Bad
Beginning 1 (Series of Unfortunate Events) by Brett Helquist (Illustrator), Michael Kupperman (Illustrator) by
Lemony Snicket
Paperback from by Lemony Snicket, Brett Helquist (Illustrator),
Michael Kupperman (Illustrator)
ISBN: 1405249536
Lemony Snicket's work is filled with bitter truths, like: 'It is always
cruel to laugh at people, of course, although sometimes if they are wearing
an ugly hat it is hard to control yourself.' Or: 'It is very easy to say
that the important thing is to try your best, but if you are in real trouble
the most important thing is not trying your best, but getting to safety.'
For all of life's ups and downs, its celebrations and its sorrows, here
is a book to commemorate it all - especially for those not fully soothed
by chicken soup. Witty and irreverent, Horseradish is a book with universal
appeal, a delightful vehicle to introduce Snicket's uproariously unhappy
observations to a crowd not yet familiar with the Baudelaires' misadventures.
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are
charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately,
they are exceptionally unlucky.
In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy
and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal
their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp,
a long knife, and a terrible odour.
In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes
an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious
and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate
children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy.
Ages 10+
The Reptile Room begins where Lemony Snicket's The Bad Beginning
ends... on the road with the three orphaned Baudelaire children as they
are whisked away from the evil Count Olaf to face "an unknown fate with
some unknown relative." But who is this Dr. Montgomery, their late father's
cousin's wife's brother? "Would Dr. Montgomery be a kind person?
they wondered. Would he at least be better than Count Olaf? Could he
possibly be worse?" He certainly is not worse, and in fact when the
Baudelaire children discover that he makes coconut cream cakes, circles
the globe looking for snakes to study, and even plans to take them with
him on his scientific expedition to Peru, the kids can't believe their
luck. And, if you have read the first book in this Series of Unfortunate
Events, you won't believe their luck either. Despite the misadventures
that befall these interesting, intelligent, resourceful orphans, you can
trust that the engaging narrator will make their story--suspenseful and
alarming as it is--a true delight. The Wide Window is next, and
more are on their way. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson
Like an off-key violin concert, the Roman Empire, or food poisoning,
all things must come to an end. Thankfully, this includes A Series of Unfortunate
Events by Lemony Snicket. The thirteenth and final installment in the groundbreaking
series will answer readers' most burning questions: Will Count Olaf prevail?
Will the Baudelaires survive? Will the series end happily? If there's nothing
out there, what was that noise?
Then again, why trouble yourself with unfortunate resolutions? Avoid
the thirteenth and final book of Lemony Snicket's international bestselling
series and you'll never have to know what happens.
Ages 10+
Picking up from the final pages of the Pentultimate Peril, this
farewell installment to the ridiculously (and deservedly!) popular A Series
of Unfortunate Events places our protagonists right where we last left
them: on a large, wooden boat in the middle of the ocean, trapped with
their nemesis Count Olaf, who has armed himself with a helmet-full of deadly
Medusoid Mycelium.
The situation quickly and--this being the Baudelaires--predictably deteriorates.
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny find themselves tossed in a storm so terrible
that our beloved narrator spends four pages describing how he cannot describe
it. From this point on, fans of the series' smarty-pants wordplay and acrobatic
narrative can rest assured that they're in for more of the same (and how)
in this 368-page finale, and Daniel Handler's deadpan Snicket continues
to tutor a generation in self-referential humor (including one particularly
funny bit regarding three very short men carrying a large, flat piece of
wood, painted to look like a living room). Snicket notes, of course, that
if you read the entire series, "your only reward will be 170 chapters of
misery in your library and countless tears in your eyes."
There's one big question, though, for anyone who's made it through "the
thirteenth chapter of the thirteenth volume in this sad history": is the
final book a fitting end? That question is probably best-answered by one
of The End's most oft-repeated phrases: It depends on how you look
at it. Those looking for conclusive resolution to the series' many, many
mysteries may be disappointed, although some big questions do get explicit
answers. Not surprisingly for a work so deliberately labyrinthine, though,
even the absence of an answer can be sort of an answer--and reaction to
The
End can be something of a Rorschach test for readers. Or, as Lemony
Snicket says, "Perhaps you don't know yet what the end really means."
