Scan barcode
A review by ablaine
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I’d like to argue that the villain in this story is an example of what happens when society fails to fund the arts.
Count Olaf is a struggling actor, who is so desperate for money, that he sees exploiting rich orphans for their family fortune as the only means to bankroll his lifestyle. In his troupe of “terrible” actor friends is a gender non-conforming person, a disabled man with a prosthetic, and various people without “pretty privilege.” Meanwhile, the Baudelaire children are said to have very pleasing faces.
Now, to be clear, Count Olaf is a terrible man who utilizes various forms of abuse and subterfuge to intimidate and manipulate these children. I am not condoning this at all. In fact, I almost took narrator Lemony Snicker’s advice to stop reading such an upsetting story at various points within the book.
I do, however, wonder how Count Olaf would have faired in a society with say, universal basic income for artists.
I listened to the audiobook, and while Tim Curry’s voice as Lemony Snicket is velvety and enthralling, I found the layering of background noises excessive and distracting. I don’t need to hear baby Sunny crying, Violet grunting, or Klaus hyperventilating incessantly as I’m struggling to make out the dialogue.
Overall, I rather enjoyed revisiting this very unfortunate series of events.
Count Olaf is a struggling actor, who is so desperate for money, that he sees exploiting rich orphans for their family fortune as the only means to bankroll his lifestyle. In his troupe of “terrible” actor friends is a gender non-conforming person, a disabled man with a prosthetic, and various people without “pretty privilege.” Meanwhile, the Baudelaire children are said to have very pleasing faces.
Now, to be clear, Count Olaf is a terrible man who utilizes various forms of abuse and subterfuge to intimidate and manipulate these children. I am not condoning this at all. In fact, I almost took narrator Lemony Snicker’s advice to stop reading such an upsetting story at various points within the book.
I do, however, wonder how Count Olaf would have faired in a society with say, universal basic income for artists.
I listened to the audiobook, and while Tim Curry’s voice as Lemony Snicket is velvety and enthralling, I found the layering of background noises excessive and distracting. I don’t need to hear baby Sunny crying, Violet grunting, or Klaus hyperventilating incessantly as I’m struggling to make out the dialogue.
Overall, I rather enjoyed revisiting this very unfortunate series of events.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent