The Bad Beginning

by Lemony Snicket

Part of A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, book 1

First published 1999

When the Baudelaire children lose their parents, they must outsmart their new guardian, the villainous Count Olaf, who hatches one nefarious plot after another to steal their inheritance. As the siblings - inventive Violet, bookish Klaus, and biting Sunny - use their wits to foil Olaf's schemes, they grapple with the trauma of their loss. In the end, the Baudelaires discover the power of family in the face of adversity.

Genres: fiction, family, adventure, mystery, contemporary

Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, whimsical

Tropes: found-family, underdog

Setting: Like Counting

Period: It Is About Three Kids That Go From Caretaker To Caretaker

162 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins Publishers

Content warnings: child-abuse

More by Lemony Snicket

Readers who liked The Bad Beginning also liked

View on Siftivo