudelaire home and kills the parents. The three children are taken into the temporary care of Mr. Poe (who has a son named Edgar, by the way) until a relative can be located. After some time, the children are pawned off on Count Olaf, a horrid actor with a title and no money. From the beginning, it is obvious that he has only taken in the children because of the vast fortune they are set to acquire. When he learns that the inheritance will be withheld until Violet is of age, he punishes the children repeatedly. We will stop there, lest I give away the end of this first book.
Aside from a page-turner plot, what works in the book's favor is the language. Snicket uses large grown-up words with the context of child-sized sentences. He defines the words without being condescending and goes on to explain many of the legal concepts that are used throughout the story. The characters are also intriguing. The adults in the story often appear as grotesque figures that make just enough sense to keep the storyline plausible. And, in the grand tradition of children's literature, the Baudelaire orphans are quick-witted and strong-willed.
I found this book as part of a three series boxed set at a thrift store by my house. Each book is small and hard covered, designed to look like a Victorian tome and filled with beautiful illustrations. Now, I can't wait to get started on volume two....less
Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
Those Who Missed The Potter Bus
I never really did get into Harry Potter. I imagine that this is viewed as a crime by most everyone on this service. For some it is heresy. But, I refuse to stand shamefaced - Hogwarts just didn't do it for me.
I didn't think this would either.
However, I was more than pleasantly surprised. I am of a somewhat morbid streak, and the Series of Unfortunate Events books, I must say, tickles that grotesque bone in a way most pleasing.
The story of the Baudelaire Children is one filled with t...more
I never really did get into Harry Potter. I imagine that this is viewed as a crime by most everyone on this service. For some it is heresy. But, I refuse to stand shamefaced - Hogwarts just didn't do it for me.
I didn't think this would either.
However, I was more than pleasantly surprised. I am of a somewhat morbid streak, and the Series of Unfortunate Events books, I must say, tickles that grotesque bone in a way most pleasing.
The story of the Baudelaire Children is one filled with tragedy and dire peril. Orphaned after a massive house fire in which their parents burned to death, they are put in the care of their parents will's executor until a distant relative, Count Olaf, comes to claim them... and their family fortune. The children however do manage to give him a run of it. In the end, they still have their money, but they simply are foisted off someplace else where there parents are still dead and their lot becomes more miserable. This is not a story for happy endings as the author will remind you, time and time again.
The real thing about the book that I love is the writing style and tone of the narrative. The author is quite the wordsmith, and he no doubt had it in mind that kids should be learning big, expansive words. He then mixes it up with subtle and unsubtle word play (in the fourth book, the narrator goes into the sensation of deja vu, and when you turn the page beginning that chapter it's the same page over again) that left me quite amused.
I only read about four of the books. The downfall of the series is that the villain never changes and the stories are all essentially the same at their core: the children go to live someplace horrible, and Uncle Olaf comes back to try and take their money. It's a one trick pony in that regard, but I really was quite taken by the wording of it.
It's worth the investment for the first book and it's a quick read. Give it a shot....less
Read in January, 2008
recommended to Nic by:
Alyssa
I had heard of these books, of course; I saw the movie, and a friend recommended the series to me, so I thought I'd try them. I felt a little silly going around with something so clearly written for younger readers, but a good story is a good story.
The author definitely has something here. In a way, it's the ultimate "orphan story," because bad things just keep happening to the, well, orphans. They're likeable characters, and the consistent unhappy endings to the books give the ...more
I had heard of these books, of course; I saw the movie, and a friend recommended the series to me, so I thought I'd try them. I felt a little silly going around with something so clearly written for younger readers, but a good story is a good story.
The author definitely has something here. In a way, it's the ultimate "orphan story," because bad things just keep happening to the, well, orphans. They're likeable characters, and the consistent unhappy endings to the books give the impression that you're not done reading yet, making the books almost addictive. I considered finishing the series - fourteen books, I believe - just to see them get what I would hope would be a happy ending (since the series does apparently have a definitive end, and I know the kids don't die because occasionally the books reference "years later"). There's also some humor, which I appreciate, and the gloom of the books is done in sort of a fun way.
