A Series of Unfortunate Events - Review
Link to the author's (L. Snicket) personal website
Book 1: The Bad Beginning
Book 2: The Reptile Room
Book 3: The Wide Window
Book 4: The Miserable Mill
Book 5: The Austere Academy
Book 6: The Ersatz Elevator
Book 7: The Vile Village
Book 8: The Hostile Hospital
Book 9: The Carnivorous Carnival
Book 10: The Slippery Slope
Book 11: The Grim Grotto
Book 12: The Penultimate Peril
Book 13: The End
Blurb: (From Book 1) 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
Review: I read this series multiple times when I was younger. My older brother and dad both read this series multiple times too. It crafts an enthralling mystery over the course of 13 books, layers of which are slowly peeled back book by book. The mystery is combined fantastically with the growing maturity of the Baudelaire children throughout the story. Throw this together with great writing, a gothic dark setting, and plenty of satire, and magic is made. The fact that I remember this story so well after so long is the best indicator to the quality of the story. Big recommend, especially if you're younger.