Book Review: A Series of Unfortunate Events

I recommend this to EVERYBODY. Emos, optimists, pesimists (LOL is that right spelling?), realists, authours about to be executed work too 8D

JK.

A Series of Unfortunate Events is MAINLY about the lives of Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire, after they become orphans through a terrible fire that destroyed their mansion and their parents, Bertrand and --------. They are sent to live with Count Olaf, (by a family friend, Mr. Poe) a horrible man who is part of a theatre troupe. His members include a hook-handed man, two woman who like to wear white powder all over their faces and a man who looks like neither a woman or a man.

Count Olaf is mean and greedy (understatement) and makes the Baudelaires do unpleasant chores such as chopping wood and cooking his meals. During the short period they live with him, Count Olaf is hatching a plan to get his filthy hands (quite literally) 0n the Baudelaire fortune.

Next door to Count Olaf is a kindly woman called Justice Strauss who tries her best to help the Baudelaires as much as she can. It is through their library that the Baudelaires learn of Olaf's evil scheme, and it is through this that they foil it. Unfortunately Count Olaf escapes, and Mr. Poe takes away the children to another guardian.

The whole story goes on like this, landing the orphans in unfortunately, very stupid guardians, where Count Olaf finds them and tries to steal their fortune through various disguises including a receptionist, a sailor and a coach.

If you were to squint, however, you would realise that very little of the story actually tells about the Baudelaires at all. Most of the pages tell stories in passing about the authour, Lemony Snicket's, own life and his usually long and ridiculous explanations of words, and feelings, and ridiculous situations:

'We've already managed to annoy thousands of animals,' Klaus said, almost dropping the pitcher as a gnat stung his wrist. 'I don't think we have much choice. I think we have to head into the cave and take our chances.'
Violet nodded in agreement but looked nervously at the entrance to the cave. Taking one's chances is like taking a bath, because sometimes you end up feeling comfortable and warm, and sometimes there is something terrible lurking around that you cannot see until it is too late and you can do nothing else but scream and cling to a plastic duck.

The story is written in first person, from the authours' POV, since it seems he takes an active role in the story, although the Baudelaires never discover who he is.

The story overall is laughable at some times and sometimes it makes me cry (although that might be because I couldn't pray that day ahahahaha...). At any rate, it's a rewarding read, just make sure you don't read volume 2 before you go to sleep or volume 10 in the bath.

1. The Bad Beginning
2. The Reptile Room
3. The Wide Window
4. The Miserable Mill
5. The Austere Academy
6. The Ersatz Elevator
7. The Vile Village
8. The Hostile Hospital
9. The Carnivorous Carnival
10. The Slippery Slope
11. The Grim Grotto
12. The Penultimate Peril
13. The End