The main thing that keeps me from endorsing these books more heavily is that the misfortune of the orphans seems to rely heavily on adults who are thick to the point of idiocy and repeatedly ignore the children. I realize that oblivious adults are a staple of kids' books in some ways, but the older kids here are twelve and fourteen. Fourteen is an age wherein people tend to listen to you when you say something like, "Help, we've been kidnapped!" Especially when you are not prone to jokes AND WERE RIGHT LAST TIME YOU SAID "HELP, WE'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED." The fact that well-meaning adults consistently say, "Shh, children, it's grown-up time now," or close to it, works all right enough in this book, but by the time you've reached the second one and they're still doing it, it more than strained credulity, at least for me....less
bookshelves:
youth
Read in January, 2006
After losing IQ points for reading two Nicholas Sparks novels in a row, I needed to read something a bit smarter. This book fit the bill perfectly. Despite being a children's book, it is a much smarter book than those two books combined.
I have to say that this book often made my skin crawl, but despite that, I enjoyed it very much. The author wasn't joking when he labeled it A Series of Unfortunate Events, because that is exactly what this book is. Just when you think things can't get any w...more
After losing IQ points for reading two Nicholas Sparks novels in a row, I needed to read something a bit smarter. This book fit the bill perfectly. Despite being a children's book, it is a much smarter book than those two books combined.
I have to say that this book often made my skin crawl, but despite that, I enjoyed it very much. The author wasn't joking when he labeled it A Series of Unfortunate Events, because that is exactly what this book is. Just when you think things can't get any worse for the poor Baudelaire children, it does. The narrator is constantly warning you that things are not going to be bright and cheery for these poor kids, but the story is so engaging that you can't help but press on, despite the dismal circumstances.
The best thing about this book is the children. I absolutely adored the Baudelaire children—Violet, Klaus and little Sunny. I think I liked them because they were all smart (well, Sunny is just a baby, but she's smart in her own way, I suppose). I have a soft spot for smart kids (and I don't mean smart-asses), and kids who enjoy reading and learning, and the Baudelaire children are both. As you read about these poor kids you can't help but feel sorry for them, but at the same time it's great to see them outwit the disgusting Count Olaf.
Count Olaf is what made my skin crawl while reading this book. He's not the worst villain I've ever read, but his behavior and actions are just absolutely hideous. His final tactic to try and get the Baudelaire fortune is about as skeevy as you can get (for a children's book, at least).
Despite being a thoroughly gloomy story, it was an enjoyable read. I definitely recommend it for the young ones—they'll come away with a vocabularly boost at the very least. I definitely plan to read the rest of this series. ...less
bookshelves:
personal-read,
trt-reviews
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
After already having seen the movie, I decided to invest in reading the books. Bk #1, THE BAD BEGINNING, only took me an hour to finish, and it was an enjoyable--if dark--read.
The Baudelaire children--Violet, Klaus, and Sunny--are left orphaned after a mysterious fire destroys their home and kills their parents. Taken into custody by Mr. Poe, the executor of their parent's estate, they learn that their parent's will states that they must be cared for b...more
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
After already having seen the movie, I decided to invest in reading the books. Bk #1, THE BAD BEGINNING, only took me an hour to finish, and it was an enjoyable--if dark--read.
The Baudelaire children--Violet, Klaus, and Sunny--are left orphaned after a mysterious fire destroys their home and kills their parents. Taken into custody by Mr. Poe, the executor of their parent's estate, they learn that their parent's will states that they must be cared for by a relative. The closest relative, unbeknownest to the children, is Count Olaf, an actor and leader of a theatre troupe who lives in a dilapitated house on the other side of town.
Things, of course, only go from bad to worse after the children move into Count Olaf's home, which is strangely covered inside and out with drawings and representations of a strange-looking eye. Count Olaf even has a tattoo of the same image on his ankle. As the Count hatches a scheme to gain control of the Baudelaire fortune, which the children are not privy to until Violet comes of age, the children are alternately scared of their new "parent" and determined to find a way out of their dreadful situation.
I enjoyed this walk on the dark side, and plan on reading Book #2 in the series later today. That said, however, I think it depends on your child and his or her maturity as to whether this would be a good read for them or not. Although the reading material is suitable for around 8 years old and up, the book IS dark-natured, and might scare some children. If they've already seen the movie, they might be prepared for its darkness--if the movie depiction scared them, then hold off on the book for awhile. ...less
Friday the 13th, at aproxiately (I'm pretty sure that's not spelled right, but at this moment I don't care) eight o'clock, I bought a book I've meant to read for several years.
