"A Series of Unfortunate Events" was one of the staples of my childhood, but when I talk with other people who have read it, I've noticed a trend: most of the people who have read it consider it too depressing, too unrealistic, or too depressingly unrealistic.
To me, this was very strange because I saw the series as surprisingly accurate to real life if a bit hyperbolic at times. I think a lot of this difference in perspective has to do with one's life experience. This is why I say no two people ever read the same book and it's impossible to please everyone.
When I was a child, I saw "Series of Unfortunate Events" as a sort of comfort. This may seem strange because the book series is set in a depressing world. The Baudelaire orphans, the protagonists of this series, lose their parents in a terrible fire and are passed around from one evil and/or incompetent guardian to another. Meanwhile, Count Olaf chases them mercilessly, lusting after their fortune.
The children experience child labor, a school built like a graveyard, a hospital straight out of an Amnesia game, a decrepit submarine, near-death by poison, and more. The adults are hopelessly incompetent and Count Olaf is always able to manipulate or kill them.
Throughout this, the Baudelaires' only refuge is themselves and the small islands of hope they find. These are often in the form of libraries and the few kind-hearted adults they meet.
However, despite the series' title, it's not just a mopefest. It's often quite funny. The author plays around a lot with literary conventions, such as filling a whole page with blackness to show what it's like to try to walk in the pitch dark. The dark parody aspect itself is also funny on some occasions.
That's not the only reason this series has a special place in my heart, though. As I said, how one reads a book depends largely on personal experience. And to be honest, my childhood has not been an extremely sheltered one.
I've been emotionally abused by many adults who I was supposed to depend on. I had very few friends because I moved around a lot. I felt very alone, so I took refuge in books. Because of this, I related very much to the Baudelaires and saw them as role models.
The Baudelaires survive and don't succumb to the darkness of the world because they look for happiness where they can find it. If they can't find refuge, they invent it. In one of the most iconic scenes, the Baudelaires use what little they have to create a cozy hideout in the attic of Count Olaf's house.
This form of quiet rebellion had a huge impact on me as a kid.
As a child growing up in a world where I couldn't rely on others and I had no control over my environment, I felt less alone when I read the Baudelaires' story. Theirs might not be a story that everyone can understand, but it was not written for everyone.
A story is not bad just because it doesn't resonate with you. There are seven billion people in the world, all with different experiences and worldviews. All an author can hope to do is make sure their story gets to the people who need it, however many there are.
