Introduction: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, Review
The Bad Beginning: Or, Orphans! (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1) by Lemony Snicket is on Amazon’s 100 Must-Read Books and since I have wanted to read a Lemony Snicket book for a while, now I purchased one. I have a big problem with this book list because for the life of me, I cannot figure out why some books are on the list.
Many of the books included as must-reads have not stood the test of time. I returned to the lecture, Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: The Essential Value of a Classic Education given by Jeffrey Brenzel. In the lecture, Professor Brenzel has five criteria for judging a book to determine if it a classic.
Have you read?
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Book Review
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Book Review
“The work addresses permanent concerns about the human condition. From a philosophical perspective it has something to say about the way we should live. From a literary perspective it has something to say about imagining the possibilities for how we could live and from a historical perspective it tells us how we have lived.
- It has been a game-changer. It has created profound shifts in perspective and not only for its earliest readers, but for all the readers who came later as well.
- Has stimulated or informed or influenced many other important works, whether directly or indirectly.
- Many generations of the best readers and the most expert critics have rated the work highly, as one of the best or most important of its kind, even if those experts and readers shared no other views than that and even if they violently disagreed with the work.
Requires a strenuous effort to engage and understand, but it also rewards the hard work strongly and in multiple fashions.”
What is The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket About?
I thought it important to include the five criteria to judge books to determine if they are must-reads, especially when they are on influential lists. Now back to The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket. I have never read a book like this one, and I found it interesting the way the book is written, almost as if the author is inserting himself into the story and foreshadowing what’s to come, which engages the reader.
As an adult reading The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, I asked myself, why would I ever want to read this book to a child unless I want to traumatize her? I know bad things happen in life, just listen to the news on any day, but there have to be better ways to deal with important events in life.
Mr Poe informs the three Baudelaire children, 14-year-old Violet, 12-year-old Klaus and Sunny, who is a toddler that their parents perished in a fire moments ago. As the executor of the estate, he finds a home for them. The way the author describes Mr Poe, who is a banker, makes you question his effectiveness. Anyway, he places the three children with a distant relative, stage actor, Count Olaf, who lives in the same community. The Baudelaire entertained frequently, yet Violet and Klaus have never met this relative. Mr Poe attended many of these parties and had never met Count Olaf, yet he chooses him as guardian because the parents wanted them to remain in the community so their lives wouldn’t be disrupted more than it needed to be.
They arrive at Count Olaf’s home and it is dilapidated, and there is one room and one bed for the children. Why hadn’t Poe done his due diligence? Beside Count Olaf, lives Justice Strauss, a female Judge of the High Court. Count Olaf looks menacing. He is lanky and has only one eyebrow. He expected that he would have access to the children’s money and is not happy when he learns otherwise. From how Count Olaf is described, you know he is an up-to-no-good person. Despite that, if you are the guardian of a deceased relative’s children, you are given some money to raise them, which did not happen in this case.
Count Olaf overworks and abuses the children. The two older children being quite intelligent, find their way to the bank where Poe works to tell him about what is happening to them. Instead of taking the time to address their concerns, he rushes them off, and also inform Count Olaf of what the children are saying. This infuriates the guardian further and works them more. All the time he has been devising a plan to steal the children’s inheritance.
During the days, the children visit next door to read the books in Judge Strauss’ personal library, which is quite extensive. Count Olaf tells them that he wants them to be a part of a new play, The Marvelous Marriage, and he tells them of their roles, and what they have to say. Count Olaf has also given a role in the play to Justice Strauss. They know it is a plot to get their inheritance, but are not sure exactly how their guardian is going to do it. To make sure that the children do as he asks, one night he captures Sunny and places her in cage, with tape across her mouth, in a precarious location. Violet who is very inventive, finds a way to free her sister and ends up being caught.
Klaus is also determined to find a solution, which he believes has to be in a book. After a long time, he finds a book on inheritance laws, and after reading the book realizes that Count Olaf intends to use the play to marry Violet and get all their money. Klaus confronts Count Olaf, which isn’t a good idea. They try to get Justice Strauss to change the wording for the marriage ceremony, but she is starsstrucked and wants to do things by the book. On the opening night, they have a full house to see the play and Mr Poe and his wife are in attendance. Everything seems to be going Count Olaf’s way so he asks one of his partners in crime to bring Sunny to the theatre.
After Violet signs the document during the play, Count Olaf tells the audience what he did, and declares that the money is his. The judge is feeling horrible, and she should because she should know better. Violet says that the document is not legal because she used her left hand to sign it. The judge thinks about that and rules that the marriage is not legal. Someone turns off the lights, there is chaos and when the light is turned back on Count Olaf has disappeared. All through The Bad Beginning: Or, Orphans! (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)
by Lemony Snicket, the author warns us of things to come, and we know that things are going to be difficult for the children.
Final Thoughts: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
Yes I have many questions like was the fire arson, and what finally happens to the children, but I have no desire to read the other 12 books in this particular series – A Series of Unfortunate Events. And I wouldn't read the story to a child. Do you think this is an appropriate book for a child.
NOTE from Avil
Since I first read this book in 2014, I have changed my mind about it. Yes, the book may give children nightmare, but when you think about it, there is a lot of evil in the world, and we cannot always shield children from them. Bad things happen to good people all the time. Just recently, there was an attack in Toronto, I was miles south of where it took place. But it reminded me of how fragile life is. We cannot always protect the people we love. I will read the other books in the series and feed my curiosity.
The Bad Beginning: Or, Orphans! (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)
The Trouble Begins: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-3 The Complete Wreck (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-13)The Situation Worsens: A Box of Unfortunate Events
