The Bad Beginning is the first book in A Series of Unfortunate Events, children's novels which follow the adventures of the three Baudelaire orphans Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. After their parents are killed in a fire, the children are sent to live with their deceitful cousin Count Olaf, who aims to steal their fortune. Though the narrative maintains a comic tone, the children endure many Olaf's evil schemes, including an attempt to marry fourteen-year-old Violet, before they are able to escape.
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