A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (author)

Suitable for 8 - 14 years

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Product description

The first book in the Baudelaire siblings’ miserable saga of woe and misfortune. From the bad beginning to the bitter end, there’s nothing but darkness in store! One day, Violet, Klaus and Sunny receive terrible news. Their house has burned to the ground. Their parents are dead – and they are being sent to live with their rotten relative Count Olaf. He treats them like slaves, but that’s not all. He will stop at nothing, not even murder, to get his hands on the family fortune. Will they ever escape the ogre Olaf and his hideous henchmen? Comical, wry, gothic and clever, Lemony Snicket’s blackly funny tales are true cult classics. Forget happy endings!

Product Details

Series

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Format

Hardback

ISBN

9781405208673

Accelerated Reader

AR book level: 6.4; Middle years; 4.0 points

Other details

  • 180 pages

Condition

New

Part of this Series

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What kids think

  1. OwlGeek
    on 3 June 2016

    AMAZING! read this book if you haven’t if you have READ IT AGAIN!!!!!!

    5out of 5
  2. Cheerforevers
    on 9 March 2014

    This is the first in the series.

  3. ellie-melay27
    on 5 March 2013

    i loved it. i loved how those 3 never fail to get themselves out of any trouble that they are in with count Olaf.

  4. Sherlock25
    on 5 March 2013

    I tried to read this book a couple of years ago and i couldnt get into it.

  5. Too-Amazayn
    on 5 March 2013

    It’s a little strange how even though these books each have their unfortunate event they are really enjoyable, each page spent in anticipation of Violets inventions, Klaus’ knowledge and sunny’s Bites. this is the first in the series where we first meet and fall in love with the orphan, still unsuspecting of all the misfortune yet to come.

    5out of 5
  6. lap312i
    on 4 March 2013

    i wanna try it

  7. catlover96
    on 4 March 2013

    This book is really, really cool. It’s dark but at the same time really funny. I definitely recommend it.

  8. lmdrld
    on 4 March 2013

    This is the first book of the series and is when the siblings find their new home.

  9. Jennicom
    on 19 January 2013

    I love this book! There are sad parts happy parts and lots of unfortunate parts! When Snicket says “If you are fond of fairy tales with happy endings then put this book down now and pick something more to your liking” he means it!

    5out of 5
  10. Gangsta38
    on 1 October 2012

    It’s a great book to start a long running series

  11. GogirlOMG
    on 7 April 2012

    I really love these book especially the fact that they have a letter to start off with. I’m now on the 4th book.

  12. hamy1710
    on 3 March 2012

    very good

  13. Flissy22
    on 2 March 2012

    i like all the books but the beginning id the best one.

  14. lemonhoneysss10
    on 2 March 2012

    The first book in the series. It really starts off well and is a comical, sad and gripping story!

  15. la1397
    on 2 March 2012

    I loved this series, but the first was my favourite. You got to know all about the different characters, and it was written in a really intriguing way. Loved it loads.

  16. Maya125
    on 1 March 2012

    I lived this book xx

  17. angelslater
    on 1 March 2012

    it is bad but good sad but happy, i love this series

  18. miusic
    on 17 February 2012

    its really sad to read but when you read it you want to find out more and more and more.

    5out of 5
  19. Sally2865
    on 27 January 2012

    it was amazing I loved it but it was sad at the same time especially when they had to do awful chores.

    4out of 5
  20. luckylucia4233
    on 30 November 2011

    i love this book and i read all 13

    5out of 5
  21. Nevey
    on 24 April 2011

    Made me laugh and cry at the same time. I just love this book.

