| A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning: Book the First (1999) by Lemony Snicket, 183 pages A Bennett 15 June 2004 It is hard to imagine a more marvelously, cleverly written novella. Delightfully drawn from the work of both Edward Gorey and Tim Burton, and yet somehow, perfectly, like nothing else, ever. Snicket easily takes as much fun from relating the details of his story as from the mechanics used to relate it. What luck there are 12 more unfortunate events in the series! Possibly the second most perfect non-literature book I have ever read (The Blue Sword being first). Not a misstep to be found amongst any of its thirteen, dolefully wonderful chapters. | A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill: Book the Fourth (2000) by Lemony Snicket, 196 pages A Bennett 16 June 2004 How unfortunate that when I needed a fix of this new book-bound drug that I was in a grocery store that only had book four to sell me, and not two or three. Encouragingly, a word here which means, "happily", such a bad beginning did little to dim my enjoyment of the text. |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room: Book the Second (1999) by Lemony Snicket, 192 pages A Bennett 21 June 2004 A thrilling sidebar was offered around page 35 on dramatic irony. Rather made me wish I had it to copy and pass around to students when I was teaching. |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Wide Window: Book the Third (2000) by Lemony Snicket, 217 pages A Bennett 23 June 2004 An event containing flesh-eating leeches, hurricanes, a doll named Pretty Penny, and naturally the most severly nefarious non-magical villain about which I've ever read, Count Olaf. |
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography (2002) by Lemony Snicket, 212 pages A Bennett 31 December 2004 |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Grim Grotto: Book the Eleventh (2004) by Lemony Snicket, 323 pages A Bennett 31 December 2004 |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Slippery Slope: Book the Tenth (2003) by Lemony Snicket, 337 pages A Bennett 31 December 2004 |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Carnivorous Carnival: Book the Ninth (2002) by Lemony Snicket, 286 pages A Bennett 31 December 2004 |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Hostile Hospital: Book the Eighth (2001) by Lemony Snicket, 255 pages A Bennett 31 December 2004 |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Vile Village: Book the Seventh (2001) by Lemony Snicket, 256 pages A Bennett 31 December 2004 |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator: Book the Sixth (2001) by Lemony Snicket, 259 pages A Bennett 31 December 2004 |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy: Book the Fifth (2000) by Lemony Snicket, 221 pages A Bennett 31 December 2004 |
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Penultimate Peril: Book the Twelfth (2005) by Lemony Snicket, 368 pages A Bennett 30 October 2005 Take a lesson, JK! The next-to-last book in a series can be more than just a page-heavy stalling tactic. The Baudelaires spend this excellently-named tome pondering the nature of villainy, and moral cost of attempting to live nobly in a corrupt world. |
The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1) (1999) by Lemony Snicket, 162 pages Brad Snyder 30 August 2009 Reading this out loud to my youngest daughter. I'm enjoyed the book, but loved the time with her. |