Rating: 
Summary: I love this series but...
Review: I was on a cultural exchange trip to China with a bunch of teenagers and twenty somethings. I bought three of these books in case "The Lord of the Rings" couldn't hold my attention on the long plane rides. (Which it could, thankfully)But something magical happened with the SUE books. Every night before bedtime, I had a handful of young adults gather around as I read aloud 2 chapters a night. How unfortunate that I ran out of books before I ran out of trip. It became such an important winding down time for us, I promised my biggest fans that I'd make an audio tape of the next book for them and send it to them when I got home for those tough to sleep nights. I think Snicket keeps the characters somewhat flat so that you don't feel as devastated about their great losses. And yet, I really wouldn't read these to children because they'd be too dark. But in our situation it was wonderful. Next trip, I'm taking SUE along for sure.
Rating:
Summary: Droll, tongue-in-cheek, awful, but funny
Review: I knew I had to buy these books for my children because the author warns us just how awful, depressing and miserable the lives of the Baudelaires are. And he's right. Poor kiddos; dreadful things happen to them but they have each other. The writing style is a rather dry, but humorous. The villan is over the top- filthy, shiny, with icky tatoos, nefarious plots, and worse friends. Violet and Klaus each have admirable characteristics; Violet is an inventor, Klaus is an avid reader. Sunny didn't seem so sweet initially because she is a biter, but she isn't a random, vindictive biter. The children (or orphans!) may seem to be lacking depth, but Lemony Snicket just doesn't go deeply into detail on their emotional lives. Yes, they miss their parents, they cry, but he doesn't dwell on it. I saw through the evil plan of Count Olaf right away, as well as the general idea the books will follow, but I'm not 8. Younger children will be held in suspense a bit longer than most adults. :-P My 8 year old daughter doesn't like these books yet. She doesn't have a droll sense of humor that is necessary to appreciate them, and she has a huge fear of Bad Things Happening to Babies; a Bad Thing happens to Sunny, at which point my daughter slammed the book shut and declared it dreadful. I might have her skip the first book and go to the second............. oh, but she might not like having snakes portrayed as Bad Guys. I would certainly recommend these books over the Goody Two Shoes "Boxcar Children". These have depth, humor, include new vocabulary words, and fantastical situations.
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, and they have to where itchy clothes.The creepy guy tries to get their money. He gives them hard chores. In attempt to get their money he hangs a baby,Sunny,out a window. He ends up getting away.The I like it because it is suspensful. I would recommend this book to all readers.
Rating:
Summary: A Sieries of Unfortunate Events, The bad beginning
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read. The main chacters are: Violet,Klause,Sunny,Mr.Poe,and Count Olaf. He book is about 3 children whose parents perished in a fire. They don't Know what will happen to the children. They stayed with one of their parents friends. But the children don'tlike it there. They end up With Count Olaf, a relitive. All 3 of the children hate it there even more. Count Olaf is not a very nice man. I think a reader of any age would enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Bad Begining
Review: Iliked this book because it was interresting. It has fun charecters. And some cool scenes. It is one of those books that you just don't want to put down. You just want to keep reading,reading,and reading. I thought the end was the best. Because You were just like what is going to happen next????
Like is Sunny going to live or die? or who knows what will happen? I would like to recomend this book to every one. It is a 5 Star book!!!!
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.
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