The Bad Beginning, Book the First in the Series of Unfortunate Events, was a slim, easy-read that I finished the night before I went to the library to check out the final two books in the Harry Potter series.
And strangely enough, even though it was a children's book-I loved it!
And I even rented the next installment f...more
Friday the 13th, at aproxiately (I'm pretty sure that's not spelled right, but at this moment I don't care) eight o'clock, I bought a book I've meant to read for several years.
The Bad Beginning, Book the First in the Series of Unfortunate Events, was a slim, easy-read that I finished the night before I went to the library to check out the final two books in the Harry Potter series.
And strangely enough, even though it was a children's book-I loved it!
And I even rented the next installment from the library along with Harry Potter.
But really, there was something else glorious to see at the Borders Bookstore in the Quarry (for those of you who don't know much about San Antonio, Texas-the Quarry is this place, located near downtown, that is VERY nice-their bookstore has about three stories-you have to take an elevator to get to all of those books!!).
And it was the independant reader's section located near the Children's and YA section.
Rows and rows (I am seriously not kidding ya'll) of fantasy books!
In fact, out of all of those books, only a very few were historical fiction or realistic fiction.
It was LOVELY!!!!!
I saw so many books that I wanted to check out-including the Septimus Heap books (Magyk and Flyte) and a series that looked absolutely awesome about dragons.
Are people finally realizing how wonderful the fantasy genre can be, or what?
To me, who is obsessed with Fantasy, this is all music to my ears.
If anybody ever comes to San Antonio, Texas, they should visit the Borders in the Quarry. It's an absolutely awesome experience.
Cheers :)
-Sookie
...less
bookshelves:
2007,
borrowed
Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
a los que no les gustan los finales felices
Como la película me encantó, me dije que tenía que leerme los libros y así de paso leer algo de literatura infantil/juvenil. Los protagonistas son tres hermanos: Violet (la mayor a la que le gusta inventar cosas), Klaus (que le encanta devorar libros) y Sunny (que aún es un bebé y su mayor afición es morder cosas). Un día sus padres mueren en un incendio en su casa, lo pierden todo y se tienen que ir a vivir con un parie...more
Como la película me encantó, me dije que tenía que leerme los libros y así de paso leer algo de literatura infantil/juvenil. Los protagonistas son tres hermanos: Violet (la mayor a la que le gusta inventar cosas), Klaus (que le encanta devorar libros) y Sunny (que aún es un bebé y su mayor afición es morder cosas). Un día sus padres mueren en un incendio en su casa, lo pierden todo y se tienen que ir a vivir con un pariente lejano, el conde Olaf, que pronto descubrimos que hará todo lo posible para quedarse con su fortuna. Me sorprende alegremente que un libro para niños sea tan triste, tan oscuro y tan poco políticamente correcto (¡Dios, si el conde Olaf está a punto de casarse con una niña!) Muchos libros infantiles pasan de puntillas sobre los aspectos feos y tristes, pero este los presenta tan feos y tan tristes como son en realidad. No maquilla nada. Me encanta que ya desde el principio el narrador nos avise que no va a haber final feliz. Y me encanta el narrador en general. Es un narrador aparentemente objetivo en un principio, pero pronto va dejando caer pistas sobre su personalidad, sobre su historia. Me encanta que el narrador no sea paternalista, que trate a los lectores no como niños tontainas a los que se tiene que educar, sino prácticamente como adultos. Y el estilo es simple, pero no descuidado y facilón, sino más bien algo irónico y con unos giros particulares y originales. ...less
Read in January, 2002
In general, I am not a person who prefers dark humor, but I make an exception for The Unfortunate Events series because it is adept at being dark as well as funny and intelligent.
The story stars three siblings with unique capabilities who are quickly orphaned. Violet Baudelaire, the eldest, is an inventor. Klaus Baudelaire is a bookworm. Sunny Baudelaire, the youngest (just a baby), likes biting things. The Baudelaire orphans soon embark on a series of adventures that are typified by trying ...more
In general, I am not a person who prefers dark humor, but I make an exception for The Unfortunate Events series because it is adept at being dark as well as funny and intelligent.
