A Box of Unfortunate Events: The Trouble Begins (Books 1-3: The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window)

Rating:
Summary: Hm...
Review: Well, this book WILL keep you hooked because they always leave you hanging, they are fast reads, and though they hold no reality whatsoever because people aren't *that* mean and life just isn't *that* unfortunate, you always want to read more. I don't like the way the author talks to you, describes the meaning of words, and reverts back to his real life, which you never really know what exactly happens. It really, really bugs me, but because I must read and find out what happens next, I keep buying them. Poor, confused me... but it is a MUST read.

Rating:
Summary: How can I describe it
Review: How can I describe these books? They are a twisted adventureous tangle of events, full of V.F.D, mystery, and count Olaf. I am a 11 year old girl and I read these books to my father who, being a graphic artist, works on the computer. These are absolutely fabulous books, with lots of suprising ironic endings and tantalizing vocabulary. The books begin when the three Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, take a trip to the beach and recieve news from the banker, Mr. Poe, that their parents have perished in a terrible fire. They are sent to live with Count Olaf, a avaricious, a word here which means wanting to get his greedy hands on the Baudelaire fortune, man. The time spent with Count Olaf is described in the first book. At the end of the book our villian gets away and the Baudelaires are sent to live with another gaurdian. But, alas, wherever these children go, adversity follows, and their poor gaudians, I 'm sorry to say, meet their end at the hands of olaf. At this point the reader is thinking that these poor children will someday be adopted by some nice and kind person, who will protect the orphans from Olaf. The reader would be sadly mistaken. However the Baudelaires always make the best of things with their wit and skill.

Rating:
Summary: A guilty, silly pleasure
Review: I'll admit that I bought these books for myself, because my son is far too young to read them. (I used him as an excuse to buy the entire series)
This is light reading and very black humour, and you'll find yourself running through the pages quickly just to find out what dire misfortune is going to occur next.
The stories are all incredibly, impossibly silly and hopelessly lacking in credibility, but something about them draws you back each time.
You keep hoping for something good, anything good, to happen to the Baudelaires, and your hopes keep getting dashed each time. You feel like screaming in frustration every time one of the ineffective guardians allows Count Olaf to get his hands on the children, and then you have to accept the preposterous inventions and machinations the orphans use to get themselves out of each messy situation.
These books should be very popular with most young children, because they're not "goody goody" stories, about animals and fairies. Another plus is that big words are explained as part of the story, so just maybe they'll learn something too.
The presentation and illustrations are very good, as is the "old fashioned" binding of the books.
A very nice addition to your library. (You can even lend them to your kids)

Rating:
Summary: Irrational but good
Review: Note: i am reviewing more of the series than a specific one of these books.
These books are alright; they are a lot of fun, and as you know, massively popular. they are comical (though insisting to be entirely "glum" and depressing or something like that). They're those kind f books you sit down and finish in an hour. if you feel like a funny and a weird book then read these. there are some things i don't like about them, however. one of them is how random they seem to be sometimes. i mean they aren't entirely random, and but it doesn't quie give you that dreamy quality, and not that rational quality either. i say, do one or the other, not one that is in-between. also, they are irrational at times; for instance, things are weirdly coincidential, or that a baby (i am referring to "Sunny") could grasp a situation that is a bit too complex and even offer opinions (even though she uses words that only her older siblings can understand, like "Blusin" or "egad") is a bit "wrong" in that it couldn't exactly happen. it's a bit strange all in all, but fun. hey, i read them depsite my criticsms. they're great and all, just don't expect them to make sense.

Rating:
Summary: My children can't get enough
Review: I enjoy reading these books to my children, and my eldest reads and re-reads them on his own. The only thing annoying to me as a reader is Sir Lemony's habit of explaining what words mean. Yet this annoyance to me is a source of joy to my seven year old, who doesn't have to ask what words mean and thus interrupt the story. This stylistic habit of Mr. Snicket also means that my child is learning a lot of new words -- and that the books are not written DOWN to children but respect their intelligence. Also, the iconoclastic nature of this new genre of book makes them truly fun to read and easy to relish. Children don't really like goody-goody books -- mine, at least (and I bet yours), see at once they are being condescended to. Lemony Snicket's works are both fun, genre-breaking, and, (thus undermining my word "both") terrific reads.

Rating:
Summary: A rave review..a word which here means...
Review: As the title says, a RAVE review! A word which here means "an awesome series of books." Lemony Snicket aka Daniel Handler really does a good job of making the 3 Baudelaire orphans lives seem so [bad], that I couldnt help but think that maybe possibly something good would happen to these kids. Of course, when something remotely good happens, 5 bad things happen soon after. It seems as if everyone is working against these orphans, including the person in charge of their welfare, a dull man named Mr. Poe. These books are great light reading...a favorite of mine to read in the tub and finish in one sitting. They are definately page turners...and if you are like me you will hopefully pick up these books and after a few pages forget that you are even reading because these books are written so well and seem so real. Lemony Snicket did a great job!

Rating:
Summary: Awesome story
Review: The books by Lemony Snicket are awesome!! I've never read a book that made me not want to stop! Before this series came along, I was not that into books, now they are super!! If you think books are boring, you're wrong on this one!! These books are action-packed. From the 1st to 9th(and more which are not yet released) there is excitment lurking every page!! Awesome, wonderful, splendid, superlative, excellent, amazing, fantastic, spectacular, entertaining and much more are these books. Once you read the even the first page, you'll love Lemony Snicket and his work!! I'd give these books 10 stars if I had the opportunity! If you read them, you'll agree!!!!

Rating:
Summary: What's all the hype about?
Review: I read the first three of Lemony Snicket's books after hearing much praise about them but I am still trying to figure out what the praise is about. True, the books are well written and I value that. But I have found the books to be quite frustrating in that it seems as though they will all have a very similar theme in each one: three orphans trying to save themselves from a cruel world. I do not find that terribly creative. I would really like to know what it is about these books that everyone is so thrilled about!

Rating:
Summary: One of the most intruiging developments in modern literatur
Review: These books truly pull you in and do not let go. I have very rarely experienced such a truly original book series.

Rating:
Summary: entertaining from cover to cover
Review: While waiting for the next harry potter book to come out, I stumbled onto this series. Now i am completely hooked on these three children and the hysterical writing style of lemony snicket. It's creepy and funny at the same time, not easy to do!