--Paul
Hughes
After any harrowing struggle, it is nice to consider checking into a
hotel for a rest. In fact, this might be just the break Violet, Klaus,
and Sunny Baudelaire could use after their wearying deep-sea adventure.
A hotel can be a good choice for any family vacation. With so many floors,
such a variety of rooms, and a curious array of guests, spending time in
the safety of the right hotel can be the perfect learning environment for
children of any age. A keen researcher like Klaus, an adept inventor like
Violet, and a sharp-toothed culinary master like Sunny are all sure to
find engaging diversions during their stay.
Regardless of how they pass their time while at a hotel, the three siblings
will be sure to take in all the interesting sights and sounds -- and write
them down -- just in case this episode turns out to be the darkest yet
in a series of unfortunate events.
There's dreadful news from the symphony hall--the composer
is dead!
If you have ever heard an orchestra play, then you know that musicians
are most certainly guilty of something. Where exactly were the violins
on the night in question? Did anyone see the harp? Is the trumpet protesting
a bit too boisterously?
In this perplexing murder mystery, everyone seems to have a motive,
everyone has an alibi, and nearly everyone is a musical instrument. But
the composer is still dead.
Perhaps you can solve the crime yourself. Join the Inspector as he interrogates
all the unusual suspects. Then listen to the accompanying audio recording
featuring Lemony Snicket and the music of Nathaniel Stookey performed by
the San Francisco Symphony. Hear for yourself exactly what took place on
that fateful, well-orchestrated evening.
Many readers have questions about Lemony Snicket, author of the distressing
serial concerning the trials of the charming but unlucky Baudelaire orphans,
published under the collective title A Series of Unfortunate Events. Before
purchasing, borrowing, or stealing this book, you should be aware that
it contains the answers to some of those questions, such as the following:
1. Who is Lemony?
2. Is there a secret organization I should know about?
3. Why does Lemony Snicket spend his time researching and writing distressing
books concerning the Baudelaire orphans?
4. Why do all of Lemony Snicket's books concerning a sad dedication
to a woman named Beatrice?
5. If there's nothing out there, what was that noise?
Our advice to you is that you find a book that answers less upsetting
questions than this one. Perhaps your librarian, bookseller, or parole
officer can recommend a book that answers the question, "Aren't ponies
adorable?"
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography is bizarre, abstruse
("a word which here means 'cryptic'"), and truly entertaining. Would you
expect anything less from the mystery man behind A Series of Unfortunate
Events (The Bad Beginning, The Ersatz Elevator, etc.)? Virtually
every detail of the volume has Snicket's indelible mark, from the book
jacket (reversible to help readers disguise this "extremely dangerous"
and "objectionable" autobiography) to the copyright page text to the intentionally
blurry and bewildering black-and-white photographs appearing throughout.
An apparently false obituary for Lemony Snicket sets the stage for what
turns into a series of mind-boggling bundles of coded information passed
from hand to hand, gleaned from newspapers blowing through streets, pages
from a journal addressed to "Dear Dairy," blueprints of ships, minutes
from secret meetings, and a lot of edited and disputed commentary. The
question is, do we finally discover the meaning of VFD? You know you're
not going to get a straight answer. But any fan of Snicket will have a
lot of fun trying. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter
13
Words by Lemony Snicket
Hardcover from HarperCollins
Media Published: 2010-10-05
Volume 1 - The
Bad Beginning Make no mistake. The Bad Beginning begins badly for the three Baudelaire
children, and then gets worse. Their misfortunes begin one gray day on
Briny Beach when Mr. Poe tells them that their parents perished in a fire
that destroyed their whole house. "It is useless for me to describe to
you how terrible Violet, Klaus, and even Sunny felt in the time that followed,"
laments the personable (occasionally pedantic) narrator, who tells the
story as if his readers are gathered around an armchair on pillows. But
of course what follows is dreadful. The children thought it was bad when
the well-meaning Poes bought them grotesque-colored clothing that itched.