The story stars three siblings with unique capabilities who are quickly orphaned. Violet Baudelaire, the eldest, is an inventor. Klaus Baudelaire is a bookworm. Sunny Baudelaire, the youngest (just a baby), likes biting things. The Baudelaire orphans soon embark on a series of adventures that are typified by trying to escape their devious uncle, Count Olaf, a loaf of an actor bent on killing the orphans and stealing the fortune they inherited.
The story falls in into a predictable clockwork of events where Olaf uses his one talent, acting, to disguise himself as various people seemingly interested in helping the children but really focused on stealing their inheritance. Every puzzle the children encounter to get away from Olaf they have to solve using either their individual or combined talents.
It may sound like I am deriding the book, but actually I find this simple construct appealing as it makes the books quick and enjoyable reads. The diction and tone of the book too lends a strong ethos to the story that adds to its enchantment. This tone, in fact, was a big influence on me when writing my book, The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun, listed as well on GoodReads.
Overall, I think the Snicket books are fun, fast reads that instantly present themselves as unique....less
recommends it for:
Anybody
This book is the first of a thirteen book series following the story of the three Baudelaire children: Violet Klaus, and Sunny. After a tragic fire destroys their mansion and kills both of their parents, the children go to live with their distant relative, Count Olaf. Count Olaf only adopted them for the inheritance that the Baudelaires got from their parents, but as Violet won't inherit the money until she is 18, Count Olaf won't receive a penny of it. Instead he treats them like slaves, making...more
This book is the first of a thirteen book series following the story of the three Baudelaire children: Violet Klaus, and Sunny. After a tragic fire destroys their mansion and kills both of their parents, the children go to live with their distant relative, Count Olaf. Count Olaf only adopted them for the inheritance that the Baudelaires got from their parents, but as Violet won't inherit the money until she is 18, Count Olaf won't receive a penny of it. Instead he treats them like slaves, making them do difficult chores (like repairing windows and chopping wood). Then Count Olaf comes up with a plan that he thinks will get him the inheritance for sure...
Although the mood was depressing throughout the entire book, it was a lot of fun to read. The Baudelaire children, although unlucky, always manage to get out of everything that's being thrown at them. This book has both suspense and humor. It also has direct characterization, with Lemony Snicket describing the Baudelaire children, not to mention most of the story. This included little vocabulary lessons right in the middle of it, which really annoyed me. Anyway, it had a good storyline, even though it was depressing, but I guess you would expect that from a book where three children's house burns down and their parents die. I've read the first three books and the seventh, and this is definitely my favorite. I recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful novels. ...less
Read in January, 2005
After seeing the Lemony Snicket movie a few years ago, I decided to check out the books. I loved them! I really liked the characters, especially baby Sunny who would save the day in most unexpected ways and could generally be counted on to do something that made me laugh out loud while reading. Being children's books, they aren't very challenging, but the stories are inventive and it's a pleasure to join the Baudelaire children on their adventures.
The title of the series, "A Series of ...more
After seeing the Lemony Snicket movie a few years ago, I decided to check out the books. I loved them! I really liked the characters, especially baby Sunny who would save the day in most unexpected ways and could generally be counted on to do something that made me laugh out loud while reading. Being children's books, they aren't very challenging, but the stories are inventive and it's a pleasure to join the Baudelaire children on their adventures.
The title of the series, "A Series of Unfortunate Events" is no lie-the kids run into one catastrophe after another, but they use their intelligence (Violet is an inventor & Klaus obsessed with reading) and skills to make it through each scrape. It's not a series for very young children though-the villians chasing the Baudelaires are trying to kill them throughout. But for late elementary kids and up, they'd be great. The books have fun mysteries and introduce new words. Also, speaking as the smart kid who got picked on all through elementary & middle school, I think these would be great books for kids going through the same thing. A hero (Klaus) who's talent is reading lots of books and remembering the information at the key moment - perfect!
