Rating: 
Summary: True Glimpse into the Backstory
Review: A series of Unfourtunate Events is probably the most darkly comic series being published right now. The biggest theme is of the Baudelaires and their terrible misfortunes, but there are many back plots that have yet to be explained that somehow are tying in with the overall plot. Even the authors dedications have to do with the backstory. Who is Beatrice? Why is Lemony SNicket on the run? And, for gods sake, what is VFD? Instead of providing subtle hints in his books, he also writes his 'autobiography', which unveils VFD, why he's on the run, and a back story of Count Olaf.Okay, so it's not really a biography, but it contains all the elements of one of his books. Dark Humor, Mystery, Olaf, and more. You learn about Jacques Snicket a little more. You also get a backstory of Esme Squalor. This is ONLY a good read if you have read each and everyone of the SoUE books, because Snicket draws information from each and everyone. You may not have needed to read all of them, but ones that are essential to read are: The Bad Begining, The austere Academy, The Miserable Mill, and The Ersatz Elevator. So if you've never read those books, skip this one until you have. And keep in mind, this isn't a real autobiography, just a glimpse into the life of the author of the series
Rating:
Summary: Best Book
Review: After reading 1-8 of A Series of Unfortunate Events and this book, I came to the conclusion that this book was the best book I had ever read in my whole life! It was so interesting that I just couldn't put it down. I read it until I almost fell asleep at night. The next morning, the first thing I did was pick it up and start reading it. It made everything make so much sense.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing, but more information than necessary
Review: First of all, this is a great book.
It is extremely humorous and packed with literary and other allusions. It inspires laughter and intrigue on many levels, but unfortunately, it gives too much away. Don't get me wrong, I loved the book, but I have some problems with it. Tales of a schism in V.F.D. hint strongly of a Star-Wars Darth Vader kind of story. In places it does not even fit in with parts of the books (e.g., in one place it declares Jacques Snicket alive, although he was murdered in the Village of Fowl Devotees by Count Olaf). Despite these problems, I urge you to read the book. You'll laugh yourself out of your chair.
Rating:
Summary: Unfortunately, a Very Fine Declamation!
Review: From the title (get it?) to the reversible dust jacket, all the way through to the librarian's nightmare index, you just know this has got to be some of the best literary fun ever. You come to the book after the bounteous mysteries of The Series of Unfortunate Events, seeking answers. You get just enough to keep you going back for more and end with far more enigmas, which here means "obsessive-compulsive and very likely, bi-polar and all-consuming dead ends, obfuscations, and confusions." And it's all tainted with such extreme unfortunateness. Poor Snickets, Baudelaires, and Quagmires; but oh! lucky us, more fun to read. Truly, the Snicket opera, here meaning all of his wry writings, along with the Harry Potters, are creating a whole new vibrant literature for the 'tween-age.
Rating: 
Summary: The Crying of Lot 49, by Lemony Snicket
Review: ...[This] joined my two
Japanese comic books and an abacus in their little plastic
bag. I will not call it a waste of money. I enjoyed the book.
I suggest everyone else put themselves on the on-hold list
at the libarary for this amusing book or I suggest that
everyone ask some kind friend or relative buy it for them.
Rating:
Summary: Don't expect to solve the mystery here...
Review: There are pictures and maps and questions and notes galore in this latest addition to the SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS saga. There are hints as to the beginnings of our intrepid author, the evil nemesis of the Baudelaire orphans, the origin of VFD and perhaps a picture or two of the beloved Beatrice. I was up most of the night with this book upon first purchasing it, and I keep going back, looking for clues, wondering about the fate of our hero, and wishing that I could decipher the sudden importance of sugar bowls. If you are a fan of the author's other work, you won't be able to put it down. If you don't like dairies or secret codes or tragic stories, I suggest you find something else to read.
Rating:
Summary: This series rules all
Review: As the rest of the series has proved, Lemony Snicket is a genius. He acts like this book is part of the series by continuing the mysterious organization (VFD). Some of this book was confusing but I still liked it. I was always wondering what was going to happen on the next page.
Rating: 
Summary: Not sure this was worth my time...
Review: I LOVE the Series of Unfortunate Events. Can hardly wait for each new episode. My students love the series too (I'm a school librarian). But this 'biography' didn't do much for me. Some of it was funny, but I found most of it downright boring. The best parts were the obverse of the dust jacket and the "no reproduction" statement on the copyright page. Lemony, I love ya', but stick to chronicling the Baudelaires and Quagmires.
