If you didn't read "A Series of Unfortunate Events" as a kid, you missed out. Lemony Snicket's (or Daniel Handler) incredibly twisted story about the misadventures of three intelligent siblings was full of life lessons. Although dark and slightly scary at times, the series taught readers about reality and trust. So, if you missed the series or if you just want to reminisce about its greatness, here are a few lessons you can learn in a short amount of time:
1. Your family has your back.
Family members are always there for you when no one else is, and they love unconditionally.
i.e. No matter the circumstance, Violet, Klaus and Sunny never leave each other's side and will do anything to protect each other.
2. Life really blows.
You can't avoid it. Sometimes, things don't work out and you have to fend for yourself.
i.e. The siblings love living with their relative Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, however Count Olaf murders him and still gets away with it.
3. New vocabulary is important.
As an elementary school kid, I was learning so many different words from these books. Snicket would sneak vocab lessons into chapters with the phrase, "a word which here means."
i.e. One of the first chapters of 'The Ersatz Elevator' describes the difference between the words nervous and anxious in depth.
3. Be careful who you trust.
Especially adults, who can be REALLY ignorant to real problems, or in this case to Count Olaf's many changing identities.
i.e. Captain Sham's name is literally sham, in "The Wide Window."
5. If you're good at something, embrace it.
And do it every day. You should show off the talents that you have.
i.e. Violet, the inventor. Klaus, the reader. And Sunny, who bites everything, but it somehow gets them out of trouble every time.
6. Don't let money get to your head.
If you have it, or if you don't, money really isn't that important. And people who value money are not always "the good guys."
i.e. Count Olaf constantly targets Violet because she inherits her dead parent's fortune when she turns 18.
7. Detail is important.
In life, in writing, in school, details make everything better and more interesting.
i.e. In the Grim Grotto, Snicket writes "[...] the horrors [the Baudelaire children] encounter are too numerous to list, and you wouldn't even want me to describe the worst of it, which includes mushrooms, a desperate search for something lost, a mechanical monster, a distressing message from a lost friend and tap-dancing."
8. Losing someone is hard.
It's extremely hard and painful, but if you hold onto people that you care about, you won't be alone.
i.e. The death of the Baudelaire parent's and their children's struggle to deal with it at such a young age.
8. Life is a mystery.
You can never tell what's going to happen next; you just have to go with the flow and hope that life works out in your favor.
i.e. At the end of every book, Snicket leaves a hint for what happens in the next. The entire series, you feel like a detective.
9. It's a small world.
This can be a good and a bad thing. You run into the same people, ones you love and ones you hate, but you have to deal with it.
i.e. Olaf is everywhere.
10. I want to be a writer.
A personal life lesson I learned was that I love writing. It brought me to admire dark authors like Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King. I love details, intricacy and shocking people, and "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and Lemony Snicket brought me to that conclusion.