But when they are ushered to the dilapidated doorstep of the miserable,
thin, unshaven, shiny-eyed, money-grubbing Count Olaf, they know that they--and
their family fortune--are in real trouble. Still, they could never have
anticipated how much trouble. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson - Amazon.com Hardcover: 176 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.74 x
7.26 x 5.32
Publisher: HarperTrophy; Rough Cut edition
ISBN: 0064407667
Volume 2 - The
Reptile Room The Reptile Room begins where Lemony Snicket's The Bad Beginning ends...
on the road with the three orphaned Baudelaire children as they are whisked
away from the evil Count Olaf to face "an unknown fate with some unknown
relative." But who is this Dr. Montgomery, their late father's cousin's
wife's brother? "Would Dr. Montgomery be a kind person? they wondered.
Would he at least be better than Count Olaf? Could he possibly be worse?"
He certainly is not worse, and in fact when the Baudelaire children discover
that he makes coconut cream cakes, circles the globe looking for snakes
to study, and even plans to take them with him on his scientific expedition
to Peru, the kids can't believe their luck. And, if you have read the first
book in this Series of Unfortunate Events, you won't believe their luck
either. Despite the misadventures that befall these interesting, intelligent,
resourceful orphans, you can trust that the engaging narrator will make
their story--suspenseful and alarming as it is--a true delight.
(Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson - Amazon.com
Volume 3 - The
Wide Window In The Bad Beginning, things, well, begin badly for the three Baudelaire
orphans. And sadly, events only worsen in The Reptile Room. In the third
in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, The Wide Window, there
is still no hope on the horizon for these poor children. Their adventures
are exciting and memorable, but, as the author points out, "exciting and
memorable like being chased by a werewolf through a field of thorny bushes
at midnight with nobody around to help you." This story begins when the
orphans are being escorted by the well-meaning Mr. Poe to yet another distant
relative who has agreed to take them in since their parents were killed
in a horrible fire. Aunt Josephine, their new guardian, is their second
cousin's sister-in-law, and she is afraid of everything. Her house (perched
precariously on a cliff above Lake Lachrymose) is freezing because she
is afraid of the radiator exploding, she eats cold cucumber soup because
she's afraid of the stove, and she doesn't answer the telephone due to
potential electrocution dangers. Her greatest joy in life is grammar, however,
and when it comes to the proper use of the English language, she is fearless.
But just when she should be the most fearful--when Count Olaf creeps his
way back to find the Baudelaire orphans and steal their fortune--she somehow
lets her guard down. Once again, it is up to Violet, Klaus, and Sunny to
get themselves out of danger. Will they succeed? We haven't the stomach
to tell you.
Volume 4 - The
Miserable Mill "The Baudelaire orphans looked out the grimy window of the train and
gazed at the gloomy blackness of the Finite Forest, wondering if their
lives would ever get better," begins The Miserable Mill. If you have been
introduced to the three Baudelaire orphans in any of Lemony Snicket's previous
novels, you know that not only will their lives not get better, they will
get much worse. In the fourth installment in the "Series of Unfortunate
Events," the sorrowful siblings, having once again narrowly escaped the
clutches of the evil Count Olaf, are escorted by the kindly but ineffectual
Mr. Poe to their newest "home" at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill. Much to
their horror (if not surprise), their dormitory at the mill is crowded
and damp, they are forced to work with spinning saw blades, they are fed
only one meal a day (not counting the chewing gum they get for lunch),
and worst of all, Count Olaf lurks in a dreadful disguise as Shirley the
receptionist just down the street. Not even the clever wordplay and ludicrous
plot twists could keep this story buoyant--reading about the mean-spirited
foreman, the deadly blades, poor Klaus (hypnotized and "reprogrammed"),
and the relentless hopelessness of the children's situation only made us
feel gloomy. Fans of these wickedly funny, suspenseful adventures won't
want to miss out on a single one, but we're hoping the next tales have
the delicate balance of delight and disaster we've come to expect from
this exciting series.