Rating:
Summary: Curiouser and curiouser!!
Review: Lemony Snicket, the author of the popular "Series of Unfortunate Events" and chronicler of the ill-fated Baudelaire triplets has been faithfully relaying the stories of Klaus, Sunny and Violet B. now has a biography that will undoubtedly ask more questions than it answers. Mr. Snicket, who's 8 books of the orphans include "The Bad Beginning," "The Reptile Room" all the way up to "The Hostile Hospital" and "The Carnivorous Carnival" due out in the Fall of 2002, has relayed the stories of how the evil Count Olaf has followed the triplets through a series of misadventures in the hopes of stealing their fortunes and doing away with the children themselves. Surrounded by unhelpful and often idiotic adults, like Mr. Poe who is in charge of finding them guardians (all of whom turn out to be recklessly abusive, paranoid or both), we last saw the triplets stashed in the trunk of a car trying to find not only the meaning and mystery of V.F.D., but the missing two Quagmire triplets who were last seen floating away in a Self-Sustaining Hot Air Mobile Home. The Unauthorized Biography of Lemony Snicket is SUPPOSED to shed some light on some very pressing questions readers of the series will have, chief among them is What is VFD? and Why Does Count Olaf Have a Tattoo of an Eye on His Ankle? Though these and 11 other questions appear in the books table of contents, the text itself has been tremendously altered by some reader--we assume Mr. Snicket himself--and the questions as well as answers have been wholly changed. The book itself is painstakingly illustrated with photographs, letters, correspondences (many of which are crumpled, torn or burned in the attempt to keep them out of dangerous hands), and there are a lot of HINTS as to what VFD is, why Count Olaf has a tattoo, and who some of the minor characters like Jacques Snicket really are, but readers won't find any open, honest and concrete answers here. The book calls itself dangerous, and therefore has a reversible cover so you can disguise this work as a fake book called "The Luckiest Kids in the World! Book 1! The Pony Party!" by a certain Loney M. Setnick... The characters on the fake cover somewhat resemble Klaus, Sunny and Violet, so those who are IN THE KNOW about the orphans may read it in public and thereby secretly signal others that they are open to the plight of the orphans and it's pursued author. All asides aside, the book will be very confusing to readers who have not read at least up to book 7 in the series, "The Vile Village." Indeed, it is in book 7 that the plot really begins to twist like one of Uncle Monty's serpents, and a good number of questions raised in #7 are referred to (and more questions raised) in The Unauthorized Biography. The reversible cover is a fun touch for young readers who will like to play into the conspiracy of Mr. Snicket being a dangerous and hunted character, quietly and secretly churning out the story of the Baudelaire orphans. The book is printed on high-gloss paper with dozens of illustrations and censorship marks, as if the document has been expurgated for the reader's safety, and the photographs and illustrations are quite engrossing. The writing will, as noted, confuse readers who aren't familiar with the gamut of the series, and it might confuse younger readers who aren't exposed to the concepts of conspiracy theory and trying to keep something hidden and suppressed. Since the writing takes the form of letters, memos, etc, there is no coherent plot to the book, rather a jumble of information that subtly hints at what might be REALLY going on; for example, Jacques Snicket, the authors brother, has a tattoo of an eye on his leg just like Count Olaf. In a Q & A section re: becoming a volunteer for V.F.D., one of the questions is "do I have to get a tattoo?" This implies, to my mind, that Count Olaf himself might have been a member of this still-unexplained secret organization. Details like this that require a lot of memory and reading between the lines will probably be lost on young readers, leading to frustration. Is the book worth reading? Yes, if you're a fan of the series, go out and get the book by all means!! If you're slowly collecting/reading the series, get the book anyway and put it away until you're done with the 7th book at least, preferably the 8th, as The Unauthorized Biography is published between #9 & #10. If you've never read any books in the series and don't know who Klaus, Sunny, Violet, Jacques, Lemony or Count Olaf are, then don't bother, you'll only waste your money and become helplessly confused. Otherwise, recommended by this fan! "The world is quiet here..."
Rating:
Summary: NOT written for kids who read the Unfortunate Events Series
Review: This book, although very humorous to an adult, was not written for the same age group that enjoys the "Series of Unfortunate Events" books. I would not recommend it for children, although I am enjoying it quite a lot. I especially got a kick out of the reversible dust jacket that has "The Pony Party" on the other side to disguise what you are reading. Humor on a truly adult level, but only enjoyable if you have read some of the other Lemony Snicket books.
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