    5out of 5
  22. randompenguin
    on 4 March 2011

    i asked my mum to bring me a book and she brought back this book. it didnt look like something i wanted to read – it looked too dull – but i was sooooo wrong. this is my favourite series of books – loved trying to solve the mystery!i’ve read all 13 books, unable to put it down. there’s always something happening and twists all the time. everyone should read these books. trust me. the mystery of the baudelaire orphans awaits

    5out of 5
  23. xxisabellatrixx
    on 27 February 2011

    i picked these books up when i was bored and thewy sounded like exactly the kind of book i might like. i was wrong. i loved it it was full of great plots and evil schemes, and crammed with awesome storylines

    5out of 5
  24. Lulagee2000
    on 22 December 2010

    I Don’t know how these poor children survive around this evil and woeful Count Olaf, and now everywhere they go, they can’t enjoy it because they always think that Count Olaf is going to be there! Fantastic book and i recommend this to boys and girl from the age of 9-16 it is just a brilliant book and now i am obsessed with Lemony Snicket, i would love to meet him!

    5out of 5
  25. Lulagee
    on 20 December 2010

    I started reading this book and the Things that happen in this book are awful! I feel so sorry for the poor Baudelaire Children. If you haven’t read this book i sugest you do because this is the best book anyone will read in their lifetime. When i read it, about 8 other children in my class started reading it because i suggested it to them and even though they don’t read very much, they all say they love the book and they are so glad they read it. Definatley 5 whole stars and i recommend this to boys and girls over 9 years old

    5out of 5
  26. olivia08
    on 16 December 2010

    This book is about three children.There farther and mother died in a fire so they were sent to there uncles. He treated them horribly.He wanted to marry Violet the oldest and have children,and wanted to get rid of the two.He loked Violet in the castle just before they was going to maay on stage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  27. alidai92
    on 18 September 2009

    this was a fab book i loved it and now i am reading number nine of the series of unfortunate events !

    5out of 5
  28. ilovebooksforever
    on 8 September 2009

    i love this book i have read it 3 times but it is sad because there parents die

    5out of 5
  29. saf234
    on 7 August 2009

    This book is brilliant and it is the first one in the series so if you realy loved this book i would carry on reading them and read them all.I have read all of them and i just thought they were just outstanding and i no when i started reading them my friends did to.

    5out of 5
  30. moon92
    on 25 July 2009

    It is very creepy and very cool

    5out of 5
  31. sianhq123
    on 9 July 2009

    i am 11 and i loved it but i think if u are under the age of 10 u may find it hard to read (but i dont.) i have read most of them but not all.

    5out of 5
  32. jacbwoy
    on 28 June 2009

    this book is a great book but a bit sad because there die and count olaf does many bad things to them that why it called bad beginning

    5out of 5
  33. J-Q-A-F
    on 19 June 2009

    i have read this book and it was ok but it was not one of my fav book’s.But is still a good book

    4out of 5
  34. 3456tulip
    on 18 June 2009

    I have read the whole series and they are very good. Sometimes it gets a bit boring because nothing apart from sad things happen in them.

    4out of 5
  35. marli
    on 2 June 2009

    It is a brilliant book and should be read by all!I loved it so much I’m lost for words! ,It has quite a few hard words but it explains in a funny way,giving examples and including personal life.this is the first book and will make you want to read the rest.This is only the start of intrest to the bauldalires as thier life unfolds to discover unbareable secrets that instead of make you run away ,makes you want to dive deeper into their lives of misfortune!

    5out of 5
  36. imissmjxxx
    on 8 March 2009

    I’m a fan of Lemony Snicket’s books! They are really fun stories! You can really imagine the whole story in front of u! U actually kind of beleive that this story is real! I would recommend it to anyone at all! Everyonce should get to read this book!

    5out of 5
  37. CharlieGiraffe22
    on 17 January 2009

    This book was really good and it gets really tense at the end, this is because of one question – will Violet marry Count Olaf?

    5out of 5
  38. KatieCookie
    on 6 January 2009

    I loved this book because I like the way Lemony Snicket sneaks in parts of his life and when he explains things. I also like it when Sunny says a small word and it means a really long sentance that would take ages to say, but if she says a long word, it means a short sentence.

    5out of 5

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