Customer Reviews

A Series of Unfortunate Events Box: The Trouble Begins (Books 1-3)

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

 

 

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.

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.

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!

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. These stories are dark, and the evil characters are truly evil. A number of reviewers have panned this series because they are dark, and because they often push the boundaries of what some of us may find acceptable for children to read. It is because of the dark imagery that I have typically recommended that age 9 be a minimum age. Some children may be unprepared for these books until later.

In the first three books in this series we learn that the three Baudelaire children, Sunny, the baby, Klaus, her brother, and Violet, a young teen, have lost their parents in a terrible fire. The children are sent to live with their evil uncle Olaf, who has ulterior motives yet to be revealed in later books. The children quickly learn how evil he is, and ultimately escape. They next go to live with their uncle Montgomery Montgomery in "The Reptile Room," only to be forced to move on again. In "The Wide Window" the children live with an aunt who is afraid of everything, only to ultimately be forced to move on again, continually chased by the evil Count Olaf in a variety of disguises.

Book 11 in this series is soon to come out, and the original plan was for there to be 12 books. These books are like potato chips. Once you start one and find it intriguing, you will want to keep reading. If you do not like the first book, plan to stop with the first.

This series is highly creative and many children 9 and older find them enjoyable. My children read them as teens and loved them. They did think they were different and unusual, and since they could not explain why I read them myself. They are different and unusual, but they also introduce children to situations that have occurred to children in the real world. A good way to introduce scary subjects.

Well, I'll admit its been a while since I've read the first three books of the series. They are are my least favorite in the series. Because in my opinion they get much better after those three. Especially after book 5. However, since this is a 1-3 box set, I MUST review these specific ones right now, so here goes.

Book One: The Bad Beginning - Well in book one we our introduced to the Baudelaire's, they are quite happy children that live with their parents in a large house, and are very rich. These children include: Violet, a 14 year old whom is a genius inventor, and will tie her up when in the midst of inventing, Klaus, her 12 year old brother whom is a genius of books, hecan't get enough of them, and is quite often a well of imformation, and last but not least Sunny, a small baby whom is still crawling, can't really talk yet except with made up words, but she has for EXTREMELY long & sharp teeth.

Now, so the story goes, the Baudelare children were playing on the beach, when they became orphans(wont tell you how), this is where there misfortunes began, because they must live with a gardian now, a relative or something. Well, they end up living with Count Olaf, and really I don't want to tell you more of that book.

NOTICE: If you DON'T want ANYTHING in the books after book one spoiled DON'T the next to descriptions of the books, skip them and read my summary.

Book Two: The Reptile Room - In this book the Baudelaire's have escaped Count Olaf and Mr. Poe has placed them in the care of Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, or their Uncle Monty. He is a man whom studies reptiles and has many interesting and dangerous reptiles. The Baudelaire's begin to feel that they will actually enjoy living there too. But is it safe for them to get comfortable?

Book Three: The Wide Window - After they had to leave Uncle Monty's house(I wont say why), Mr. Poe has placed them in their care of their paranoid grammar obsessed Aunt Josephine. A woman who's husband died a couple years back and wont use stoves in fear that she set the house on fire or something like that. Her house "barely" sits on a ledge next to lake Lachreymose by Domocles Dock. The Baudelaire's don't enjoy living there very much, but how long will it last anyways?

Well, I would say that "The Series of Unfortunate Events" is for those who are morbid at heart. These books have an extremely morbid sense of humor. But it is a great sense of humor, may take some time to get used to. And even though book 4 is the lowest rated on Amazon.com, I'd say that is where the books really hit their stride, in book for. That's where I really began to enjoy the books and their unique sense of humor. So whether you are young or old, though I think older people may enjoy these a little more cause they can understand them better(and most the people I know who've read them have been at least my age, 19yrs), you'll probably still enjoy them, they're fun books. And they have some things to teach, even though they don't seem like it.

