Rating: 
Summary: The Bad Beginning
Review: Do you like to read books that end with "happily ever after" or "and they road off into the sunset never to return"? Well, if so, you may be better off reading another book, as the author put on the first page. Why, probably because this book has neither a happy beginning nor ending. Misfortune starts to lurk the three Baudelaire children from chapter one when they're told by Mr. Poe, while at Briny Beach, the news of their parent's death. Sadly, for the children Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, their mansion also perished. The Baudelaire children, with no other place to go, lived with Mr. Poe and his family. However, they moved again when Mr. Poe, following Mr. and Mrs. Baudelaire's wills, found them another place to live at their relative, Count Olaf's, house. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny begin to cheer up considering that they have a new place to live without Mr. Poe's irritable sons, Edgar and Albert. Plus, their neighbor, Justice Strauss, has an amazing library and is very pleasant. Though, despair and tragedy still lurk at their heels as they start to suspect Count Olaf when they uncover his plot to steal their fortune. Will Violet, Klaus, and Sunny be able to stop him? Before you decide, remember that the book is truly unpleasant and defiantly does not have a happy ending.My favorite parts of The Bad Beginning are when the Baudelaire siblings encounter Count Olaf's theater troupe. I like these certain parts because the troupe is so evil and vile, including Olaf. The actors are so rigid and are masterminds when it comes to being deceitful. The hook-handed man is my favorite. When the author described his character and even his tone of voice when he and Violet met on top of the tower it sent shivers down my spine. I knew that I would never want cross his path and get him upset. I wouldn't know what to do if I was one of the Baudelaire siblings and I raised his temper. Again, like others, I liked this book because it didn't end with "happily ever after" or with a puppet turning into a real boy. This book was a change for me, since the disaster that haunted the orphans didn't seem to vanish. Though, I don't think it totally surpassed Harry Potter because I like to read about magic and the fairy tale, princess life. However, both books seem to not acquire a happy ending and have intense cliffhangers, but I'm still in the Harry Potter favor because Harry still seems to have fun and is not continuously depressed while attending Hogwarts. Though, if you like to read short books and aren't into the magic craze I'm sure you'll enjoy The Series of Unfortunate Events.
Rating: 
Summary: Short....but pointless
Review: I picked this book up to read while waiting for the next Harry Potter book to come out. I was rather disappointed. It seems the story line and development are crafted to fit childrens reading but the vocabulary and patience required to read this book to the end is tartgeted at adults. I'm sure there could be a good balance but this author does not acheive it. I was bored with this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Buying this book would be your first unfortunate event
Review: A couple of weeks ago, Entertainment Weekly devoted a glowing article to Daniel Handler (nom de plume: Lemony Snicket), whose series of mock-Gothic children's novels have sold four million copies and have resulted in a movie deal. Having read the first of these novels, I feel like the screamer in Munch's painting, wishing to loudly warn the general public against inflicting such a book upon your kids. In smugly dark-humored style, the book tells of the Baudelaire trio of children: resourceful Violet, bookworm Klaus, and baby Sunny, who demonstrates her feelings by the depth of her toothy bite. One day while the children are enjoying themselves at the beach, a vague acquaintance of theirs named Mr. Poe walks up and gravely informs them that a freak fire has burned down their house and killed their parents. And with this funhouse-mirror version of "Once upon a time," the three orphans' lives become a Candide<-like series of tortures. They briefly live with Mr. Poe's family in his gloomy house before being shuffled off to the even gloomier Count Olaf, who is their only known relative. Count Olaf puts them to work all day long, strikes Klaus when the boy dares to defy him, hatches a plan to marry Violet and obtain the children's fortune, and locks Sunny in a cage dangling from the top of a high tower when Violet at first refuses to go along with the scheme. I'm sure to be labeled an old fogey for not enjoying the supposed humor of this premise, but I just don't get the joke. Much of children's literature has initially dim outlooks, of course--just think of Harry Potter's selfish uncle and aunt, or Matilda's brutish father--but eventually the children find enough resources and inner strength to overcome their obstacles and give their young readers some hope. By contrast, the Baudelaire children are subjected to one life-threatening crisis after another, and the reader is expected to snidely chuckle at their problems because, after all, it's only a novel. The only good thing about the book is that it repeatedly warns its readers that nothing happy will happen in this story. "Lemony Snicket's" disclaimer on the back covers states as much, and there are similar warnings throughout the book itself. (Talk about truth in advertising!) Once again, our old friend Irony is expected to distance us from these adventures enough to make us absorb them. But if no hope whatsoever is offered for these characters, why get engrossed in their story? This book seems proof enough that four million people can be wrong. I can imagine punkish collegiates embracing the novel, but I'd feel like a Judas if I recommend it as choice reading for children. As far as I can see, the book's only virtue is that it might make you treat your own children a little more kindly--starting with never showing them this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Not Very Nice Book
Review: I really liked this book even though it is really sad. It is really enjoyable and very exciting. The Baudelaire children are very unfortunate children and I hope they make it.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing Book
Review: I am a father of two children and thought I'd give this series a try. I read the book quickly and was more than disappointed; I found it to be disturbing and almost irresponsibly written. The disclaimer that ...if you'd don't want to read about bad things happening to children you shouldn't read this book... (not an exact quote, but what I remember) was a clever catch but does not absolve the writer of exercising some responsibility. Within this small volume are very serious themes --the loss of one's parents, the boy Klaus is struck in the face by his guardian, the youngest child is put in a potentially deadly situation and encaged, and the older girl is made a potential sexual object of her guardian. If a writer raises these themes, I believe they must be done in a thoughtful way that gives young readers some meaningful discussion and way to work through these terrifying ideas. There ARE many excellent children's books that do this. I would avoid this book and want my children and friends' children to do the same. The fact that this series is doing so well gives me no comfort.
