This first book of a series called “A series of unfortunate events” is part gothic literature, excellent writing, and part cartoon.  The characters, vocabulary, plot, and setting are solid literature.  It reminds me of a cartoon in its predictability, and caricature of evil.  But this is one of the things that make the story likeable by children and some adults.  It is reliable, predictable, and safe for the reader.  You always know something bad is going to happen to the three orphaned children.  But it is not so sad and black that good things are completely left out.  The children are given wonderful characteristics and they meet some good people.  The story opens with the children at the beach when they receive word that their home burned with their parents inside.  The executor of the estate places them with their nearest relative, Count Olaf.  He is, of course, only interested in their inheritance.  Library Journal explains the plot, “This series chronicles the unfortunate lives of the Baudelaire children: Violet, 14; Klaus, 12; and the infant, Sunny. In Bad Beginning, their parents and possessions perish in a fire, and the orphans must use their talents to survive as their lives move from one disastrous event to another. Surrounded by dim-witted though well-meaning adults, the Baudelaires find themselves in the care of their evil relative, Count Olaf, a disreputable actor whose main concern is getting his hands on the children's fortune. When Olaf holds Sunny hostage to force Violet to marry him, it takes all of the siblings' resourcefulness to outwit him. Violet's inventive genius, Klaus's forte for research, and Sunny's gift for biting the bad guys at opportune moments save the day. However, the evil Count escapes. . . “

The author’s style of writing makes this an enjoyable book.  He fills it with excellent character development, vivid descriptions, and builds the reader’s vocabulary.  Library Journal says, “While the misfortunes hover on the edge of being ridiculous, Snicket's energetic blend of humor, dramatic irony, and literary flair makes it all perfectly believable. The writing, peppered with fairly sophisticated vocabulary and phrases, may seem daunting, but the inclusion of Snicket's perceptive definitions of difficult words makes these books challenging to older readers and excellent for reading aloud.”

The appeal of this book is based on its intellectual writing, its predictability, its use of evil, and the story of three children with no parents.  Children seem to like to think about how life would be if they were on their own.  Kirkus says, “Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations. Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun. “

Bindner, Linda. Review of The Bad Beginning in Library Journal. Available from:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=5T4PbtFA68&isbn=0064407667&itm=1#REV. Accessed 8 November 2004.

Review of The Bad Beginning in Kirkus Reviews. Available from:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=5T4PbtFA68&isbn=0064407667&itm=1#REV. Accessed 8 November 2004.