A Box of Unfortunate Events Movie Tie-in Edition: The Trouble Begins The Bad Beginning, the Reptile Room, the Wide Window: Amazon.ca: Lemony Snicket: Books

Product Description

From Amazon.com

Fans of Lemony Snicket and newcomers to his gleefully ghastly Series of Unfortunate Events will be elated to discover this boxed gift set of the first three books in hardcover: The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, and The Wide Window. While it's true that the events that unfold in Snicket's novels are bleak, and things never turn out as you'd hope, these delightful, funny, linguistically playful books are reminiscent of Roald Dahl, Charles Dickens, and Edward Gorey. After they get their paws on this boxed set, there is no question that young readers will want to read the continuing unlucky adventures of the three Baudelaire orphans. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Description

"Dear Fan of Count Olaf, If you are looking for a good time, I'm sorry to tell you that you are holding a box of books, a term which here means " three books too many." As you may know, reading is pretty much the boringest thing in the world. You would have a better time watching a motion picture starring a handsome count. My major motion picture, for example, starring me, features a mansion burnt to a crisp, a peg leg made of real wood, and leeches that eat people. True, this " box of books" has all these details, too, but there are so many words in it, and so few pictures of me. It is my solemn duty to command you to step away from the computer at once and rush to your local movie theater to marvel at my groundbreaking performance in "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events." Books are for ugly people. Of course you may have my autograph." "Count Olaf"

See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)

mystery(1)

Customer Reviews

104 Reviews

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(10)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (104 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Trouble Begins, Sep 10 2006

By

Brian A. - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Series of Unfortunate Events Box: The Trouble Begins (Books 1-3) (Hardcover)

The Trouble Begins contains the first 3 books in the Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events books.

#1 - The Bad Beginning
#2 - The Reptile Room
#3 - The Wide Window

In the Series of Unfortunate Events isn't a happily ever after kind of story. There are three regular children:

Violet, who loves to invent
Klaus, who loves to read
and Sunny who loves to bite

Violet is the oldest, Claus the middle child, Sunny is the youngest.

The book "The Bad Beginning" is the basis for the first part of the movie. The story begins when the Baudelaire children are informed by Mr. Poe, a banking accountant, that their parents have just been killed by a mysterious fire, and thus begins a series of search for a suitable guardian and a safe place to live. The siblings closest member to their parents is supposedly Count Olaf, only he's not nice. He's exactly the opposite and he plans to steal the immense fortune left by the Baudelaire parents.

In The Bad Beginning, things, well, begin badly for the three Baudelaire orphans. And sadly, events only worsen in The Reptile Room. As the siblings move in with their new guardian Professor Montgomery, they find he is a reptile scientist. In a room with many different reptiles, there's a newly discovered reptile that he called a deadly, dangerous snake. But it's not really dangerous at all. Later Montes get a new assistant and it is Count Olaf in disguise. Of course something terrible happens to Uncle Morty after that and Count Olaf again tries to kidnap the children.

In the Wide Window, Mr. Poe places the children with a distant relative, Aunt Josephine. Aunt Josephiine lives in a house on the edge of a hill, a house that is very literally above Lake Lachrymose, a lake infested with Lachrymose Leeches who would eat a human if they smelled food on them.

Aunt Josephine is as eccentric as other relatives have been. She's a total grammar freak and so scared of every thing that the children have to live in a cold house and eat cold food because their aunt is afraid of accidents with fire. When Aunt Josephine meets Captain Sham who (who is Count Olaf in disguise), good fortune turns bad. Aunt Josephine dies and the apparent cause of death is jumping through the wide window in the living room, leaving the three children to Captain Sham (who is Count Olaf in disguise).

As the orphans try to figure out a way to escape from Count Olaf, they discover their aunt is still alive and in hiding. So they set out to find her and convince her to come back. This eventually leads them out onto the dreadful Lake Lachrymose where Count Olaf and the dreaded leaches catch up with them.

Though overall being sparse on detail and description, the books are fun reads.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

5.0 out of 5 stars They say that unfortunate events happen in threes, Oct 19 2007

By

bernie "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: A Box of Unfortunate Events Movie Tie-in Edition: The Trouble Begins (The Bad Beginning, the Reptile Room, the Wide Window) (Hardcover)

Looks as if they are correct. This is a great three-book starter set for the series. Lemony Snicket has made a great series of books for those people that can't stand everything being sweetness and light. In the process we learn many lessons in life from grammar to etiquette. Similar to Rocky and Bullwinkle there is something for everyone at any age.

It would be wise to buy this three book set as you will be hooked on the story from the beginning and have all three books finished before you have a chance to buy the forth.
Coming in a case allows you to set the books up on the shelf without needing any supporting books or book ends.

I will not go through the contents of the books, as you will get a better idea of what you are purchasing from the individual reviews. However the books included in this set are "The Bad Beginning," "The Reptile Room," and "The Wide Window." Be sure to look for my individual reviews of each book. In each you will se the pattern that makes this series popular and maybe learn a little something on the side.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Books!, July 13 2004

By

Jennifer (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Series of Unfortunate Events Box: The Trouble Begins (Books 1-3) (Hardcover)

I've bought these books, and I've recieved them in a short period of time. They are interesting to read. It's hard to see these children struggle, and face all the sorrow that comes their way. I thought I would not like these, because they were supposed to be depressing. If you want a series you really get involved in, try these. This collection is by far entertaining, and detailed. I can't wait to buy the next box set!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 104 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 152 reviews 4.2 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad for kids
What a depressing book. Everything is so negative. I had bought the series and returned all the other books after finishig the first one. Read more

Published on Oct 18 2005 by F. Jolicoeur

4.0 out of 5 stars From Bad to Worse: The Story of the Baudelaire Orphans
When I first started reading this series of books I was set back a little because these stories are not written in the style of typical children's books. Read more

Published on July 5 2004 by Lonnie E. Holder