Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Bad Beginning

Representations: https://trello.com/c/7gXn3cfF/102-a-series-of-unfortunate-events-1-the-bad-beginning-by-lemony-snicket

I was so incredibly lucky to get the first 6 books of this series in the delightful 25th anniversary editions on an author's evening with Lemony Snicket himself :3 I cannot state just how lovely he was, so many fantastic stories! And these editions, just absolutely breathtaking! Emily Gravett did an excellent job with them.

I think we all know these books, even if you haven't read them (yet!). I read these as a kid back in the early 2000s, lost my old copies though so I grew up re-watching the film to give me my fix (Yes, I know it's really bad... I can't help but love it still though in it's own, quirky book chopping ways :3). It's been so long I've practically forgotten all of the stuff from the books so getting the opportunity to re-read them is such a delight!

I was pretty surprised by how short and light on character development this was though. I guess iirc it was originally made to be 13 books so I guess I should look at it like that, but if I went into this with no additional context, no history, etc I don't think I'd get as hooked into it from this starter alone. But I think nowadays it's pretty hard to separate it's fame from what it is, and we have all 13 books out to binge read at once so I don't think that's much of an issue at all to be honest.

Characters are just as loveable and creative as always, the writing is very creative and while it might repeat a bit too many things (like for example, if one of the kids does something while another of the kids isn't there, what they did will get repeated back even though it only happened a page or so ago). The humour was dry, but in a very good way - the classic Snicket way.

One thing I've never really realised before though about these is somehow despite being so incredibly dark and heavy with it's topics while being also humorous, it does actually handle the topics pretty well. The abuse itself isn't a joke, nor are the after-effects, and it doesn't feel like tonal whiplash either. I also get it's the whole "the kids have severely bad luck" but children being ignored and "parents know best" in this is sadly pretty realistic. It's not until the abuser slips up and shows themselves in-front of others that people actually take note finally.

I do really recommend this though, and if you're looking for some beautiful covers look no further than these 25th anniversary ones, my favourite so far has to be the second book with the snake wrapping around both sides though, it's so cool!

Content Warnings

theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A dark children’s book but not so dark that it’s inappropriate. Definitely check the content warnings and make sure you feel this series is appropriate for your child’s age. But there is no cursing or mature content.m; it’s just dark and has realistically scary things.

We are continuing with the series as a family!

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wuthrinheights's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny informative sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was obsessed with this series as a kid. I've lost count of how many times I've watched the movie, and for many years, I've been collecting the books. I just realised my collection is complete by now so I started reading it from the first book.

It has been too long since I read this, so I forgot a lot of details, but the one thing I remember (and loved) about Lemony Snicket is how great his voice is. His writing is incredibly unique and unforgettable. It's eloquent, whimsical, humorous, and informative. I love how he would teach idioms or phrases, or explain what certain words would mean in between telling this tragic tale of the Baudelaire orphans.

The Bad Beginning was an incredible start to this fantastic series. It is (as per his warnings in every chance he could sneak in) terribly miserable and frustrating. From losing their parents at a young age to getting adopted by this unknown relative who abused them, to having adult friends who were of no help at all, it makes me want to weep for these three beautiful, smart, kind children. I know it's a series of unfortunate events, but my God. It truly is unfortunate.

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violet_viper's review against another edition

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funny hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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authorannafaundez's review against another edition

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dark sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I first read this book (and series) when I was a kid in the early 2000s. After a read as an adult, I'm sure this book (and its counterparts) had a great impact on my vocabulary! So many definitions were inserted into the book in a unique and fun way that didn't detract from the story.

The narrator, despite the sad story, felt kind. I'm a firm believer that children's books should talk about difficult topics, and A Series of Unfortunate Events does that well without leaving the reader feeling hopeless and defeated. That takes talent.

Content Warnings