God Bless & *enjoy* ~Amy

These two books were great! If you don't like happy endings like me then this is the book for you. Unfortunate event after unfortunate event makes these books so great. Each book just begins with bad things and ends with bad things. You think your life is bad, wait till you read these books. Lemony Snicket is a phenonemonal writer. He does an absolute awesome job in writing his books. The only annoying thing is that he defines words that I already know what they mean. His books are a very different way than any other book I've read. His style is unique! =)

Lemony Snicket has come a long way as an author of children's stories since "The Bad Beginning" - the first of thirteen novels in the planned A Series of Unfortunate Events. The premise of these books, if you don't already know, is to detail the most unpleasant experiences three young children might have while remaining within the boundaries of acceptability to the parents of American children, who are after all enormously protective of their offspring and their mental health. Often this is done by exaggerating particular elements of situation or character personality to a level of absurdity not to be taken seriously. At other times, the author simply begs his readers to skip passages over and over, exaggerating the tragedy of his tale. True, some of these things may seem repetitive and dull after a time, particularly the ignorance of certain adults and the bemoaning of Snicket's own character, but these are problems readers will have to - and should - endure to move on to further novels. As a first-time author, Snicket begins the series with an uncomplicated plot that leaves most puzzles tied up in under 200 pages. In comparison to his newest installment, "The Slippery Slope," this book may read slower and leave readers a little unenthusiastic, but without such an opener better novels would never have emerged. Second in this box set is "The Reptile Room," and this novel provides a prototype for the following five novels in basic plot layout. In this pattern, the three protagonists are sent from one guardian to another where they encounter various misfortunes related to the appearance of the cruel opposition, Count Olaf and his theater troupe, and must eventually be passed on. This book also contains one of the longest non-unfortunate spells of any book in the series. There is little to say about book three which sets it apart from its precursor in terms of development of the overall series, but it is nonetheless an amusing and entertaining read. If you enjoy these books, you have much more to look forward to.

To me these books have been some of the greatest books I've ever read. These characters, Violet,Klaus and Sunny are always on adventures. Some people think these books are too violent for children, but in my mind I think these are perfect books for children. Plus it teaches lessons from time to time in each book. I hope the author makes more of these same books. I can't wait to read the other 8 books that have been written. For some reason once I started reading these books I couldn't stop reading these books. That's why I think these books are ok for kids under 9 years old and that's why so many people gave these books five stars. If I could give these books more than 5 stars,I would.

Dear Reader,
This series is about three children: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Bauldiare. The books are filled with misery and woe, the children are always followed by misfortune and a crook by the name of Count Olaf. He is always after the Bauldiares enormous fortune, and somehow never seems to get a firm grip, just like you couldn't grab a stick of melting butter with your bare hand. The children (orphans, which we are bound to call them) always find a way to escape the scraggly grip of Count Olaf... The first book started as the three soon to be orphans were walking along the beach examining strange specimens that got washed up on the shoreline. When a strange figure came up to them, it turns out that it was Mr. Poe, the Bauldiares bank manager. This started all of the childrens' misery: the fact that an enormous fire had destroyed their home, and their parents... This has been just the beginning of the first book. There are currently 13 books, where misfortune and Count Olaf follow the poor Bauldiares, trying to get control over the fortune and the their lives.The books are very negative, so I personally don't recommend them for smaller children, but they are good, if your heart doesn't melt in the midst of them. Do the orphans escape Olaf, or do they lose their fortune, and their lives. To find out, read the Series of Unfortunate Events.

I can't explain how much I love this series, and I am upset to say they are making a movie out of it. Sad, I know, that the millions of people who read the books, including yours truly, and since it has kid actors, it's going to be terrible. How do I know? Simple-- It's the same thing with Harry Potter- An excellent and achieving book series, and they ruined it by spoiling all of our imaginations on how we thought this book went. And in my opinion, I didin't like the movies because the dimwit kid actors ruined it with their horrible and cheesy acting. And I'm guessing it's going to be the same thing with this, since Klaus is about 12, and the kid who's going to play him is a terrible actor. (it figures, 'cause he's about 12 or something) The only adapted films that were good as it's original book is the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Jurassic Park but I'm going to keep this review based on A Series of Unfortunate Events.
So even this is some unfortunate news itself, the books are amazing. And if you love this series as much as I do, be like me- don't see the movies, 'cause it will spoil all of our imagainations. So buy these books, 'cause the books are so amazing and clever, and if you like they way you imagined it, don't see the movie, and stay with the books, because in most cases, the books are sooo much better than the movies. Buy this series, it's a great one.