Rating: 
Summary: Huh?
Review: I really don't understand why people say this is a depressing book. The only thing depressing is that I wasted a couple hours reading it. The characters are shallow and the author is insulting by defining small words. Plotline? What plotline? And how am I supposed to care enough about these 1-dimensional characters to actually feel bad for them? Blah. And please don't insult J. K. Rowling by even mentioning Harry Potter in the same paragraph.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable! And I don't mean it in a good way.
Review: I'm very glad that I borrowed the book from the library and didn't waste money on it. In short, this book was simply astounding. What a weak plot. It's fine when Count Olaf threatens to kill Sunny if Violet won't marry him. But it's a little ridiculous when she somehow misses the fact that (a paragraph later) the Count tells her that he will kill both Sunny AND her brother anyway after they're married. And she just ignores this? Anyway, I'll skip the other obvious weak points in the plotline, and move on to what truely bothered me about this book.HOW MANY TIMES MUST AN AUTHOR INSULT HIS READERS BY FEELING COMPELLED TO DEFINE _VERY_ SIMPLE WORDS, LIKE "RICKETY" or "SIMMER"? The book is recommended for grades 5 and up, and, quite frankly, the 5th graders I know, know these words. If there's a word in a book that I don't know the definition of, I will look it up myself. Honestly, it seems like every other page, the author is defining simple words, somethimes even going to great lengths to provide examples (like his LONG explanation of the words figurative and literal.) What's even worse, is that there are a few instances where the author (after presuming that his readers don't know the meanings of small words) misuses others, like "invented". I'm sorry, but Violet did NOT invent the grappling hook, she merely made one. This was a very low-level book, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has a decent vocabulary and a liking for decent plotlines. Shun this piece, which here means "to steer clear of this poorly written book."
Rating:
Summary: A Grand Disappointment
Review: Rarely was a book so aptly named: This one is indeed a Bad Beginning to a series. It's clear that writers like JK Rowlings (of Harry Potter fame), Patricia Wrede (the Dealing with Dragons series) and EL Konigsberg (oh so many wonderful books) -- to name just a few, like and respect their readers, even the young ones. Lemony Snicket, in contrast, is snide and condescending. I can't imagine reading any of the other books this author is pumping out. Two thumbs down!
Rating: 
Summary: What else can go wrong?
Review: First of all, if you like happy endings, you should not buy this book. Many bad and terrible things happen. But I really liked this book because it is different from the stories where you know everything good is going to happen. The way I look at it, you need a break from those once in a while, and this book is perfect for the job. It keeps you guessing. Not like,"What could happen next to make this person happy?" but more like,"Can anything else possibly go wrong in one book?" This book is the first in A Series of Unfortunate Events. As you read it, you think,"And this is only the beginning..."
Rating: 
Summary: Fortunately a Good Read
Review: Why my daughter and I enjoyed reading about bad luck that happens time after time to the unlucky Beaudelaires is beyond me - but we did. Each of the seven books in the series so far has similarities but enough unpredictability to make each book worth reading. Violet and Klaus are likeable and empathy-inspiring characters.
Rating:
Summary: tragedy not to be missed
Review: the adventures of the baudelaire orphans will keep you coming back for more. violet, klaus, and sunny, each with their own talents (inventing, reading and biting, respectively) are likable characters trying to escape the evil count olaf as he tries to steal their fortune. the first adventure is a great way to begin the tragedy that these children suffered. each book is better than the last. as lemony snicket chronicles the lives and misfortunes of these three orphans, you just wish somehting would go right in their lives. but hey, that would take all the fun out of it....
Rating:
Summary: this book rocks man!
Review: I don't have too much to say, but I recomend this book for just about any one. An interestig twist between mystory, mysory and humor told by a hilarious auther (Lemony snicket.) This book is a wonderful read and a great way to learn new words.
Rating:
Summary: this book rocks man!
Review: I don't have too much to say, but I recomend this book for just about any one. An interestig twist between mistory, mysory and humor told by a hilarious auther (Lemony snicket.) This book is a wonderful read and a great way to learn new words.
Rating: 
Summary: not one of the greats
Review: I've read reviews comparing the author to Edward Gorey and Roald Dahl (Gorey makes the most sense, especially since the gothic background and language seems at times an homage to, at times a a rip-off of, the past master's work). I found the books in the "unfortunate events" series to be, for the most part, like a day-old cookie or pre-opened soda. Looks promising, but ends up tasting stale and flat. There's just something missing that greats like Gorey and Dahl never lacked - let's call it warmth. What made Edward Gorey a classic author was not merely his use of the gothic or the grotesque, but the understated humor, the heart, with which he described his characters' pitfalls. One feels no such warmth within these books. Cynicism and sarcasm alone are fun, but they ultimately make for a thin read; the classics, the truly great books, have more substance than evidenced by this series so far.
Rating:
Summary: ...if you like this...
Review: ...might I recommend Awful End by Phillip Ardagh. It is a very funny childrens book from an English author with many similar traits to the wonderful Lemony Snicket. A dark tale with black humour and delightful from beginning to end. Not quite as good as Lemony but a good one to try.
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