Rating: 
Summary: Excellent series, excellent value
Review: If you or your children haven't been introduced to Lemony Snicket's (pseud. taken by Daniel Handler while researching extremist groups) wonderful "Series of Unfortunate Events" books, here's a great chance to get the first ten (of 13 total) at an exceptional value. The story centers on the three Baudelaire orphans: fourteen-year-old Violet, who's a talented inventer; twelve-year-old Klaus, who's a voracious reader; and baby Sunny, who can chew through almost anything and speaks in snippets of dialogue that only her siblings can understand. Each book finds them in a dreadful new situation, thanks to the evil Count Olaf, who's only goal is to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune. Each story is cleverly plotted, with narrow escapes and tons of misery for the poor siblings. But they stick together, even when things are bad, and kids will love the way they escape bad situations using their own talents. The books follow a definite pattern, with the children barely escaping the nefarious Olaf's schemes, only to find themselves in trouble again. This pattern wears a little thin by book 4, but Snicket introduces some new characters in book 5 (the Quagmire triplets) that help change the direction of the story. After that, each book becomes more and more addictive as the plot weaves, twists and thickens, with increasing amounts of mystery and suspense. Snicket's delightfully oddball dialogue is replete with literary references, bad puns, grim humor, and social commentary. Even baby Sunny's language follows this pattern; her little bits of dialogue are often plays on words or commentary; in book 10, there's a clever knock at the President (I voted for him, and I still laughed!) Snicket also takes shots at society types through Olaf's girlfriend Esme Squalor (first seen in book 6), who's always worried about how fashionable things are (clothes, attitudes, language, and so forth). The books are well-written, with good doses of dry, dark humor (think Monty Python, Charles Addams, or Roald Dahl). The entire series is clever and original on many levels, a joy to read for young and old, and is highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and smart series for all
Review: Kids are eating these books up, and so am I, even though I am a 26 year old mom of 2! Even for me, these books are fun and suspenseful. I love the look of the book itself and the artwork. The books are written by the mysterious Lemony Snicket, and he plunges you right into the make believe world of the Baudelaires and Count Olaf. I have yet to see anything in these books that a parent would find objectionable. The Baudelaire children are smart, helpful, and inventive, never whiny or disrespectful. I can't wait until my children are old enough to want to read these with me. These books are hardcovers, and very nice hardcovers at that, and the price on this set is really a great deal when you compare it to buying each one seperately, like I did. From cover to cover, these books will make you laugh.
Rating: 
Summary: The bad beginning
Review: Lemony Snickets hillarious tale of the three unlucky Baudelair children whose misfortune starts at a day at the beach when Mr Poe gives them the bad news. Mr Poe is a good-hearted man who always has a cough and likes telling the children what words mean when they already know the answers.I forgot to mention Violet,Klaus and Sunny are incredibly bright, Violet who's 14 and the oldest of the Baudelair children likes inventing things and you can always tell when she's thinking up pulleys and leavers and grapling hooks-. I really enjoyed this book
Rating: 
Summary: he terrorized a child
Review: once i had him sign a book to my three year old, and he wrote, "to [name], a future orphan"not too funny!
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST BOOKS IN THE WORLD
Review: Please read these books! They are the best. Just try it. Go to your closest local library and purchase the series. The books are great. I think Lemony Snicket is wonderful. They're no better books. They are the perfect books for children. Once you read the first chapter it releases little by little and gets more interesting. This book is perfect for ages 7-11. They are wonderful. Get up and go to Borders! The books get better as you go. They help children with their basic understanding. So get up and throw those Captain Underpants books away. Those books are so stupid. The Series Of Unfortanate Events is definitely #1 series in the whole world for children. Best books are right here!
Rating:
Summary: Wry Humor and Intelligent Irony - Great Books for Smart Kids
Review: The best way to evaluate these books is to read the first three paragraphs of the first book, "The Bad Beginning." If you don't laugh at loud, or at least chuckle, then these are not the books for you. The central theme of the Unfortunate Events series is absurdist tragedy in a world gone wrong. It is melodramatic satire in the best sense of the word, and most intelligent kids will delight in this. I have to disagree with "A reader from LA, CA" who was upset with how the author signed a book for her three year old. First of all, these books are not meant for three year olds - these books are targeted for the 9 and up age group, and really, also for the many adults who love them. The stories center on the melodramatic tragedies befalling three siblings - the tragedies befalling tend to be very absurd, in the grand tradition of Rhoald Dahl (of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" fame) with the dark wit of Tim Burton. A three year old doesn't even know what an orphan is, and shouldn't be having these books read to him/her in the first place. A nine year old fan who had a book signed to him/her "To , a future orphan" would find this incredibly funny, because they appreciate the wry sense of humor that the books and the author employ. I think the author terrorized the parent, who might want to read any book she's having signed first (I have to assume she didn't, because I can't imagine anyone who loves the books taking offense at such an inscription - I have a five year old son, and while I buy these books for myself, I look forward to reading them to him when he's 8 or 9, and I'd find such an inscription by Lemony Snicket to my son on a book hilariously funny). The basic rule of thumb here is: Read the first three paragraphs of Book One. If you don't laugh, you will not like the series. Other clues: if you enjoy British humor such as Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, etc., you will probably enjoy this series.
