A series of unfortunate events

This is probably the first time I've used writing on a social medium as a means of fidgeting and it is against my principles in so many ways but well. For anyone who wishes to see something festive, look elsewhere. I'm meaning to write a bit long, a review of my favorite Netflix movie here, for I don't know why, maybe it gives me some peace and quiet to shut down the noises inside my head.

If you know me enough well, perhaps you'd already see this series coming. Yes, it's Lemony Snicket's "A series of unfortunate events", have I ever. stressed. you. enough?

PLOT

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Stories that I like are usually children-oriented, since from my POV, their plots are light-hearted and less cliché aka predictable, you just don't know what you may tread into. This work is all about that, twists and turns, grief and despair, unexpected allies and unsolved mysteries.

It revolves around the ups and downs in the life of the Baudelaire's orphans. After their parents' having perished in a fire, they were adopted by a sinister distant relative called Count Olaf, and ever since were continuously hunted down by him with one goal and one goal only - to take over the legacy of these inheritors. As the children fled from the hands of the villain, their parents' past started to unfold. New adventures awaited as they decided to take on the journey of their family secrets, which ended up in shocking revelations.

PROS

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The narrating techniques, characterization and symbolism are everything. I used to think of English literature as something to understand, not to feel. But this is one of the rare occasions where I can actually feel the beauty of every sentences written in a work (or maybe I progressed idk).

1. Writing style

Most of the lines are not quotable because they are lengthy, so I'll cite some short ones that are my favorites for you:

2. Characterization

The way Lemony Snicket builds up characters is solid gold as well.

Violet, the eldest, is an inventive genius. She often ties up her hair as a ritual when she's thinking, as "she never wanted to be distracted by something as trivial".

Klaus is the middle child, a bibliophile who always helps out his sisters in times of dangers. This is my favorite character as sometimes he is very frank/ bluntly honest, and he has a knack at solving puzzles as well.

Sunny's the youngest, who is a biter, speaks in idiosyncratic baby talk, and has a sense of motor dexterity worth looking out. Each of these characteristics is designed on purpose and will be used to transfer the book's morality base at some point.

3. Symbolism

Throughout the series, the images of books, reading, of knowledge, fire, misfortune, death and love are often depicted through poem shorts and definition statements. Paradoxes, my favorite literary device, are well-put and well-said along the plot. It's a full-package!

CONS

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You may notice the figure in the front of the image, that's Neil Patrick Harris from HIMYM, and just for a heads-up, Cobie Smulders aka Robin Scherbatsky in the same series also has a minimal role here.

That being said, I think the acting of NPH as Count Olaf is rather melodramatic, too theatrical and sometimes a bit stiff. Still love his character in the long run though, but if you find the trailer and the first episode quite eerie (Charlie and the chocolate factory vibe - which is a wrong first impression btw), I recommend you check out its one-episode version (2004) featuring Jim Carrey first. Personally I only started to feel the sympathy towards the protagonists and understand the antagonist's pace of thinking when I finished watching that version.

However, the 3-season series gives you more in-depths of how each main character behaves in certain ways, plus it sparks out the whole storyline, the author's setups and characters' personalities better.

So to wrap up, this is a must-see you guys. I'm currently chewing on its book version, there are 13 books in total so I have a lot to keep myself occupied. Maybe you skip the middle of the post to see this conclusion, maybe there's no one who reads the post towards the end but oh well I don't care.

JANE VIẾT.