A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

 

The first time I stumbled upon this book was quite funny. I wanted to check out Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, but mistakenly ended up checking out one of the books in this series (don’t ask how, I was really young). Anyways, there are 13 books in the series, each taking place in a different setting.

The plot goes: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are happy, living in their family mansion with their sweet and kind parents. Violet is the oldest and very techy (she likes to invent things), Klaus is the middle child (he likes books and reads a lot), and Sunny is the youngest (she’s a baby with really sharp teeth). One day, when they go to the beach to relax, they learn that their house caught fire and their parents died. The three siblings are forced to be relocated to a “distant relative” named Count Olaf, whose goal was to exploit the three siblings for their parent’s fortune. Luckily, the siblings escape from his grasp, but Count Olaf mercilessly hunts them down in each book of the series. However, as they move from relative to relative, the siblings learn that there is much more to Olaf and his schemes than they thought. There are too many secrets and little answers. What is V.F.D? How were their parents affiliated with it? What was the schism?

I love this book series, and there is even a Netflix series about it. There are many unique qualities about it. To start, Snicket’s writing style is much different from other authors I’ve read (although sometimes it gets annoying, like when he drones on and on about definitions), but overall I like the change. Snicket gives detailed descriptions of everything, partially important events or settings. And, as the series progresses, each book is much closely linked to each other. In the beginning, the siblings just jumped from relative to relative. But as they meet new friends and learn new information, the series flows much more smoothly. Additionally, I find it interesting how Lemony Snicket himself is a character in the series (Lemony Snicket is a pen name; his real name is Daniel Handler), and how the Series of Unfortunate Events is his “research” he’s spent decades on. 

Even though this series takes place in human society, there are many things that are made up and don’t make sense. For example, how is it possible that a baby can have wickedly sharp teeth? Also, I don’t think a baby is capable of climbing up an elevator shaft using her teeth. Also, there is no such mountain called the “Mortmain Mountains.” Even if so, the government would definitely notice the humongous V.F.D headquarters up there. That ties into my other point: everyone who isn’t affiliated with V.F.D has absolutely no brain. They seem like happy-go-lucky people who have no idea what is going on in the world. Despite all these things, the story still makes sense and flows very well.

Overall, I would definitely recommend reading this series. Finishing the series leaves you with so many questions, but you have all the information you need to know to understand the story. While the fate of many other characters is uncertain, we know what happens to the three siblings. My favorite book is book 9, The Slippery Slope, because it gives Sunny her moment to shine and Sunny is my favorite character. 

-Joyce Zheng