I have a confession to make: I’ve never read A Series of Unfortunate Events. For those who know Lemony Snicket, this may seem like sacrilege. For Lemony Snicket fans, this may seem absolutely insane: reading All the Wrong Questions (ATWQ) and not A Series of Unfortunate Events (ASOUE) is very similar to watching the first 3 Star Wars movies and then giving up.
However, I can’t say I regret it. I read ATWQ at a very young age, and the books cemented my love for mystery, reading, and morally gray narrators. While the series makes a lot more sense if you read ASOUE first, I enjoyed being confused by the existence of the VFD, not understanding who Snicket’s sister is and trying to figure out how the characters were all connected.
The trick to reading Lemony Snicket is to keep a completely open-mind, be constantly wary of any facts given directly or indirectly, and draw your own conclusions no matter how trustworthy Snicket may seem. Although this may seem to defeat the point of reading, (after all, who wants to do more work when you’re trying to relax?) it only adds to the experience.
I wholeheartedly recommend reading any and all Lemony Snicket books, because although you will be confused, and you will not understand what’s happening until you’re almost done with the entire series, it’s about the journey, not the destination — Lemony Snicket’s writing is one of the best journeys you could take.