[Steeplechase] [BWF] The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket - 3.5 stars rounded up

[Theresa]

We have here the first in a series of the dark tales about the tragically orphaned Baudelaire children, the eldest a girl of 14 who is budding Inventor, a boy of 12 who loves to read, and the youngest a baby in arms with a biting fetish. The reader is warned from the start, and repeatedly as you read that unpleasant things happen to these children and there is no happy ending to this story. Well, of course not - even the children's last name is that of one of the darkest poets ever.

I was reminded of those B&W silent movie serials, the Perils of Pauline, where the evil villain who was after Pauline's land, would tie her to the railroad track as the locomotive approached, only a bit more sophisticated. There is plenty for kids the enjoy as adventures plus plenty of good lessons, but I have to wonder if it is too dark ultimately for its target audience? It was nearly too dark for me.

Steeplechase - debut 9x
BWF letter S + SAD tag 41x