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eggjen's review against another edition
5.0
I had seen the movie AND played the video game before beginning this series, so I was worried I might be a bit bored with the first three books, already essentially knowing the plot, but the books are SO well written and better than the movie, which I thought would be a bit of a challenge. I found several things in the book were left out of the movie or rearranged to suit their fancy, and it seemed some things from the video game were made up entirely. I love the little "vocabulary lessons" throughout the chapters and found the whole thing fantastic. He writes the way I wish I did.
alli_thebookgiraffe's review
5.0
I just finished the TV series the other day so I decided to go back and read all these books again. I love reading this book and imagining the characters as they looked in the show. This is such a unique series and Lemony Snicket is such a unique writer. He puts so much thought into his books. I only wish that I read these as a kid.
cinchona's review against another edition
5.0
I adore children's books, and A Series of Unfortunate Events in particular. Lemony Snicket beautifully manages to balance the far-fetched fantastical plots of childhood with the dark and serious undercurrent that lies beneath all good children's fiction. Snicket is an heir to Roald Dahl's dark sense of humor.
The style is delightfully consistent, while growing in linguistic difficult, sardonic humor and plot complexity as the children age. Occasional turns of phrase catch my eye and make me laugh, even in this first and simplest book. The characters are compelling and interesting but also very simple and easy to love.
For this and the following books, Snicket harps on the idea that many children's authors touch tangentially: that adults, even when well-meaning and kind, are often unhelpful. Hampered by their fears and weaknesses, the adults that surround the unfortunate Baudelaires are ever more malicious, impotent or misguided. While as an adult I don't know if this an excellent moral for children, I know that as a child I would have been fascinated by the self-sufficiency of these orphans in an antagonistic world.
The style is delightfully consistent, while growing in linguistic difficult, sardonic humor and plot complexity as the children age. Occasional turns of phrase catch my eye and make me laugh, even in this first and simplest book. The characters are compelling and interesting but also very simple and easy to love.
For this and the following books, Snicket harps on the idea that many children's authors touch tangentially: that adults, even when well-meaning and kind, are often unhelpful. Hampered by their fears and weaknesses, the adults that surround the unfortunate Baudelaires are ever more malicious, impotent or misguided. While as an adult I don't know if this an excellent moral for children, I know that as a child I would have been fascinated by the self-sufficiency of these orphans in an antagonistic world.
hollyb15's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
hizlay's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ilovepie100's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lexilovesreadingandlaufey's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Murder and Death of parent
dunder_mifflin's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5*.
I've started reading this series because of the Netflix show. I've never read these books before but I did watch (and enjoy) the film. I know I would have enjoyed this book more when I was younger, but I did enjoy it now anyway, and I'm intending to read the rest of the series too (hoping that I'll enjoy them more as the series progresses, but we'll see).
I've started reading this series because of the Netflix show. I've never read these books before but I did watch (and enjoy) the film. I know I would have enjoyed this book more when I was younger, but I did enjoy it now anyway, and I'm intending to read the rest of the series too (hoping that I'll enjoy them more as the series progresses, but we'll see).