Book Review: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning
A Series of Unfortunate Events

by Lemony Snicket

Published: September 30, 1999

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc

Age Demographic: Middle Grade Mystery 

Pages: 176

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

To Order a copy of The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket please visit: Amazon & Barnes&Noble

(Note: I have purchased my own Kindle copy of this book and am sharing my honest opinion in this review.)

The Bad Beginning is a cleverly written and fun read for anyone who enjoys middle grade books. I'm really starting to finally understand the appeal of reading them. I honestly can't believe I haven't already read this series in its entirety already, because it's right up my street. 

Whimsical and full of mystery, these characters are wonderfully developed and interesting. Snickett pens an extraordinarily wonderful and uniquely entertaining story revolving around three young children who become orphans after their parents die in an unfortunate house fire and they are sent to live with a distant relative until they are of age. The use of mature words and the interesting way that Snickett gives their meaning, flows wonderfully well with the voice he uses to tell the story. I had thought at first that it might annoy me if it were to continue on throughout the book, but it actually didn't. It's smart, fun, and intelligent in a very captivating and clever way. This book reads as if the author himself is talking directly to you, which gives it more of a personal feel and was something that I came to truly enjoy quite a bit. 

There's this dark and creepy, unfortunate gloom to the atmosphere that manages to put a chill in your bones. Unquestionable things happen in this book, abominable things that would turn anyone's stomach most especially Count Olaf's intentions where Violet is concerned. The kicker for me is that there is so much dry humor injected into this tale of woe and sorrow, that it truly is a series of unfortunate events, that have become far too clever for its own good. I will definitely be continuing on with the series to see what happens next, as far as the Baudelaire children are concerned.

The Bad Beginning is a wonderful start to a very incredibly fun, entertaining, and captivating middle grade series that I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys them.  

About Lemony Snicket

Lemony Snicket

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Lemony Snicket had an unusual education and a perplexing youth and now endures a despondent adulthood. His previous published works include the thirteen volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Composer is Dead, and 13 Words. His new series is All The Wrong Questions.