In the tradition of great storytellers from Dickens to Dahl comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is at once literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likable, resilient, and unfortunate children in search of a home been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are charming and clever children, but disaster dogs their heels. Tragically orphaned, they are forced to live with evil Count Olaf, maker of dastardly plans. Dauntless, they use their individual gifts (for invention, research, and well-timed biting) to thwart him.