After smuggling a book from Strauss's library, Klaus realises that the marriage in the play will be legally binding, meaning Olaf will gain control of their fortune. The children remind him that he never asked them to make roast beef, and Olaf becomes angry, lifting Sunny into the air, and striking Klaus across the face after Klaus tells everyone Count Olaf has given them only one bed and a pile of rocks for the three of them to sleep on and to play with.Īfter a few days, Olaf forces the Baudelaires to participate in a play written by 'Al Funcoot' called 'The Marvelous Marriage.', forcing Violet to play the role of his bride. They make puttanesca, but when Olaf arrives, he demands roast beef. One day, the Baudelaires are set the task of making dinner for Olaf and his theatre troupe. The Baudelaires disagree but do not dare to object. The only solace the children find is spending time with their neighbor, Justice Strauss.įor the next few days, Olaf keeps the Baudelaires busy by forcing them to clean his house. It becomes clear that Count Olaf is scheming to collect the Baudelaire's fortune. Count Olaf is unpleasant, easily angered, and forces the children to perform odious chores. Olaf's ramshackle house is filthy and covered in disconcerting eye images it has a tower which the Baudelaires are forbidden from entering. They are placed in the care of Count Olaf, said to be a distant relative although the children have never heard of him before. Poe, that their parents have died in a fire that destroyed their home. While they are at Briny Beach, the children are told by a family friend, Mr. Violet Baudelaire is fourteen years old and loves creating amazing inventions Klaus Baudelaire is twelve and an obsessive reader Sunny Baudelaire is a baby and has four surprisingly large and sharp buck teeth, with which she loves to bite. There is a movie based on the series starring Jim Carrey and a Netflix TV mini-series starring Neil Patrick Harris.

An audiobook was released in 2003 with narration by Tim Curry, several special editions of the book have been made and the book has been translated into many different languages. The book was published on September 30, 1999, by Scholastic Inc. The novel tells the story of three children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire, who become orphans following a fire and are sent to live with Count Olaf, who attempts to steal their inheritance.

The Bad Beginning is the first novel of the children's novel series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.

The bad beginning full book