Occlith
Well-Known Member
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket; illustrated by Brett Helquist
This series was written as much for adults as for children. The macabre and dark story elements are balanced by outrageous situations, word play, literary allusion, and occasional "visual" jokes.
Each book has more pages than the previous as the series progresses which allows for more complex plots and twists -- by the series' end it has explored the themes of, not just good versus evil, but the potential for good becoming evil, redemption, and the idea that no matter how well-informed one is there is always a deeper mystery that might never be revealed.
The longer book lengths also allow for some repetitiveness as the author recaps the storylines and there are some rather verbose passages.
This series is generally recommended for ages 10 and up but some content may be upsetting for some readers. If you plan on giving these books as a gift, be aware that the Baudelaires are orphans who have lost their parents in a fire and that some of their other relatives die.
Also, in regards to previous posters mentioning that all the books have 13 chapters – there is a Chapter 14 in The End.
This series was written as much for adults as for children. The macabre and dark story elements are balanced by outrageous situations, word play, literary allusion, and occasional "visual" jokes.
Each book has more pages than the previous as the series progresses which allows for more complex plots and twists -- by the series' end it has explored the themes of, not just good versus evil, but the potential for good becoming evil, redemption, and the idea that no matter how well-informed one is there is always a deeper mystery that might never be revealed.
The longer book lengths also allow for some repetitiveness as the author recaps the storylines and there are some rather verbose passages.
This series is generally recommended for ages 10 and up but some content may be upsetting for some readers. If you plan on giving these books as a gift, be aware that the Baudelaires are orphans who have lost their parents in a fire and that some of their other relatives die.
Also, in regards to previous posters mentioning that all the books have 13 chapters – there is a Chapter 14 in The End.