Book Reviews of The Bad Beginning (Series of Unfortunate Events, Bk 1)

Some people have said that "A Series of Unfortunate Events"� is stupid and boring. These people clearly missed the point of the series.

Admittedly the story line itself doesn't sound all that great: three kids who have a very sad life, and it keeps getting worse.

But the real thrill in the book is how the author weaves this complicated, and tangled mystery throughout, leaving just enough clues to keep you interested. The minute you solve one mystery, three more open up! It is absolutely brilliant! The ones who call this series 'boring'� clearly missed the complex subtleties in the story.

The main reason I love this series is the author's way with words. Part of the clues he weaves throughout the books involve word usage. He also occasionally breaks the rules of how a book is written. (For example, in one chapter you have to hold the book up to a mirror to see what it says!) There is a surprise that is wholly unique in each and every book.

And though it may seem strange, I found the series encouraging. The reality is, all of our lives are a bit unfortunate (some more than others) and the books' real moral is how people can overcome all obstacles, even the permanent ones, by maintaining their own self-worth.

This is a very sophisticated satirical series.

this is one of my favorite books ever.
lemony snicket is very humorous, and gives you the meaning of very many big words without making you feel stupid or like you're being given a lesson.
snicket knows how to draw out a story without making you upset, but just stretching the suspense. i absolutely love the unfortunate events series.

As an adult, I didn't find this book or this series nearly as interesting as some of the others in this genre. That aside, I have little doubt that this is perhaps the best of the genre for children. The writing and characters are interesting, and the author takes an ingenious approach toward finding the illusive balance between accessible and challenging vocabulary. Also, each book is only an hour or two long when read at an adult pace, which I consider to be a good length for younger readers. Recommended for getting any child interested in reading novel-length texts.

I really enjoyed this. It was a nice, light read that took about an hour and it was very entertaining. Definitely something that can be enjoyed by adults, even if only as "brain sorbet."

my 9 year old read this book in 2 days and loved it he is totally anticipating getting the next book in the series!

I devoured books 1 & 2 in one weekend and can't wait to get the rest of the series. The Jim Carrey movie was based on the first three books. Read more at http://www.lemonysnicket.com

Some kids books are entertaining for adults as well. This is not one of them. It's just too juvenile and predictable. Dull to read. This is the one book I'd recommend watching the movie instead and be done with the whole series unless you're 6 years old.

if you're in the 4th-6th grade or know someone who is then this book is a definite....it has great vocab and definitions throughout the book to help you understand Adults and feelings. It also has cool pictures and its real easy to read.

The first in the story of the orphan children who continue to have fall into bad circumstances. It is a good easy read which both children and adults can enjoy. It ropes you in and I look forward to the next chapter in the series.

The first book of its series. A great read and in my opinion much better than the movie! It is a brand new book!

If you have watched the movie the book is way better the movie clumps the first four books into the movie.

Awesome wonderful series. I found it a bit dark, so it may be more appropriate for older children (middle school age) and young adults. Harry Potter fans (such as myself) may enjoy this series also.

A very pleasant unpleasant tale and the first in the Lemony Snicket series. I bought this book when the movie came out as I nanny and I was interested in the stories for the kids. They absolutely love them. I've heard a few people mention the book might be too scary, but I've not run into the issue.

I've found that this story is interesting to children, and is a refreshing break from the scarily saccharine world that is pushed on them by other books and videos. Must read!

I've been curious about these books for the longest and decided I would read to see what it was about, I have to admit I enjoyed it. I think it's cool that there is an explanation/meaning for some the words etc. So as to teach young readers while they are reading. does get kind of annoying though for us grown folk who pretty much know what these words and phrases mean..but not enough for me not to continue on to book 2!

My son loved this book, and I really enjoyed reading it to him. Not much element of surprise with these books, but they are fun.

I loved all of the books in this series. Much much better than the movies.

The Bad Beginning is the first installment in the 13 book series from Lemony Snicket. The reason it's a favorite is because it's taken on many different turns, but not so much to become confusing. It's definitely one I will be keeping on my bookshelf no matter how much dust it collects!

This book is well-written and amusing. Lemony Snicket does a fine job with his story-telling.

