Alana’s Old Favorites & New Discoveries - June 2024 📚

Hi all! I’m Alana, and I’m the Adult Programs Coordinator for Ida Rupp Library. My blog posts will consist of older favorites and recommendations along with new finds in the wide world of entertainment. I never limit myself based on audience or genre, so whatever your preference, I hope I can help you find your next watch, read, listen, or play-through!

This month has been pretty slow in terms of consuming new media for me. This is largely due to the fact that I have spent most of the last few weeks reading through the entirety of a series of books that I grew up with, but never finished completely. I made up my mind at the end of 2023 that 2024 would be the year I finally completed it. The series in question is, of course, A Series of Unfortunate Events, written by Lemony Snicket. 

In total, there are thirteen books, the first of which was published in 1999, chronicling the trials and tribulations of the Baudelaire children, starting with the day that they learn their parents have perished in a devastating house fire. The children - Violet, 14, who loves inventing mechanical devices; Klaus, 12, a voracious reader with a knack for research; and Sunny, an infant with four very strong and sharp teeth - are blindsided by the news, but before they have time to process or grieve properly, the banker in charge of their affairs must place them in the care of a new guardian. This is where readers are introduced to Count Olaf, a treacherous figure who serves as the main antagonist in the Baudelaire’s lives for the rest of the series. His goal in life is to steal the fortune left behind for the Baudelaire children, and he will go to great (and evil) lengths to achieve this goal. The children manage to outwit Olaf thanks to their smarts, teamwork, and physical ability, but he comes back time and again with new schemes, new disguises, and poor personal hygiene to boot. 

Now, a major disclaimer here: these are books written for middle-grade readers, somewhere between late elementary and early high school reading levels. The premise is simple, and events in the story can border on ridiculous if a reader is unable to suspend their disbelief. There are overt examples of many concepts that the target demographic are learning about in their Language Arts classes, such as dramatic irony, wordplay, and foreshadowing. As a child, I remember being pleased with myself when I was able to spot these in the text. As an adult, however, they can sometimes come off as silly. For those looking for a challenge, this may not be the series for you. The invalidation of the concerns of children is another recurring theme which adult readers may not relate to, depending on how long ago one’s childhood was. 

That’s not to say that adult readers can’t enjoy these books. On the contrary; I find that I can appreciate them now more than ever. Yes, they are somewhat absurd, but the world-building techniques employed by author Lemony Snicket are consistently entertaining, and there are mysteries to be solved that even I didn’t see coming. I had not finished the entire series in my youth (I only read eight out of thirteen), so I find that reading them now, from beginning to end, has been both new and nostalgic, not to mention fun. The story itself is dismal, and yet I find a sense of comfort in its pages. 

There are illustrations within the books as well, all created by the talented Brett Helquist. In fact, at the end of each installment, there is a full page illustration that foreshadows the next book in the series - sort of an Easter Egg for readers to discover. One example of this is the final drawing of book one, The Bad Beginning. In the drawing, the Baudelaires are in the back of a car, driving away from a theater. There is a lamppost in the foreground with a snake coiled around its base. This is a direct reference to book two in the series, titled The Reptile Room. 

If you decide you would like to read (or re-read) this series for yourself, copies of all thirteen books can be found within our library consortium. They are also available as eBooks and Audiobooks on Hoopla and Libby. I personally can attest to the quality of the audiobook versions, as they are all narrated by the incomparable Tim Curry, known for such roles as Pennywise the Clown (IT, 1990), Dr. Frank-N-Furter (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975), and Long John Silver (Muppet Treasure Island, 1996). His vocal ability truly blew me away with this series, portraying every character from villains to infants with ease. Plus, the audiobooks come with their own soundtrack, courtesy of The Gothic Archies, with one song themed on each book. 

As always, feel free to reach out with thoughts on this series if you decide to give it a go. Happy reading!