I read the novel “ The Bad Beginning” by Lemony Snicket. This is the unhappy tale of the Baudelaire orphans. The three children Violet , Klause, and Sunny are all very bright and charming . Unfortunately their lives are filled with misery and despair , disaster always lurking around the corner. Snickets style of writing is very unique , he uses an interesting and extensive vocabulary. This paper hopefully summarizes the twist and turns of the Baudelaire’s dreary lives. The story starts when the children learn of their parents death while sitting on a beach.
Mr. Poe, a banker, comes to give them the news and oversee that they find a new home . He gives them to their nearest relative, Count Olaf. Though the children seriously doubt the count is actually their relative, he becomes their guardian. He and his acting troupe treat the children horribly. They force them to cook and clean their house, which is filthy and dilapidated . One day the children find a friend, their next door neighbor, Justice Strauss. She lets them use her library , and is sympathetic and compassionate towards them and their situation.
The children ask for her help in buying ingredients for a dinner that Olaf has ordered them to cook for him and his troupe. There is no food in his house, and the kitchen does not have proper utensils, pots, or pans to cook with. However, with the help of Violet’s inventions, Klause’s research skills, and Sunny’s culinary knowledge, the children cook up a mouthwatering feast of pasta puttanesca. This, unsurprisingly, does not satisfy Olaf, who wanted his favorite dish, roast beef. The children ask Mr. Poe for help in the matter of their evil degenerate guardian .
Nevertheless, Mr. Poe is not the smartest or most understanding banker, and tells the children that the count is a fine guardian . However, unbeknown to Mr. Poe , Olaf has devised a plan to obtain the orphan’s money left to them after their parents demise. Olaf puts together a play with his troupe, called “ The Marvelous Marriage”. During the play, he will marry Violet, making it seem all part of the show. To try and terminate his plan , Klause uses Justice Strauss’s library to read about nuptial law and find some technicality that will cease the marriage .
However , the count coincidentally invited Justice Strauss to act the part of a Justice in the play, and if Olaf and Violet say their vows and sign the documents, the marriage will be completely legal. To make sure that the Baudelaire orphans will stay quiet during the show, Olaf puts Sunny in a cage and locks her in the highest tower of his house, and she is guarded by a member of his troupe . The count threatens to drop her, so Klause and Violet try to rescue Sunny by using the grappling hook Violet constructed .
But some of Olaf’s thugs capture and lock them in the fortress until the play begins. The play progresses slowly and the tension builds. When it reaches the point of Olaf and Violet’s marriage , Olaf proudly declares the success of his plan by announcing his marriage. Justice Strauss informs Olaf that you cannot marry if you are underage. He simply states that you may marry with a guardian’s permission, and since he is her guardian, she must have permission. Violet announces that she signed the document with her left hand .
Being right handed, she declares the marriage void. Justice Strauss, Klause , Violet , and Sunny are all finally safe from the clutches of the horrid count. Unfortunately he escapes, and threatens that he will continue to seek their fortune. While living with Olaf, the children grew quite close to Justice Strauss, and she wants to adopt them. But, Mr. Poe insists that they must be kept by a relative. So they unwillingly pack their bags and sadly depart . The book ends and the Baudelaire orphans are off to their next so called “ guardian”.
I thought that this book was well written and Snickets style is very creative. The story’s plot was well laid out and clever. I would recommend this book to anyone family or friends, it is a comical , odd , and dramatic story. It had clearly expressed ideas , smooth sentence fluency, and very authentic voice. I was influenced to read the rest in the series and I realized how much I love my family. Also that , even in the dimmest of situations you can find joy and bliss. Overall a very savvy and brilliant novel.
