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    A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning
    A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning
    A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning
    Ebook123 pages1 hour

    A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning

    By Lemony Snicket and Brett Helquist

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

    In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy. 

    Are you made fainthearted by death? Does fire unnerve you? Is a villain something that might crop up in future nightmares of yours? Are you thrilled by nefarious plots? Is cold porridge upsetting to you? Vicious threats? Hooks? Uncomfortable clothing?

    It is likely that your answers will reveal A Series of Unfortunate Events to be ill-suited for your personal use. A librarian, bookseller, or acquaintance should be able to suggest books more appropriate for your fragile temperament. But to the rarest of readers we say, "Proceed, but cautiously."

    Editor's Note

    Sensationally spellbinding...

    Begin at the beginning of this wonderfully weird, impressively imaginative, sprawling series by master wordsmith Snicket, whose spellbinding prose captivates readers of all ages.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMar 17, 2009
    ISBN9780061757099
    Author

    Lemony Snicket

    Lemony Snicket had an unusual education, which may or may not explain his ability to evade capture. He is the author of the 13 volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events, several picture books including The Dark, and the books collectively titled All The Wrong Questions.

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    Reviews for A Series of Unfortunate Events #1

    4/5

    1,091 ratings237 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title absolutely great, interesting, hilarious, enjoyable, and amazing. They love the book and consider it one of their favorites. The series is easy and engaging to read, with shocking moments and a simple structure that makes it accessible to readers of all ages. Some readers appreciate the accurate adaptation of the Netflix series. Overall, readers find this book to be a fun, entertaining, and marvelous read.

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Hilarious book about the miserable life of three orphans.
    • 4/5
      This a book that begins a series of a very good story that i loved to read when i was a child. I recommend these book to children who are imaginative, and like adventures.
    • 3/5
      Not my cup of hemlock. 
    • 4/5
      I read this while giving a final exam to my intermediate French students, and spent the hour it took to get through it stifling giggles (it's not nice to read something funny while your students are struggling with the subjunctive). Wonderful.
    • 2/5
      So dark. I can totally see the appeal for children, but I had such a hard time with this short little read. Picturing these events happening to any children without adults stepping in was horrifying to me. But I guess for kids to read about other kids getting the best of this evil grown up might be entertaining.
    • 3/5
      I didn't really like this book the first time I read it. I picked up the audiobook, however, because Tim Curry narrated it. That did help my enjoyment a little. I tend to like anything that Tim Curry stars in so this was a given. He captured the characters and brought out the sarcasm in a way that my brain did not catch the first time I read it myself.
    • 3/5
      Well-written and suitably creepy. Almost too creepy.
    • 3/5