I sailed through each of these books and was sad when it ended. I will definitely reread the series at some point, probably with my children in a few years when they are old enough (um, and born). ...less
Read in July, 2005
recommends it for:
people who are not in to happily ever afters
this quite thin book is easy enough to get though if you wont a good story and a light read. the writer lemony snicket puts alot of himself in the storys lines making them all the more interesting. this is the very start of a long!!!!!!!!! journey spread out over 13 books - yep thats quite a lot! i personaly think its abit to long as i got to book 10 and i put the series down for a bit (which is why i only gave it 4 stars) i myself havent personaly red the ending but with some of the begining bo...more
this quite thin book is easy enough to get though if you wont a good story and a light read. the writer lemony snicket puts alot of himself in the storys lines making them all the more interesting. this is the very start of a long!!!!!!!!! journey spread out over 13 books - yep thats quite a lot! i personaly think its abit to long as i got to book 10 and i put the series down for a bit (which is why i only gave it 4 stars) i myself havent personaly red the ending but with some of the begining books you dont need to read them as the story isnt hevily involved with the next but as you get deeper in the series (around book 7 onwards) this stops which was quite annoying as getting hold of some of the later books in the series i found quite difficult.
so the story
well its about 3 children whos lives go from brilliant to worse because of a fire. they then end up with count olaf whos really cruel and spents the rest of the books trying to catch the children and get there big fortune. the children would be discribed as unluckly lucky children as arthough the situation there in is bad they always manage to get out of it. the best part of the storys is where they end up and how they manage to get away from count olaf but the books never have quite a happy ending which hooks u onto the next but annoys u at the same time. ...less
bookshelves:
the-good
Read in December, 2005
These books are extremely entertaining and often times I find myself getting angry at the misfortunes and unlucky turns the Baudelaire children keep taking. But I'm not reviewing the whole series at once, I'm planning on reviewing them book by book.
The first book is a really nice introduction into the whole series. It's not sudden or harsh at all, even the things that happen to the children aren't quite bad enough to depress the reader yet and scare them away from the rest of the books.
T...more
These books are extremely entertaining and often times I find myself getting angry at the misfortunes and unlucky turns the Baudelaire children keep taking. But I'm not reviewing the whole series at once, I'm planning on reviewing them book by book.
The first book is a really nice introduction into the whole series. It's not sudden or harsh at all, even the things that happen to the children aren't quite bad enough to depress the reader yet and scare them away from the rest of the books.
These books are all very good for both children and adults, probably the best sort of book to be read together with family members. Vocabulary words are scattered about throughout the books, and different events take place that could confuse children that allows adults to create an open dialogue about different subjects.
I read the books in winter of last year, so I'm trying to remember them, but am having trouble clearly remembering them. This book was more of an introduction to all of the characters that will continue popping up throughout the books, rather than a book on the story. Pretty much it was the introduction book to the whole series, so a neccessary book to read in order to get into the series. It isn't bad, but it isn't the greatest book ever written. Enjoyable though. A good read. I'm tired. Good night....less
bookshelves:
transcendently-fabulous
I love the entire Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events. This book came out at the most opportune time to offer an alternative to the saccharine niceness of the abysmally ubiquitous Harry Potter, and thank goodness for that (I'm sure the monolithic HP franchise inspired, at least in part, the conception of Lemony Snicket, Count Olaf and the Baudelaires). The writing style encourages readers to question language and the function language plays in our lives while describing the ill-fated liv...more
I love the entire Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events. This book came out at the most opportune time to offer an alternative to the saccharine niceness of the abysmally ubiquitous Harry Potter, and thank goodness for that (I'm sure the monolithic HP franchise inspired, at least in part, the conception of Lemony Snicket, Count Olaf and the Baudelaires). The writing style encourages readers to question language and the function language plays in our lives while describing the ill-fated lives of the Baudelaire children - Violet, Klaus and Sunny, orphaned in book 1. Their misadventures trying to escape the evil Count Olaf (who is after their inheritance) and the multiple tragedies that befall them takes up 13 volumes, all terrific fun and illustrated by Bret Helquist, who was clearly channelling Edward Gorey at the time. The "author" adds a Brechtian element to the narrative, with "Lemony Snicket"'s own mysterious and tragic life playing a part in the lives of the characters. The final, 13th volume, ties everything together wonderfully in a denouement that reminded me, somehow, of Life of Pi by Yann Martell. Highly recommended for both adults and children. ...less
bookshelves:
kids-books
Read in January, 2003
recommends it for:
Kids
This review is really a review of this entire series as I'm not going to site here and do a review for all 13 of them.
