The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

By Lemony Snicket (author) , Brett Helquist (illustrator) Part of the A Series of Unfortunate Events series

Paperback In Stock £8.99 £8.09

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This bestselling series (in fact in the top five of bestsellers of the last decade), now at long last available in paperback, launches with the suitably named title that charts the unlucky reason why the whole woeful story of the three Baudelaire siblings was ever told.

This is the wretched book that started all the trouble. Violet, Sunny and Klaus are three intelligent, charming and resourceful children but they suffer some very bad luck indeed when their parents die in a fire that destroys their home and they are packed off to live with their nasty relative, Count Olaf. Here they encounter a greedy villain, disgusting food, strange behaviour by those around them and much more - all of which is revealed in the hugely entertaining, totally deadpan humour that has made this series so original and so captivating.

Books in The Series of Unfortunate Events:

1. The Bad Beginning

4. The Miserable Mill

5. The Austere Academy

6. The Ersatz Elevator

8. The Hostile Hospital

9. The Carnivorous Carnival

10. The Slippery Slope

12. The Penultimate Peril

Be warned - to commiserate 25 years of misfortune and gloom, Lemony Snicket's publishers have taken the untold risk of creating brand new collectors' editions of A Series of Unfortunate Events, illustrated by the obscenely talented Emily Gravett. The temptation to buy a copy is severe indeed…

Read the full description

Be warned - to commiserate 25 years of misfortune and gloom, Lemony Snicket's publishers have taken the untold risk of creating brand new collectors' editions of A Series of Unfortunate Events , illustrated by the obscenely talented Emily Gravett. The temptation to buy a copy is severe indeed…

You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution…

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.

In The Bad Beginning, the siblings encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune and cold porridge for breakfast.

In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted.

Despite their wretched contents, 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey and massively popular Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris.

Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures?

The Hostile Hospital

The Carnivorous Carnival

The Penultimate Peril

Image © Meredith Heuer

Lemony Snicket had an unusual education and a perplexing youth, and now endures a despondent adulthood. His previous published works include the thirteen volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Composer Is Dead, and 13 Words. His forthcoming book, “Who Could That Be at This Hour?”, which is the first question in a series of All The Wrong Questions, will be made available only to the general public on October 23, 2012. He is represented in all matters literary, legal, and social by Daniel Handler, author of the Printz Honor-award winning Why We Broke Up.

Click here to read a Q&A with the author from top children's publisher Egmont or read on at your own risk...

Lemony Snicket was born before you were, and is likely to die before you as well. His family has roots in a part of the country which is now underwater, and his childhood was spent in the relative splendor of the Snicket Villa which has since become a factory, a fortress and a pharmacy and is now, alas, someone else's villa. To the untrained eye, Mr. Snicket's hometown would not appear to be filled with secrets. Untrained eyes have been wrong before. The aftermath of the scandal was swift, brutal and inaccurately reported in the periodicals of the day. It is true, however, that Mr. Snicket was stripped of several awards by the reigning authorities, including Honorable Mention, the Grey Ribbon and First Runner Up. The High Council reached a convenient if questionable verdict and Mr. Snicket found himself in exile. Though his formal training was chiefly in rhetorical analysis, he has spent the last several eras researching the travails of the Baudelaire orphans. This project, being published serially by HarperCollins, takes him to the scenes of numerous crimes, often during the offseason. Eternally pursued and insatiably inquisitive, a hermit and a nomad, Mr. Snicket wishes you nothing but the best. Due to the world-wide web of conspiracy which surrounds him, Mr. Snicket often communicates with the general public through his representative, Daniel Handler. Mr. Handler has had a relatively uneventful life, and is the author of three books for adults, The Basic Eight, Watch Your Mouth, and Adverbs, none of which are anywhere near as dreadful as Mr. Snicket's. Like Mr. Snicket, Mr. Handler wishes you nothing but the best.

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I think this book is interesting but morbid as there are some worrying scenes but altogether it is a very good book and I would definitely recommend this books to readers over the age of 11! This book is not for people who get scared or upset easily.

This book is about 3 kids called Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire. They were part of a nice family until one day. When they found out a huge fire that burnt their house and killed their parents, they went to go live with a man called Count Olaf. Little did they know that he wanted to inherit their large fortune that was left by their parents. With countless attempts to get their fortune, will the Baudelaire siblings ever be free?

My favourite character is Violet Baudelaire because she’s very smart and always does her best to keep her siblings safe.

I think this book is interesting but morbid as there are some worrying scenes but altogether it is a very good book and I would definitely recommend this books to readers over the age of 11!... Read Full Review

Be warned - to commiserate 25 years of misfortune and gloom, Lemony Snicket's publishers have taken the untold risk of creating brand new collectors' editions of A Series of Unfortunate Events, illustrated by the obscenely talented Emily Gravett. The temptation to buy a copy is severe indeed…Dear reader,You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read.

The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Bad Beginning and determined it is suitable for children aged 7-10 years old

The Bad Beginning features in the following genres: Featured Books for 7+ readers, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations, Adventure Stories, Fantasy / Magical, Film & TV Tie-ins, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Special features and related items

Paperback, Hardback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.

The Bad Beginning was written by Lemony Snicket and published by Farshore an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

The Bad Beginning has 162 pages

Yes it is part of A Series of Unfortunate Events series

£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.

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