      Hilarious book. I love Sunny like mad. "Neepo!"
    • 4/5
      The bad beginning is the first book in an interesting series called, a series of unfortunate events. These stories are told very interestingly, in a third person point of view, and in past tense form. This is the story of the three Baudelaire orphans whose parents die in a fire. They are placed in the care of Mr. Poe, a stupid banker, who always seems to have a cold. Mr. Poe places them in the care of Count Olaf, an evil villain who is after the Baudelaire fortune which is not to be touched until Violet, the eldest Baudelaire, is of age. Count Olaf and his theater group assistants, force the orphans to clean, cook, and give the curse of his presence forever. The orphans notify Mr. Poe, who tells them that Count Olaf is acting in local parent-is, which means acting as a parent to the adopted children in ways other than their parents used to. Count Olaf has one symbol of his treachery, an eye, He has a tattoo of one on his left ankle. count Olaf tries to get control of the fortune by forcing Violet to marry him. He is found out, but promises never to leave the orphans alone.
    • 4/5
      Even as an adult, I found myself scared for the Baudelaire orphans and frightened by Count Olaf and his creepy friends. I can't wait to read the rest in the series! This would be a fantastic read-aloud spread out over several bedtimes among parents and children.
    • 3/5
      I thought this book was cute. I do think it is a little under my 9 year old's reading level, however it is entertaining so that would make up for it. ;)I love how Lemony uses larger words, and then takes the time to work in the definition of the word for the younger readers. At first, was not fond of it, as I felt like he was talking to me like I was stupid. And then I realized by him doing that, he was making the book personal and I FELT LIKE he was talking to (writing) specifically to ME. It made me appreciate it. LOL.I only gave it 3 stars because it is a childs book, I am a grown up. What would people say if I gave it 4. haha.
    • 5/5
      Great Start to a wonderful series!
    • 5/5
      A sad, unfortunate story which i really enjoyed even more than the movie
    • 3/5
      After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.
    • 4/5
      Fast, simple, cute, and displeasurably nonsensical at the climax, this is engaging and acceptable enough for the target audience. I'm not driven to race into the second of the series.
    • 4/5
      A good read for children not quite ready for something the length of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Harry Potter, but for those wanting more meat in their books than one typically finds in early reader chapter books.
    • 3/5
      First in a series of books for ages 10 and up. The Baudelaire children are orphaned when their parents' mansion burns down while they are down on the beach playing. Mr. Poe, the parents' lawyer and family friend, takes the children in for a short while until their nearest relative can be located. Things go from bad to worse when the children are placed with the bizarre and evil part time actor, Count Olaf. All three Baudelaire children are smart and resourceful, which is lucky, since all the well meaning adults in the story are totally clueless. The evil adults in the story are so unbelievable that most children won't be scared by them, and they will be buoyed by the clever children who can outsmart them. The book is well written, vocabulary is defined by the author in a way to explain to younger readers while entertaining the elders.
    • 2/5
      I did not like this book. The author was correct when he said it was depressing and did not get any better. It also creeped me out with its references to marriage for a young girl to that creepy old guy.
    • 3/5
      Violet, Claus, and Sunny have just become orphans because their parents have just died in a fire. Now they are being found a place to stay and a guardian that will care for them. Now they are stuck with someone who is pretending to care for them. They have to do whatever he tells them to do.
    • 5/5
      This great book was written by Lemony Snicket, in my eyes a great writer. The story of Violet, Sunny and Klaus as orphans began when their parents died in a horrid fire. The orphans are to go to Count Olaf, a cousin either Times 4 3 times removed, or times 3 4 times removed. Will they live happily with Olaf???
    • 3/5
      It was an OK book, but unrealistic. I felt the twist at the end was predictable. I decided not to read the rest of the books in the series.
    • 4/5
      These stories are formula writing at it's best. Great for kids and young adults. The story has the Baudelaires going through some horrible time in their miserable lives but presents these "unfortunate events" in a way that does not necessarily scare children. A testament to using the desensitizing of youth to your best advantage.
    • 4/5
      I must be too old to read these, but my sister just leaves them lying around! Irresistable... they hardly take any time to read.
    • 5/5
      It is a strange book but I would recmend it
    • 5/5
      Love this series. Unfortunately I never finished it.
    • 5/5
      The first book in the Series of Unfortunate Events is a great book with creative narrative and an adventurous story. Throughout the book the narrator pauses the events of the story to talk to the reader. Conversations are often held with the reader going on tangents about small facts in the book. For example, at the very beginning of the book the narrator starts by saying, “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.” The book also has a great sense of adventure. The three siblings in the book are constantly in danger due to Count Olaf and the action makes the reader feel like they are in danger too. The main idea of this story is dealing with tragedy.
    • 5/5
      For a sad story, it was quite good. I love the three orphans. Count Olaf is an interesting character. I kept wondering how the children were going to get out of their situation through the whole book. Which made me not want to put it down. Overall, I loved the story and characters.
    • 4/5
      I read the first three Unfortunate Events books about 3 years ago and for some reason never got around to reading the rest of them. In this first volume the Baudelaire children become orphans and are sent to live with the evil Count Orloff who treats them miserably and plans to take their fortune from them. This series is mostly a parody of the Victorian penny dreadful type of books and is really a lot fun. The atmosphere is dark and gloomy and the humour dry and ironic. Literary allusions abound. The setting is an alternate one being clearly set in a Victorian age while also having such conveniences as cars and walkie-talkies. Some parts went over the 7yo's head but mostly he understood the humour and when he didn't I explained it to him. He was certainly along for the ride and experienced a roller coaster of emotions throughout the story. The children are very likable characters and the villains are evil and dastardly. We are both anxious to read the next book.
    • 3/5
      A good book, but not my favorite. There are other books in the series that are way better, but this is a good starter.
    • 4/5
      How many times has one wished they could invent something to get them out of a certain predicament? Or found that they hand no one to talk to, so one turned to books for information? Well, Violet loves to come up with inventions often, and this characteristic comes in handy when she and her two siblings, Klaus and Sunny, are stuck living with a men man named Count Oalf. Violet uses her knowledge of science to try to help rescue her baby sister, Sunny when she is dangling from the tall tower that Count Oalf had tied her two. Violet invents a grappling hook which would enable Violet to climb from the bottom of the tower to Sunny that is bounded up in a bird cage. Of course this book is about "Unfortunate Events" so violets grappling hook hooks to a man's hand claw which means she was caught. Violet's brother, Klaus loves books. In fact, it was a book that informed them of Count Oalf's plan to get to the inherited fortune from their deceased parents. Klaus stayed up all night to read a law book, so he could help he family out. Klaus found out that Count Oalf was conducting a real marriage ceremony at the play he made Violet participate in to marry his "character." Once everyone found out about Count Oalf's plan (Violet, Klaus, Count Oalf) things went even further down hill from there. Family is important and violet promised her mother and father both times when her siblings were born that she would take care of them and keep them out of trouble. She agreed to Count Oalf's terms to save Sunny because they were threatening to drop Sunny from a thirty foot tower. I wonder how other teenagers and young children would act if they were in a situation like this? I wonder if they would turn to books to learn someone's plan to ruin their lives even further, or would they take their chances to tell and ask someone? Books are important because they can be very informative. In this case, a simple book taught Klaus about the law and what Count Oalf was planning, books also helped Violet understand how to make inventions and to learn more about them. Family is also another important factor in this book because without each other, they probably would not have gotten out of this situation like they did.

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    A Series of Unfortunate Events #1 - Lemony Snicket

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