A Series of Unfortunate Events

This article is about the book series. For the film, see Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. For the TV series, see A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV series).

A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Bad Beginning
The Reptile Room
The Wide Window
The Miserable Mill
The Austere Academy
The Ersatz Elevator
The Vile Village
The Hostile Hospital
The Carnivorous Carnival
The Slippery Slope
The Grim Grotto
The Penultimate Peril
The End
AuthorLemony Snicket
IllustratorBrett Helquist
Cover artistBrett Helquist
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreGothic fiction, absurdist fiction, mystery, comedy drama, black comedy, spy fiction,[1][2][3] children's fiction[4]
PublisherHarperCollins
PublishedSeptember 30, 1999 – October 13, 2006

A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series of thirteen children's novels written by American author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket. The books follow the turbulent lives of orphaned siblings Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. After their parents' death in a fire, the children are placed in the custody of a murderous villain, Count Olaf, who attempts to steal their inheritance and causes numerous disasters with the help of his accomplices as the children attempt to flee. As the plot progresses, the Baudelaires gradually confront further mysteries surrounding their family and deep conspiracies involving a secret society, which also involves Olaf and Snicket, the author's own fictional self-insert.

Characterized by Victorian Gothic tones and absurdist textuality,[5][6] the books are noted for their dark humour, sarcastic storytelling, and anachronistic elements, as well as frequent cultural and literary allusions.[3][7] They have been classified as postmodern and metafictional writing, with the plot evolution throughout the later novels being cited as an exploration of the psychological process of the transition from the innocence of childhood to the moral complexity of maturity.[8][9][10] As the series progresses, the Baudelaires must face the reality that their actions have become morally ambiguous, blurring the lines between which characters should be read as "good" or "evil".[5][11][12]

Since the release of the first novel, The Bad Beginning, in September 1999, the books have gained significant popularity, critical acclaim, and commercial success worldwide, spawning a film, a video game, assorted merchandise, and a television series. The main thirteen books in the series have collectively sold more than 60 million copies and have been translated into 41 languages.[13][14] Several companion books set in the same universe of the series have also been released, including Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography, The Beatrice Letters, and the noir prequel tetralogy All the Wrong Questions, which chronicles Snicket's childhood.[15]

  1. ^ Han, Angie (November 5, 2014). "Netflix Making Lemony Snicket's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' Series". November 5, 2014.. Slashfilm. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  2. ^ Campbell, Jean. Campbell, Jean (January 4, 2011). Steampunk Style Jewelry: Victorian, Fantasy, and Mechanical Necklaces, Bracelets, and Earrings. Quarto Publishing Group USA. ISBN 978-1-61673-832-7.. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b Noah Cruickshank and Kevin McFarland (October 25, 2012). Dissecting the repetition and hidden messages of A Series Of Unfortunate Events. The A. V. Club. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference ansible was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Olson, Danel. 21st-Century Gothic: Great Gothic Novels Since 2000. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  6. ^ Cross, Julie. Humor in Contemporary Junior Literature. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  7. ^ Charney, Maurice. Irony in Children's Literature. Comedy: A Geographic and Historical Guide, Volume 2. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  8. ^ Sadenwasser, Tim. The Gothic Fairy Tale in Young Adult Literature: Essays on Stories from Grimm to Gaiman. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  9. ^ Austin, Sara (May/June 2013). Performative Metafiction: Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler and The End of A Series of Unfortunate Events. The Looking Glass: New Perspectives on Children's Literature, Vol 17, No 1 (2013). Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Postmodernism The Atlantic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Pugh, Tison. Innocence, Heterosexuality, and the Queerness of Children's Literature. What, Then, Does Beatrice Mean?: Hermaphroditic Gender, Predatory Sexuality, and Promiscuous Allusion in Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  12. ^ Ahlin, Charlotte (February 18, 2016). What A Series Of Unfortunate Events Taught Me About Justice. Bustle.com. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  13. ^ Spangler, Todd. (July 6, 2015). Fake Trailer for Netflix's 'Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events' Lights Up YouTube. Variety. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  14. ^ Lemony Snicket Sneaks Back with 'File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents'. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  15. ^ R. della Cava, Marco (October 22, 2012). Daniel Handler's new Snicket series dives into noir. USA Today. Retrieved 13 January 2017.