Rating:
Summary: Wry Humor and Intelligent Irony - Great Books for Smart Kids
Review: The best way to evaluate these books is to read the first three paragraphs of the first book, "The Bad Beginning." If you don't laugh at loud, or at least chuckle, then these are not the books for you. The central theme of the Unfortunate Events series is absurdist tragedy in a world gone wrong. It is melodramatic satire in the best sense of the word, and most intelligent kids will delight in this. I have to disagree with "A reader from LA, CA" who was upset with how the author signed a book for her three year old. First of all, these books are not meant for three year olds - these books are targeted for the 9 and up age group, and really, also for the many adults who love them. The stories center on the melodramatic tragedies befalling three siblings - the tragedies befalling tend to be very absurd, in the grand tradition of Rhoald Dahl (of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" fame) with the dark wit of Tim Burton. A three year old doesn't even know what an orphan is, and shouldn't be having these books read to him/her in the first place. A nine year old fan who had a book signed to him/her "To <namehere>, a future orphan" would find this incredibly funny, because they appreciate the wry sense of humor that the books and the author employ. I think the author terrorized the parent, who might want to read any book she's having signed first (I have to assume she didn't, because I can't imagine anyone who loves the books taking offense at such an inscription - I have a five year old son, and while I buy these books for myself, I look forward to reading them to him when he's 8 or 9, and I'd find such an inscription by Lemony Snicket to my son on a book hilariously funny). The basic rule of thumb here is: Read the first three paragraphs of Book One. If you don't laugh, you will not like the series. Other clues: if you enjoy British humor such as Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, etc., you will probably enjoy this series.
Rating:
Summary: A Series of READ IT! Events
Review: What can I say to warn you of the series you are looking at now? I am a reader of all the books. I have read up to the last word of "The Grim Grotto," which is, unfortunately, unfortunate. The author, whose whereabouts are unknown, was not lying, a word which here means "speaking falsely," when he said that there is no happiness to be found in the beginning, middle, or the ending given by him thus far.
This series is supposed to include thirteen (13) books, but, like Harry Potter, not all the books have been written and published yet. You could pre-order "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which is the sixth and next book in that series. However, it is unfortunate that you can not pre-order book the twelfth in this series of thirteen books (oh, and if you are interested, Harry Potter is supposed to have seven books.)
Many try to compare this series to Harry Potter. Not the books, nor the author (Lemony Snicket,) is like Harry Potter or it's author J.K. Rowling. Rowling does not put herself in the book as Snicket does. There are three orphans in the "Series of Unfortunate Events," "Harry Potter" only has one orphan. Harry became an orphan because of Lord you-know-who. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny (listed from oldest to youngest) Baudelaire became orphans because of Count Olaf, a name that is really hard for me to type and even harder to look at. The biggest question is: who is scarier and more evil: Count Olaf or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?
To answer this question, one must have read all the books in both series. This is oppinionated, but I say Count Olaf is worse. I did not shrink in my seat when I first saw He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on the big screen. However, his "hello-hello-hello" got me both times I saw it in "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," and, of course, I am referring to Count Olaf.
So, if I had to choose which to is better, "Harry Potter" or "A Series of Unfortunate Events," I would choose "A Series of Unfortunate Events." I think that Lemony Snicket has a tough match against J.K. Rowling's series, but his books deserve credit. Violet is so incredible with her inventions every time, especially when she ties up her long hair with her ribbon to keep it out of her eyes. Klaus can remember anything he reads, and he does a great deal of reading. Sunny, at first, is a great bitter with her four sharp teeth. However, by the eleventh book, Sunny becomes great at something else along with walking.
Last note: Lemony Snicket's books have the characters aging throughout the series and I liked that. I liked that Snicket made sure that the characters did age as he wrote his series. J.K. Rowling did age her characters too, but not as nicely as Lemony Snicket. It is close. I am an inspiring author, a phrase which here means that I am looking for good material to base my series off of. I hope to become an author someday and my rough draft has hints of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
I am so sorry this review was this unfortunately long.
With all due respect,
the writer of this review's name is hidden for privacy.
(no, it is not Lemony Snicket)
(no, it is not J.K. Rowling)
(no, it is not R.L. Stine)
(no, it is not Roald Dahl)
(no, it is not Edgar A. Poe)
(no, it is not William Shakespeare)
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