Rating: 
Summary: Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning
Review: I think this book is great!It is about 3 orphans: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. They have unusually bad luck. In this book alone the orphan's parents die, they have to live with a creepy guy that almost gets their money, and they have to where itchy clothes. I would recommend this book to all readers.
Rating:
Summary: A great book that you just can't put down!
Review: The Bad Beginning is a truly well written book by Lemony Snicket. Although it pains Mr. Snicket to write down every single word of three children's misery, he has been sworn to research every little detail about the tree children named, Violet, Klause, and Sunny Baudelaire and their lives.
The Baudelaire children became orphans when their parents were killed in a terrible fire, leaving them with an enormous fortune that Violet (the oldest)will get when she comes of age. Until then, the children were sent to live with a distant relative named Count Olaf. They soon learn that Count Olaf is
an evil person and is only after their gigantic fortune. One attempt to do so is in the play, "The Marvelous Marriage" put on by Count Olaf in which the children are being forced to act in by Count Olaf's associates. Count Olaf attempts to marry Violet. But, after much research, Klause ( the junior) finds
out that Count Olaf is really going to marry Violet in the play that everyone thinks is going to be fake. All Count Olaf needs is a person who works for the law, a signed signature from Violet, and the words "I do" from the bride. But Violet does something tricky. Does it work?
This book of misery really kept me on my toes. Because it was so hard to put down, I finished it in just two days! ( It was also easy to read.) Lemony Snicket really sucks you into the book as he states that disaster lurks at the heels of the Baudelaire orphans.
To read more about the Baudelaire Orphans, read some of Lemony Snicket other books. The Reptile Room, The Wide Window, The Miserable Mill, The Austere Academy, The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Histile Hospital, and The Carnivorous Carnival. There are to be four more books coming out. See what happens in the end of the 13th volume!
Rating:
Summary: A Good Beginning
Review: I look forward to recommending this scary little book to many of my pediatric patients. It is not for the faint of heart, but my patients are usually a great deal less faint of heart than I am. Ask them and they will tell you so.Lemony Snicket -- for that is what the author calls himself -- is sneaky. The plot twists, as expected, but unexpectedly. The atmosphere changes suddenly from horror to humor, and just as suddenly back to horror. Best of all, from my possibly pedantic perspective, the author educates his young readers, but without losing their interest by appearing to educate them. For example, words likely to be unfamiliar to preteens are accompanied by hilarious but accurate definitions. After I wrote this review, I was dismayed to see Lemony Snicket's (real) name on an offensive "antiwar" petition (published in the New York Times and paid for by an organization called Not In Our Name). I cannot condone Daniel Handler's political views, but my enthusiasm for Lemony Snicket as a children's author is undiminished. Arjun Bamzai
Rating: 
Summary: Actually less than 1 star....pass me a bottle of Elevil.
Review: This was the most depressing book I have ever read. Hardly a children's book. And certainly not comparable to HP. My 13 y/o could not even finish reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Not Sure Whether to Laugh or Cry
Review: This is excellent writing. Mr. Snicket is as strong a children's writer as I have seen in a while! His writing style asks you to think, while your holding your sides laughing. These books are so cleverly written. The humor ranges from subtle to ironic to obvious. This book made me laugh out loud, more than a few times and that doesn't happen a whole lot...
Poor Klaus, Violet and Sunny. You can't help but laugh at their misfortune. The understated way that the author tells about that horrible day when they lost their family and the series of unfortunate events kicked off by that day is brilliant. His style is the best since Roald Dahl. I loved all of Dahl's books, and have enjoyed each of these books so far! If you like understated, dry, ironic humor then you will love these books.
Lemony Snicket has such a great sense of timing he knows how to be self- referential without being ridiculous. The inside jokes are great. They really make you feel like you are part of something.
Enjoy this book... it is so sad it's funny!
These books are a little dark, so they may not be appropriate for young children. But mid- elementary students will really enjoy them.
Rating:
Summary: Worthless ...
Review: I am a 19 year old reader raised on Newbury Award winners and I love fine children's literature more than anything. I feel that the first two books from "A Series of Unfortunate Events" were by far the worst pieces of children's literature I have ever read. I simply could not stomach reading more books from that series. If you want a truly sad book, try "The Bridge to Terebithia". It, unlike Lemony Snicket's, has three dimensional characters and a reason to cry at the end. "A Series of Unfortunate Events" is everything good writing is not. It is shallow, lacking in plot and character development, and insulting to children's intelligence. It is insulting to read reviews proclaiming these books as equals with great children's writing. I feel that children who enjoy these books need to be exposed to much better writing. Lemony Snicket's books are a very very poor reflection of what is available to children.
