A Library of Unfortunate Events [Hardcover]

Lemony Snicket (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060537590
• ISBN-13: 978-0060537593
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.2 x 4.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,019,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look out! Count Olaf is standing behind you!, December 23, 2002

By 

Anoriel - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Library of Unfortunate Events (Hardcover)

These are very good books, despite what some critics say about them, including the one who thinks that Count Olaf is the children's uncle, rather than their fourth cousin three times removed or third cousin four times removed. As far as I am concerned, these books are a breath of fresh air for anyone who is fed up with stuffy books that don't take kids seriously, as the series itself is a parody of that particular writing style.

To summarize the series, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are three talented orphans who get adopted by a distant relative named Count Olaf. Olaf turns out to be a greedy villain out to steal the enormous Baudelaire fortune. He almost succeeds with his evil plans, and the children are able to stop him, but he evades the authorities, a phrase which here means "escapes." From here the orphans get moved around from guardian to guardian, and Olaf follows them, each time with a new plan to steal their fortune. He always fails, but he always escapes.

It is unfortunate that the adamant critics deprive themselves of the later books, for it is in these that the subtle secondary plot begins to reveal itself. Readers who decide to discontinue their readings after the first book will never understand the fun of the series. These books were not only meant to convey the story of three orphans, but also to convey the mystery interwoven between these children and the elusive author, Mr. Snicket.

These stories are not Tolkien-esqe or reminiscent of Harry Potter, for the simple reason that neither J. K. Rowling nor J. R. R. Tolkien wrote them. If you'll care to notice, Harry Potter is about a wizarding school, and books by Tolkien are usually filled with hard words and hobbits with evil rings. A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series about three children and the trouble that follows them. If they had been equipped with magic wands and evil rings, I am sure that their story would have turned out differently.

With all due respect,

Anoriel

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Different" type of story that will intrigue your kids!, November 28, 2002

By 

Kicking back in New England - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Library of Unfortunate Events (Hardcover)

This series of books by "Lemony Snicket" does not have the standard "happy ending" of most childrens books. The 3 kids in these stories have miserable lives with one thing going wrong after another. Because of this, I thought my 7 year old son wouldn't like them - wrong! He absolutely loves them and is always begging me to read one more chapter! The writing is dry, but funny. The books contain many "large" or unusual words/expressions, but almost all are explained in the text. I would say these books are good for kids from 7 - 12 (although use your judgement for the younger ones as the books do have evil bad guys, murder and lots of threats). As an adult reading the books to your kids, you might get a little frustrated as the stories are similar and the adults in the books are really dense - but these are for kids and they seem to love them!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully Wicked, November 26, 2002

By 

Duncan Mccullough "Wiscodizard" (Diamondhead, MS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Library of Unfortunate Events (Hardcover)

Lemony Snicket's fun set of books is not the 'newest Harry Potter' or 'Tolkien-esque' fad, as the one-star reviewer seems to think (especially since a fad is something adopted by a very wide audience and I know many folks who have no clue about these books). It is an amusingly satirical series, with a plot that grows more complex as each new book arrives. I adore them. And when a new one comes out, I rush to the library, check it out, and devour it within an hour, only afterwards taking my time to pause over the intricate silliness of the plots. If you want something comparable to Harry Potter, don't touch these books, because you'll only be disappointed. But if you appriciate a fine bit of satirical joking, read it as soon as possible.