Rating:
Summary: This is an awesome book!!!!!!
Review: Okay first off This is now my favorite series and yes I have read loads of books so don't judge me that quick. I used to like Harry Potter a lot I still do BUT the books in the series take so long to come out and I am tired of waiting and hearing that the date has been put farther in the year!!! Anyway I love this author's type of writing, the book has a great plot not one book in the series is boring either!!! It has plenty of plot twists, mysteries, and some intense suspensful parts. It has kind of a twisted humor to it but that is what makes it so great. Stop reading this and go buy this book it is so cool!!!!! Other recommendations:Harry Potter, Dealing with dragons,the giver. I know these books are completely different than the bad beginning but they are awesome just go read!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Bad Beginning Book Review
Review: I thought the Bad Beginning was a great book. I got the book from a book order. I did not read it in class when we had to read until one day, I didn't have any books to read. Then I remembered I had the book in my backpack. I started reading it and reading it and I thought it was good. Throughout the book, every chapter got better. When we would have to stop reading. I would wonder what would happen next. The book starts out with three Baudelaire children who become orphans. I will not tell how they become orphans, because you would have to read it and find out, so I will not ruin the story. I would give the book 5 stars. I think kids who lost their parents should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Better than [other book]
Review: This book is probably one of the best sries I've ever read and I can't wait for all 13. One of the reasons I LOVE this book is because it keeps you on the edge of your seat never knowing what was going to happen next. Helping with the suspense was all th unfortunate things that continued to happen to the Baudelaire children and when anything good seemed to happen something worse took it's place. I also believe this book is better than The [other] Series because this is REALISTIC, not good things always happen to people, [other] a normal wizard overcame the most evil and powerful Lord Voldemort, yet never got hurt. But yet these children cannot escape a crimanal mastermind. Therefore it shows that nice things don't always happen to the nice people that don't diserve it, and they can't just squeeze out of an impossible situation. It may seem a little too much bad luck for the children but it's much better than the cleache of the heroes always winning. To sum it up, READ THE BOOK AND HAVE AN OPEN MIND. P.S. For those that have a problem with this book or any others in the series...
Rating:
Summary: Cute, funny, and just plain fun.
Review: I used the book as a read-aloud to my kids of 12 and 10. Lemony Snicket knows how to write. The first thing we noticed was the humorous way Lemony builds your vocabulary -- a word here which means "understanding the meaning of words". The story flows at a good pace not boring readers for a moment. The characters are colorful and well defined. The books isn't long and the writing is good for readers of 4th grade (and possibly 3rd grade) and up. While the story is truly unfortunate, it's very humorous. Thus, children shouldn't find it frightening or worrisome. The situation the children find themselves in shouldn't concern kids as it is just so outrageous. There are good plot twists and a moral lesson to be learned. It's just a darn good book.
Rating:
Summary: A Not So Bad Beginning
Review: From the moment I first picked up the book almost 3 years ago, before there was a "series" in place, before there was the excitement, before they became best-sellers, I was hooked. Delighted by the tone set forth on the back cover, I was instantly caught up in the horrific events that befall the poor Beaudilaire children--and even more intrigued by the author, Mr. Lemony Snicket. His wonderful way of explaining what words mean, the Dickensian tone of the stories, and the "perils of Pauline" type plot--along with the hints of what was to come in future stories, has left me a life-long Snicket fan. It took me back to my glory days as a young reader, when I discovered an author I would read for days on end. Since that first read, A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS has become a series of joyful reads. Wonderful reading for adults as well as children.
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