Overall, I liked these books. They start off strong, start getting a little boring around the 4th or 5th one, pick back up and get interesting again and end on a pretty bad note. I think they're particularly well written for the audience they are for and I really like the inclusion of so much vocabulary. Like I said, around the 4th or 5th book the plot line kind of changes...more
This review is really a review of this entire series as I'm not going to site here and do a review for all 13 of them.
Overall, I liked these books. They start off strong, start getting a little boring around the 4th or 5th one, pick back up and get interesting again and end on a pretty bad note. I think they're particularly well written for the audience they are for and I really like the inclusion of so much vocabulary. Like I said, around the 4th or 5th book the plot line kind of changes from what it had been in the earlier books and gets somewhat more mysterious. The only thing wrong with this is the way that the author chose of wrap up those mysteries in the final book. Some would say that the ending fits with the style of the series, to me though, it just seemed like he couldn't come up with a good ending so just left all the loose ends and tried to make it look like this was intentional.
I hope this opinion doesn't sour you on reading these books though. I read them as an adult so in reality I'm way over the target audience (which I'd say would be young kids, like under 12 but over 6 years old). But I still really enjoyed them and plan to read them with my daughter when she's old enough....less
Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
People who like mysteries and adventure
I liked this book alot, it was very suspencefull. You never know whats going to happen next. The book is all about three children. Their names are Sunnny, Klaus, and Violet. Sunny is an infant, She likes to bite things and the other children know what shes saying when she says random words that wouldnt make sense to anyone else. Klaus is very smart. He reads alot of books and knows alot of facts. Last is Violet, shes quite the thinker, she likes to invent things.
It starts off with the...more
I liked this book alot, it was very suspencefull. You never know whats going to happen next. The book is all about three children. Their names are Sunnny, Klaus, and Violet. Sunny is an infant, She likes to bite things and the other children know what shes saying when she says random words that wouldnt make sense to anyone else. Klaus is very smart. He reads alot of books and knows alot of facts. Last is Violet, shes quite the thinker, she likes to invent things.
It starts off with them on a cloudy day enjoying the beach. Mr. poe comes and informs them that their parents have died and there house burnt down. They live with Mr. Poe for a little while. Then they go to live with Count Olaf. His house is very dirty and dark and the children can allready tell that they wont like it. He is very demanding and unapreative of anything anyone does for him. He makes the children do very difficult chores and only feeds them oatmeal. Later in the book he invites Violet to play the wife in his play. But theres really only one reason he wants her to play that part and thats what children are trying to figure out and help stop before it happens. I guess just read the book to find out what happens. ...less
Has a copy to sell/swap
recommends it for:
any one ready for a sad story that never ends.
Did you ever read a book that you didn't like but you kept on
reading it? This is exactly how i felt about this book. This book broke my heart, made me angry, and kind related to me.
The first reason why i dislike this book is because it broke my heart. This tree kids look like their lives when down hill after their parents died. They moved with a so called family member and they don't even get treated right all he wants is their money. They all sleep in the same room.
This made me...more
Did you ever read a book that you didn't like but you kept on
reading it? This is exactly how i felt about this book. This book broke my heart, made me angry, and kind related to me.
The first reason why i dislike this book is because it broke my heart. This tree kids look like their lives when down hill after their parents died. They moved with a so called family member and they don't even get treated right all he wants is their money. They all sleep in the same room.
This made me angry that an author will make a book with children getting miss treated. Not just in book one but all the books their life don't get any better. They go from one bad event to the next. The author to me just seems like a cold hearted person.
The main reason that i hate this book it kind of relates to me. The kids in this book almost have the same life. Even though my parents didn't die it felt like one bad event in my life turned my life out for the worst. All they got is their memories from before and I have the same.
In conclusion, i really didn't lie this book because these kids when through heart ache and they keep going though it. This really upset me because it related to me.
