2005: #4 – The Bad Beginning (Lemony Snicket)

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, Brett Helquist
Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events #01
Published by HarperCollins on September 30th 1999
Genres: middle grade
Pages: 162


Also by this author: The Reptile Room, The Wide Window, The Miserable Mill, The Austere Academy, The Ersatz Elevator
Also in this series: The Reptile Room, The Wide Window, The Miserable Mill, The Austere Academy, The Ersatz Elevator

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

My commute for work is approximately 80 minutes a day. Because of this, I’ve been partaking in audio books to pass the time. Which has led to book number 4 being the first book in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events — The Bad Beginning.

One of the first things you hear in this book is that there is no happy ending, there is no happy beginning, and there isn’t any happiness in the middle, either. And boy, he ain’t kidding. This book was extremely dark and disturbing and I can’t imagine how it appeals to the young readers like it does. But, despite the darkness, dismay, and general creepiness, it’s a very good and interestingly written story. I plan to continue the series.

Page count: 1,436/15,000