A Series of Unfortunate Events

A Series of Unfortunate Events is the collective volume of the thirteen children's books following the unfortunate lives of the Baudelaire Orphans, as written by Lemony Snicket. Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire come across as extremely unfortunate children having their parents perish in a fire that destroyed their entire home, only to be brought to their third cousin four times removed, the treachourous Count Olaf. Books 1-13 in the series describe the treacheries that the children face through their young lives while trying to prevent Olaf and his many associates's attempts on getting his hands on the Baudelaire fortune. The whole series including Snicket's additional materials, were published by HarperCollins and illustrated by Brett Helquist. There's also a book called the Beatrice Letters and Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography.

Books

A Series of Unfortunate Events consists of thirteen novels:

Releases and Packaging

The series carries a unique feel, not only in content, but also in packaging.

The original covers were made to look old fashioned, with Victorian designs throughout. They were originally released in paperback, but those have now become harder to find, with hardcovers becoming the standard for the series.

Several hardcover box sets were released in the US. The first four box sets came with three books each, and were each referred to as "A Box of Unfortunate Events." Books 1-3 were released as The Trouble Begins, books 4-6 were released as The Situation Worsens, books 1-6 were re-released as The Loathsome Library, books 7-9 were released as The Dilemma Deepens, and books 10-12 were released as The Gloom Looms. Shortly after publication of the last book, The End, the entire series was released in a box set called The Complete Wreck.

The Reptile Room or, Murder! — Penny Dreadful release of The Reptile Room: Or, Murder!

The series's illustrator Brett Helquist returned to illustrate another release of the series in paperback form, made to mimic the penny dreadful--a common nineteenth century British publication that was usually released in parts, each of which cost a penny. Books one, two, and three saw releases in this form, as well as secondary names: The Bad Beginning or, Orphans!, The Reptile Room or, Murder!, and The Wide Window or, Disappearance! Penny Dreadful releases have been put on hold indefinitely for the remainder of the books.

Film

Main Article: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

The first three novels of the series, The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, and The Wide Window, were made into a film, entitled Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and starring Jim Carrey, Emily Browning, Liam Aiken, and Jude Law.

Additional Works

Sources

The Bothersome Books