This book along with the rest of the series is a very good light read for an adult or attention grabber for any 3-5th grader. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire series.

I really liked this book, loved Sunny!

First book of the series.

First in the series.

Fun to read, can be enjoyed by children and adults.

Dear Reader, I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect, Lemony Snicket

The series ROCKS.
MY whole family loves these books.

this book is brand new never been read

this is a great series!

This is a nice little hardcover version and is in excellent condition.

great book a must read for the whole family, hysterical, read it before or after you have seen the movie

The first in the series. Great fun for kids.

Was looking forward to it after the movie. Can't really put my finger on it, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I thought I would. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't seen the movie first.

Active.. Kept me wanting to read more..

I really don't like dark humor or at least this type of it...

Not bad. Not bad.

Unfortunately there is damage to the front cover. The book has never been read, so the inside is in perfect condition.

Great series for kids.

A very original story line for a children's book. I love the characters, and look foward to reading more from this series.

A quick, one day read for me, I just wanted to see what these books were all about, seeing as their popularity is growing, and I remember being intrigued when I first saw this in a bookstore awhile back. It certainly is a different sort of story, mildly reminiscent of Roald Dahl and his darker stories. Given that the author says flat out in the beginning of the book that this is not a happy story, I'm not sure I expected the ending that it had, but I guess it had to be like that. I found the author's interjections into the story amusing, such as when he encourages people to stop reading if they're sensitive to unpleasantness, or how he explains what words mean in the correct context. All in all, I think it would be a good book for younger children - it would help them improve their vocabulary without having to consult a dictionary or a parent, and it is an entertaining story with charming, youthful protagonists. As an adult, I don't feel particularly compelled to keep reading the series, but that's alright too - I'm not exactly the target audience here. I am mildly curious to see the movie though.

Amusing beginning to this series. A good setup but doesn't dive into the characters much. Assume that occurs as the story continues.

If you do not like reading books in which terrible things happen to intelligent children, you should not order this book. But you might just like it if you enjoy black humor, clever wordplay and resourceful characters.

This book is in excellent condition. Kids loved it, but had two of them.

This was a very good book. I really enjoy the Baudelaire family and cannot wait to read Book 2.

Loved the book, but I won't read it again.

I hadn't heard of this until the movie came out, and with all of the hype, I thought that this would be just another crappy book. I was pleasantly surprized that I enjoyed this book (as an adult). It's sad, and silly, and sarcastic. Excellent.

First in the series.......

This book is fun. It has interesting characters and helps build vocabulary in a unusual way. There is a mystery that builds throughout the series.

Great book filled with a lot of sorrow. enjoy!

The book that started it all! My grade school/middle school kids loved it, and so did us adults (we read this one aloud).

I will be listing the whole series.

I did not read this book, so I can't rate it. This book is a beautifully done book, though. It is new and a hard back. It is the first in the series.

Summary:
"Make no mistake. The Bad Beginning begins badly for the three Baudelaire children, and then gets worse. Their misfortunes begin one gray day on Briny Beach when Mr. Poe tells them that their parents perished in a fire that destroyed their whole house. "It is useless for me to describe to you how terrible Violet, Klaus, and even Sunny felt in the time that followed," laments the personable (occasionally pedantic) narrator, who tells the story as if his readers are gathered around an armchair on pillows. But of course what follows is dreadful. The children thought it was bad when the well-meaning Poes bought them grotesque-colored clothing that itched. But when they are ushered to the dilapidated doorstep of the miserable, thin, unshaven, shiny-eyed, money-grubbing Count Olaf, they know that they--and their family fortune--are in real trouble. Still, they could never have anticipated how much trouble. While it's true that the events that unfold in Lemony Snicket's novels are bleak, and things never turn out as you'd hope, these delightful, funny, linguistically playful books are reminiscent of Roald Dahl (remember James and the Giant Peach and his horrid spinster aunts), Charles Dickens (the orphaned Pip in Great Expectations without the mysterious benefactor), and Edward Gorey (The Gashlycrumb Tinies). There is no question that young readers will want to read the continuing unlucky adventures of the Baudelaire children in The Reptile Room and The Wide Window. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson"

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