Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Bad Beginning

I revisited this book to get out of a reading slump and I'm so glad! It feels so small in my hands. When I was little I thought it was such mature literature and so advanced. And it very much was for a kid. I love how Lemony Snicket treats kids as little people. With thoughts, minds, emotions, and respect. He introduced us to morally grey characters and was honest in the hardships of the world when many weren't.

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lilshelly's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad 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

The nostalgia at visiting one of my favorite childhood series again. I remember all the plot beats so well but am still so excited to experience them again.

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anonymousbiblioholic39's review against another edition

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dark funny sad fast-paced

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

3.25

** SPOILERS AHEAD **
Enjoyment: 5/5
* The Bad Beginning was a very fast-paced and enjoyable read. I finished it in less than a day, and I think it would be perfect for anyone who wants a quick read to fly through.
Writing: 3/5
* I really enjoyed all of the creative interjections to the story that the author added in where he addressed the reader. Idk, I just thought that was a cool way of narrating a story. Outside of that, the writing wasn't anything remarkable or lousy, just what you'd expect for the genre.
Characters: 1/5
* There wasn't much character development. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny did have their own separate interests and personalities, but they didn't feel all that real. We never got to see why Count Olaf wanted the Baudelaire estate outside of just simple greed, either. Pretty much all of the side characters were shallow and some even useless, should I say so myself. Justice Strauss was flat as a character, and the descriptions of Count Olaf's theatre troupe were unnecessary filler.
Plot: 4/5
* The book was well plotted, but the marriage shenanigans were creepy, so minus 1 star for that

Overall rating: 13/20, 65%

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marnash's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I saw books 1 through 8 in a second hand store for 100 shekels total and HAD to get them all. I am so curious how I'll feel about them, seeing as it's been atleast, say, 13 years since I read them, maybe even 15+. I was surprised by how insanely dark, gloomy and downright horrific the first book was - definitely not for kids. It's interesting reading such dark and horrific content that is somehow written in childlike and simplified way. I really look forward to reading the rest.

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justinareads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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ophycore's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

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