Volume 5 - The
Austere Academy As the three Baudelaire orphans warily approach their new home--Prufrock
Preparatory School--they can't help but notice the enormous stone arch
bearing the school's motto Memento Mori, or "Remember you will die." This
is not a cheerful greeting, and certainly marks an inauspicious beginning
to a very bleak story. Of course, this is what we have come to expect from
Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, the deliciously morbid set
of books that began with The Bad Beginning and only got worse. In The Austere
Academy, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are at first optimistic--attending school
is a welcome change for the book-loving trio, and the academy is allegedly
safe from the dreaded Count Olaf, who is after their fortune. Hope dissipates
quickly, however, when they meet Vice Principal Nero, a self-professed
genius violinist who sneeringly imitates their every word. More dreadful
still, he houses them in the tin Orphans Shack, crawling with toe-biting
crabs and dripping with a mysterious tan fungus. A beam of light shines
through the despair when the Baudelaires meet the Quagmires, two of three
orphaned triplets who are no strangers to disaster and sympathize with
their predicament. When Count Olaf appears on the scene disguised as Coach
Genghis (covering his monobrow with a turban and his ankle tattoo with
expensive running shoes), the Quagmires resolve to come to the aid of their
new friends. Sadly, this proves to be a hideous mistake.
Volume 7 - The
Vile Village The seventh book in Lemony Snicket's splendidly gloomy Series of Unfortunate
Events shadows the three Baudelaire orphans as they plummet headlong into
their next misadventure. Mr. Poe, their ineffective legal guardian, having
exhausted all options for finding them a new home with relatives (including
their 19th cousin), sadly entrusts his young charges' fate to a progressive
guardian program formed with the premise "It takes a village to raise a
child." Before they know it, the Baudelaires are being whisked off on a
bus to a village (vile) named "V.F.D." Snicket fans who read The Austere
Academy and The Ersatz Elevator will jump to see these three initials,
as they provide a clue to the tragic disappearance of the Baudelaires'
friends, the beloved, equally orphaned Quagmire triplets. To the orphans'
dismay, V.F.D. is covered in crows--so much so that the whole village is
pitch-black and trembling. "The crows weren't squawking or cawing, which
is what crows often do, or playing the trumpet, which crows practically
never do, but the town was far from silent. The air was filled with the
sounds the crows made as they moved around." Another disturbing element
of the town is that the Council of Elders (who wear creepy crow hats) has
thousands of rules, such as "don't hurt crows" and "don't build mechanical
devices." Fortunately, the Baudelaires are taken in by a kindly handyman
named Hector who cooks them delicious Mexican food and secretly breaks
rules. Still, neither Hector nor an entire village can protect the orphans
from the clutches of the money-grubbing Count Olaf, who has relentlessly
pursued them (actually, just their fortune) since The Bad Beginning.
As you might expect, nothing but woe befalls the unlucky Baudelaire
orphans in the eighth grim tale in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate
Events. Ever since the orphans' photographs were plastered across the front
page of The Daily Punctilio in an article falsely accusing them of murder,
they have been on the run. Only when they disguise themselves as cheerful
hospital volunteers (Volunteers Fighting Disease, to be exact), do they
see a possible refuge. Of course, this backfires hideously. Where is their
ineffectual guardian, Mr. Poe, when they need him most? Will the evil,
greedy Count Olaf be successful in giving poor Violet a cranioectomy at
the Heimlich Hospital? Is a heart-shaped balloon really better than water
for a thirsty patient? Is no news really good news? As ever, Snicket refuses
to comfort young readers with cozy answers and satisfying escapes. And,
as ever, there are plenty of rusty blades and horrible plot twists to make
us shudder and shameless-but-hilarious wordplay to make us grimace happily.
Bring on the next one! --Karin Snelson - Amazon.com
Volume 9 - The
Carnivorous Carnival In the ninth title in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events,
The Carnivorous Carnival, the Baudelaire siblings are falsely accused of
murder. On the run from Count Olaf (the real killer), the three disguise
themselves in Madame Lulu's House of Freaks; Violet and Klaus masquerade
as the two-headed Beverly/Elliot; Sunny poses as Chabo the Wolf Baby.
