The kids really are
weren't they afraid of Count Olaf?

If you picked up this book to read a simple and cheerful story, then I must warn you that this is a book. Even children know that books are much more depressing than movies. If you want unclouded entertainment, you're better off watching a movie starring a handsome count. For example, the one in which I play the main role: the film is about a snake with deadly venom, three pitiful orphans, a condescending count and a promised trip to Peru. It is true that all of this appears in the book as well, but it is served with such a lengthy garnish that you would be bored to death. Take my advice: put this volume down right now and head to the first cinema where you can see my world-shaking performance in the film A Flood of Bad Luck. Of course, I would be happy to give you an autograph:

Count Olaf This world is permeated by a kind of Dickensian atmosphere,
in which the car and the horse-drawn carriage can fit together peacefully,
the computer and the telegraph.
The New York Times Magazine

Recommended for ages 12 and up!