Reader Series: 'The Bad Beginning,' Lemony Snicket

This is the first post in a series leading up to the premiere of Netflix's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' on January 13, 2017. The series will cover each of the 13 books and 'Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography.' Be warned: there are spoilers ahead.

Lemony Snicket (AKA Daniel Handler) has one of the most fascinating writing styles you will ever read. Somewhere on the spectrum between existentialism and realism, A Series of Unfortunate Events covers the surprisingly unsoftened story of the Baudelaire orphans: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. The first book, noticeably shorter and simpler than the following increments in the series, starts at the beginning, which is shockingly bad. When the orphans lose their parents, and home, in a house fire, their parents' executor, the coughing and inept Mr. Poe, sends them to live with odious and villainous Count Olaf. 

The Bad Beginning focuses on a short span of time, from the orphans' introduction into Olaf's house and crazy reality, to the ominous and theatrical finale with Olaf's "The Marvelous Marriage." Unlike most of the books in the series, The Bad Beginning is short on action. It's a simple plot that carries well but is not an exciting story; rather than focusing on multiple incriminating events, Snicket uses the first book to develop characters, their overarching goals, and the foundation of the Baudelaires' unfair and consistently evil reality.

Reading through the first book again, I was surprised at how quickly I read it, how short it was, and how little was overtly included. However, I was consistently (and dorkishly) excited by the small details that I recognized as important for the entire series. I also was able to appreciate various excellent passages:

In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle.

One of the most troublesome things in life is that what you do or do not want has very little to do with what does or does not happen.

There are many, many types of books in the world, which makes good sense, because there are many, many types of people, and everybody wants to read something different.

I am certain that over the course of your own life, you have noticed that people's rooms reflect their personalities. In my room, for instance, I have gathered a collection of objects that are important to me, including a dusty accordion on which I can play a few sad songs, a large bundle of notes on the activities of the Baudelaire orphans, and a blurry photograph, taken a very long time ago, of a woman whose name is Beatrice. These are items that are very precious and dear to me.

In this first volume of the Baudelaire story, there isn't much to primarily analyze. There are many details that lead into future books, there are many indications that the 'good' adults in the Baudelaires' lives are likely to be inept, and there are many points at which you're reminded that Snicket will be softening absolutely none of this troubling and all too real series of unfortunate events.

What do you think of The Bad Beginning?