Rating: 
Summary: Why compare to Harry Potter?
Review: I read this book, initially, because of the frequent comparisons I heard drawn between it and the Harry Potter series, which I love. While this was an interesting book, I don't quite understand the comparison -- it's like comparing "Lord of the Rings" to "A Tale of Two Cities." They are entirely different realms of fiction. While the Potter books are generally hopeful, this goes for a more bleak tone. There's no magic or element of fantasy in this book either, it's just an unusual little tale that isn't bad, but leaves one wondering. The author frequently warns the audience that the story of the Baudelaire orphans is an unhappy one, which it is, but at the end of the book it doesn't seem quite as hopeless as the tone would lead you to believe. These are bright, resourceful children who have been tragically orphaned and taken in by a cruel, scheming relative (never seen that in fiction before, have we?), but they are SO bright and SO resourceful that by the time the book ends you are confident that no matter what "unfortunate event" happens next they will find a way to make it through. The author writes in an almost conversational style, as though the reader is in a circle of children crowded around him. He even takes this to the extreme of defining words for you, which is cute the first few times, but as a device is enormously overused. Plus, it betrays the true intended audience of the book. If you're writing for an audience that doesn't know what "fitfully" means, you won't write, "fitfully," you'll write "restlessly." And don't even get me started on "adroit." The children are likeable, though, and you find yourself feeling sorry for them. Sorry enough, at least, to consider reading book two. I suspect that also has an ending that leaves you sympathetic enough to march on towards part the third, and so on. It's a clever book, but not quite as clever as it thinks it is, and it's clearly not a book everyone will enjoy. But I think many people will. Oh -- and one personal gripe. It's a "rough cut" book, meaning the edges of the pages are ragged and don't line up with one another. I suppose this is done for effect, but I HATE "rough cut" books. Just thought I'd throw that in there.
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Summary: Horrible, creepy, not for young kids/teens!
Review: This book is horrible and creepy - from the children losing their parents in a fire, to being shipped off to their spooky uncle, Count Olaf. The Count threatens and mistreats the kids, and then plots to marry the eldest daughter Violet (who is like 12) in order to take over the family fortune. I would not want a young person/teenager to read this book. It was billed as Harry-Potter-like, but it totally lacked the sweetness and humor of Harry. I was creeped out and disappointed!
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Summary: I read this in a couple hours.
Review: This book was so short yet so compelling that I flew through it, and I ran to the store immediately to pick up the second one. Other reviewers who've said that the lead characters aren't as well-defined as one should hope are correct, for you're not truly invested in the uniqueness of Klaus, Violet and Sunny. They're not so much characters as they are tools of the plot. They're the things that monstrous plot twists are built around. By the book's end, after Klaus has been beaten, the infant Sunny has been trapped in a birdcage dangling from a tower and the 14-year-old Violet has been forced to participate against her will in a marriage ceremony, the wicked humor of the book wins you over. Though unfortunate for the Baudelaire children, it was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours for me.
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Summary: The Bad Begining
Review: So you have an urge to read The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket? I like the entire Series of Unfortunate Events and especially the first book. The title explains everything. So if you aren't willing to read a scary and very sad book with an evil man named Count Olaf. Don't read it. Yet there are good things about this book that makes it great series. For example this book uses vocabulary. Also if you read this book you can imagine that you are there and go on an adventure. This book is also a great mystery thriller. Now let's get to what the book is about.
Superior strolls on the beach are good right? That's how it started. The Baudelaire children went to the beach too. Soon Mr. Poe came by and told them the dreadful news. The Baudelaire children's parents had died in a horrible fire. Now I haven't told you that the Baudelaire parents were rich so the children will inherit all of their parent's money and land when Violet comes of age. Mr. Poe tells them that they are going to live with a family member named Count Olaf their third cousin four times removed or fourth cousin three times removed. Count Olaf is as cruel as a teacher that gives 9 tests scheduled for tomorrow. He makes them do chores all day, treated them like animals, and made them serve dinner to six of his evil comrades. All of a sudden he starts being nice and wants them to be in a play called The Marvelous Marriage What does Count Olaf have up his sleeve? What will happen to the orphans? Read this book to find out.
Recommend this book to everyone that enjoys mystery and adventure. I'm sure you will like this book.
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