The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events (Book 1 of 13)

By Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events (Book 1 of 13)

Content Meters

Sex, romance, and nudity:
20%
Violence and gore:
40%
Language:
0%
Substance use:
20%
Negative messages:
20%
Positive messages:
60%
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Recommended:
Ages : See Overview
Read time:
5 hours
Reviewed on:

Spoiler-Free Overview

As Snicket says, if you don’t like watching children endure hardships, you may as well stop reading now.

Let me first say that recommending an age is impossible for this book. As a child, the movie was among my favorites, but I seldom met another kid who felt the same. Now I know why.

The Bad Beginning is written at a child’s reading level, clear as day. Yet, it wrestles with adult themes of grief, acceptance, and marriage. Nothing in this book will land unless a child has experienced grief as the Baudelaire children have. So, while an 8-year-old may understand the words, he/she won’t appreciate the story for years to come.

All of this is to say, exercise judgment when recommending this book to children.

Now, what is this book about? Though it couldn’t start more peacefully, The Bad Beginning wastes no time thrusting the children into orphanhood and injustice. One thing after another lands them in the worst place possible— Count Olaf’s house. The children immediately peg Count Olaf for the monster he is, and the reader is left wondering why all the adults turn their backs on the children here.

Nevertheless, the children are left alone. They must learn to appease Count Olaf while seeking their freedom.

If you’re hoping for a happy-go-lucky ending, Snicket marks a good place to stop reading, but if you want to walk with the Baudelaires in their grief and suffering, there will always be more unfortunate events to read.

Let me know if you think I should read them!

Spoiler Alert

Venture beyond this point at your own risk!

Detailed Content Meters

20%
Sex, romance, and nudity:
rating: 20%

Count Olaf’s final plan is to marry Violet and very nearly succeeds. While Count Olaf is a distant relative, he is also Violet’s adoptive guardian. This is supposed to feel gross and evil.

In his search for Olaf’s newest plan, Klaus finds a case note about nudists who put on a play and were promptly arrested.

An adult makes a couple of comments about Violet’s pretty face. This is supposed to make the reader squirm.

40%
Violence and gore:
rating: 40%

Count Olaf strikes Klaus, leaving a bruise on his face.

The man with hooks for hands threatens Klaus and the boy has nightmares about being shredded by the man’s hooks.

Sunny, the baby, is hung in a cage as a hostage to force Klaus and Violet to go through with the marriage ceremony.

0%
Language:
rating: 0%

None Present, although Count Olaf insists on calling the children orphans.

20%
Substance use:
rating: 20%

It’s mentioned that the children’s late father had a bottle of alcohol on the piano.

Count Olaf and his friends are drunkards and it is shown. Again, this is supposed to be detestable.

20%
Negative messages:
rating: 20%

Polygamy is explained in the book as Klaus tries to find a way to illegitimize the marriage ceremony. One of the books states that polygamy is illegitimate no matter the ceremony, but this doesn’t solve their problem since they aren’t polygamous.

60%
Positive messages:
rating: 60%

Grief is felt and dealt with throughout the book. Good messages are born from this theme such as being present with the grieving even when it’s difficult, being understanding, and not letting grief consume you.

Snicket naturally weaves themes of acceptance into the book. This is not the kind of acceptance that lies down when hardship hits, but rather accepts that bad things happen and battles tooth and nail to change what you can.

Detailed Overview

If you’re still reading, I’m sorry for whatever you’ve gone through. I hope you’ve found a community to hold and help you. For the Baudelaire, it wasn’t so.

After Mr. Poe tells the children they’re orphans, he takes them to his home, where they are anything but comfortable or comforted. His boys are brats (Although, it is funny to know he named one Edgar. Suddenly the poems make sense having known the boy), their clothes are uncomfortable, and they are quickly shipped to the closest relative.

Even considering the awful state of Count Olaf’s estate, Mr. Poe leaves the children there. They survive with one bed, minimal provisions, and maximum responsibilities. Count Olaf only allows them to live because he wants their fortune and concocts an awful plan to take it by marrying Violet, a mere child!

Count Olaf’s friends are equally sinister, encouraging him to beat the children and applauding his harsh treatment of them. Several even aid in kidnapping and holding Sunny, the baby, hostage.

In the end, the ceremony commences and Violet signs the paper, making her marriage official. Well, except that she uses her left hand which unofficiates it. Count Olaf is apprehended and a kind woman offers to adopt the children.

This is the happy point Snicket suggests closing the book.

However, this is not the end. One of Count Olaf’s henchmen hits the lights, allowing his escape. He gives one last warning to Violet that he will return, take their fortune, and dispose of the three Baudelaire children.

With Count Olaf slipping into the night, Mr. Poe delivers the sad news that the children cannot be adopted by anyone outside of their family and must be shipped to the next closest relative.

And with that, the first series of unfortunate events ends.

Should this series continue?

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