...less
bookshelves:
ya
Read in November, 2005
YA, Miserable Orphan Fiction. Everyone knows about the Baudelaire children and how their parents died in a fire, leaving them Dismal Orphans. I find the word "orphan" funny, so I got giggles out of how Count Olaf is constantly addressing the children as such (eg. "Good morning, orphans."), and I liked the narrator's self insertions, his snide little vocabulary lessons and colorful language, but the story itself wasn't anything special. Part of that is because I saw the movie ...more
YA, Miserable Orphan Fiction. Everyone knows about the Baudelaire children and how their parents died in a fire, leaving them Dismal Orphans. I find the word "orphan" funny, so I got giggles out of how Count Olaf is constantly addressing the children as such (eg. "Good morning, orphans."), and I liked the narrator's self insertions, his snide little vocabulary lessons and colorful language, but the story itself wasn't anything special. Part of that is because I saw the movie before I read the book, but the rest has to do with the way the series has been marketed. These books pride themselves on their lack of warm fuzzies, so it's obvious the kids aren't going to have a happy ending, which leaves very few emotional options for them. Also the writing verged on the repetitive toward the end when I was told no less than four times exactly how and why Olaf's wedding scheme was going to work. I know they're kids' books, but they're obviously for smart kids, so why did we have to be told the same thing four times, in basically the same language every time?
Three stars, and I'll probably try the next book in the series; they can only get better, right?...less
Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
All Ages
The Bad Begging By: Lemoney Snickets
I enjoyed reading this book and i would give it a star rating of 5, because it intrested me very well.
In this book, There are these three children, marvalous children as well. Voilet, Klaus and Sunny were perfect children living in a perfect world until a tragic fire hit and there parents were burned alive. Therefore they are orphins after that. They had no relitives were they lived except one, they never heard of before Count Olaf. They set of in there...more
The Bad Begging By: Lemoney Snickets
I enjoyed reading this book and i would give it a star rating of 5, because it intrested me very well.
In this book, There are these three children, marvalous children as well. Voilet, Klaus and Sunny were perfect children living in a perfect world until a tragic fire hit and there parents were burned alive. Therefore they are orphins after that. They had no relitives were they lived except one, they never heard of before Count Olaf. They set of in there adventure trying to live through this horrid place with Count olaf, he makes them cook, clean and do messley chores for him that he hasnt done in years.
The characters in this story is Voilet, Klaus and Sunny; the three orphins. Count Olaf and Mr. Poe which he was just trying to help them through this disaster. The mood or feeling i got from this book was many of them, as in sad, depressed, i felt bad for them, happy at point and dispointed. The conflict was the three youngesters having to face this problem and never going back to there original lives. I recommend this book to all ages because its just that amazing.
...less
Read in July, 2001
recommends it for:
everybody
This was a really good book. The Baudelaire's parents die in a mysterious fire. Mr. Poe, a friend of the Baudelaires, sent the Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, get sent to one of their distant relatives, Count Olaf. Count Olaf makes the Baudelaires work for him and treats the Baudelaires like slaves. Count Olaf is only after the Baudelaire fortune, and will do anything to get it. Along with this terrible living situation comes Justice Strauss, Count Olaf's neighbor. Justice Strauss...more
This was a really good book. The Baudelaire's parents die in a mysterious fire. Mr. Poe, a friend of the Baudelaires, sent the Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, get sent to one of their distant relatives, Count Olaf. Count Olaf makes the Baudelaires work for him and treats the Baudelaires like slaves. Count Olaf is only after the Baudelaire fortune, and will do anything to get it. Along with this terrible living situation comes Justice Strauss, Count Olaf's neighbor. Justice Strauss is a judge and is very kind to the Baudelaires.
To steal the Baudelaire fortune, Count Olaf plans to marry Violet in a theatrical production, but plans everything so the marriage will be legally binding. He gets a real marriage license and asks Justice Strauss to be the judge. The Baudelaires find out his plans by reading Justice Strauss's books about law. The Baudelaires thought they could just announce Count Olaf's plan to everybody watching the play, but then he threatens to kill Sunny, the youngest Baudelaire. The ending is very interesting and I think anyone would enjoy this book....less
book data (includes all editions)
avg rating
(all editions):
3.67 (7324 ratings)
avg rating
(this edition): 3.68
(6046 ratings)
number of reviews: 782
other editions
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The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)
isbn: 0064407667
