Holding Baby Sunny hostage, his nefarious plan is to marry Violet against her will, control her inheritance, and then do away with the children. When his scheme is uncovered, the enraged villain escapes, vowing to get the orphans� money and kill the children if it�s the last thing he does. Although a kindly lady offers to adopt the children, their parents� Wills declare that they must live with a relative. The children are whisked away into the night by Mr. Poe, toward a very uncertain future.
The Bad Beginning is a fantasy based on eccentric characters and preposterous situations. The young protagonists, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, are more caricatures than characters. They are described as �intelligent,� �charming,� �resourceful,� and with �pleasant facial features.� (p. 1) Violet likes to skip rocks and invent strange devices, Klaus is an avid reader, and Sunny �likes to bite things.� (p. 4) The antagonist, Count Olaf, is the villain�s villain. Not only is he ugly, dirty, mean, greedy, and unscrupulous, he lives in a filthy, smelly hovel and hangs out with a motley array of criminals and creeps.
The setting is realistic enough to make the story believable, and although the situations are preposterous, the characters must always rely on real-life solutions to make good their escape. Both the children and Count Olaf are bound by the matrimonial laws, and it is only by cleverly manipulating the situation that the children are able to make the law work in their favor and turn it against the Count. When Sunny is suspended from the tower, Violet has to rely on her own ingenuity and materials at hand to plan the baby�s rescue.
The plot is reminiscent of old-time melodramas, where innocents are victimized by nefarious villains and escape in the nick of time. In this instance, though, the children must rely on their own wits rather than a hero. Because of the episodic nature of the books in the series, the conclusion leaves no satisfactory resolution to their plight. Although they escape the latest threat, the reader has no doubt that they have not seen the last of the onerous Count Olaf.
The black and white illustrations by Brett Helquist enhance the mysterious air of the story while providing a light touch of humor. They also enlarge on the story and add interesting details. The observant reader will notice foreshadowing in the pictures, as well. The snake coiled around the light post on the last page of the book gives the reader a hint about the next adventure the children will face in Book Two of the series, The Reptile Room.
The children are beset with one disaster after another, and some adults may be put off by the darkness of the story. Publisher�s Weekly (September 6, 1999) downplays this concern: �The peril in which he places the Baudelaires may be frightening (Count Olaf actually follows through on his threats of violence on several occasions), but the author paints the satire with such broad strokes that most readers will view it from a safe distance.� Protective parents will probably be more unsettled by the �unfortunate events� than will young readers, though, because children love a good, safe scare. As Kirkus Reviews (July 15, 199) put it, �Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun.�
Awards
Booksense Book of the Year (Nominee)
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award (Nominee)
Pennsylvania Young Reader�s Choice Award (Nominee)
Garden State Children�s Book Awards (Nominee)
Nevada Young Readers Award
Children�s Book Award (Colorado)
Nene Award
Flicker Tale Children�s Book Award (Nominee)
Related Websites
Lemony Snicket Website: http://www.lemonysnicket.com/index.cfm
The Movie Website: http://www.unfortunateeventsmovie.com/main_flash.html
Move Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/lemony_snickets/
Unfortunate Events: http://www.unfortunateevents.com
Source
Books in Print [database online]. Available from http://www.booksinprint.com. Accessed 26 October 2004.
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY