50 Books Challenge 2011 - # 59: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events # 1) by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events # 1)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Story: Dear Reader, I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune. In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast. It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket
Start: december 3rd 2011
End: december 4th 2011
Comment: Off course I love to read, but as a teacher I also like to read children's books. After seeing the movie version for the second time, I thought I could finally start reading this series. The fun thing about it is that the writer, Lemony Snicket, actually 'speaks' to his readers. It's like he's really talking to you. And his way of telling a story is so unique. Like he already warns his readers, it's not a very pleasant book and it doesn't have a happy ending. Snicket is also a writer who doesn't patronize his readers. There are pretty heavy topics, or at least not very common children's books topics. Like when Count Olaf is trying to trick the 15 year-old Violet into marrying him. Violet, Klaus and Sunny are all loveable characters and I like the fact that they all have a special talent. Violet is my favorite, how inventive she is. Olaf is a fantastic villain and the way he's described it's really easy to picture him. I really enjoyed reading this book and I will definitely read more books in this series.
Rating: 5/ 5