#8 A funny book: The Bad Beginning, “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, by Lemony Snicket.
This book falls under “gothic fiction”, and you can’t deny the darkness that shadows its comedic likeness. After a terrible fire that destroys their home and kills their parents; Mr. Poe, the Baudelaire estate’s banker, is in charge of finding a guardian for the orphan children. He places them in the care of Count Olaf; a tall and thin man, who only proves to be the worst guardian the Baudelaire children could ever get. He would be their legal guardian until the eldest daughter, Violet, comes of age and inherits the family fortune, which at that point would also make her the legal guardian of her younger brother Klaus, and baby sister Sunny.
Count Olaf is unpleasant, to say the least, as he forces the children to do labors around his house. He makes them clean and cook, and when they disappoint him, he is abusive and sometimes violent. Eventually, the children notice the count is plotting something when one day he declares that the children will be in a play he is performing for the community, where Violet would play the role of his bride. Klaus and Violet do some investigation and discover that his “script” is completely accurate, and with the local Judge playing the role of the “Judge” at the wedding, the ceremony would be legal, and Count Olaf would then inherit Violet’s family fortune by default.
The children manage to find a way to foil his plans, but before he can be arrested, he escapes and Mr. Poe must now find them another guardian. This “Bad Beginning” sets in motion the “series of unfortunate events” that befall the poor Baudelaire family. So where does the “funny book” criteria fit in? Oh, my dear readers, it is everywhere. The characters are insanely interesting, and their behaviors and mannerisms make this dark story entertaining and interesting. The orphans are smart and cunning and their interactions cause a good giggle. This light humor evens out the dark tone of the book, giving it this enchanting sensation throughout. 4 out of 5 simply because it sets the tone for the rest of the series so well, and it is consistent from the bad beginning to the end. Haha…puns.
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