The world of literature is a place that I find myself coming back to every single day.
I wanted to read every book that I could get my hands on as a young man.
I had some books that I loved because of their simplicity and then there were others that I enjoyed because they were so complex. The literary world has so many diverse voices and everyone has a different style even if the writers are in the same genre.
There are some authors that stick out that I read as I grew up.
I know that the one author that I absolutely loved growing up was none other than Lemony Snicket.
He had a thirteen-book series that was about the Baudelaire orphans and their trials and tribulations as they go different places and have different guardians. The books were always teaching me new words and Lemony Snicket was incredible at teaching you something without making you feel like you were not intelligent enough to understand what he was writing about.
I devoured his books and I loved that every year, it seemed like he came out with a new one. I would get them as a gift and I would end up reading them in a couple nights and then I would have to wait a whole year before I would see where and what the next installment had in store. I know that these books also intrigued me because they showed that even though the main characters were children that they were able to be strong and have opinions that made them sound much older than their years.
I have always been described as an old soul (especially my taste in music) but I was always looking forward to reading this series because it showed me that it is perfectly okay to ask questions and it showed me that just because you are different does not mean that you deserve any less love or affection.
I remember when I was reading this series that I had been very thankful that when Snicket would use a word that I was unfamiliar with, he would use the definition in the very next sentence. Snicket must have known that there were some young people who were reading his series and enjoyed learning new words. I remember reading his books with a dictionary nearby in case I found a word that I wanted to know the meaning of.
I think very highly of Snicket as a writer. He gave me a reason to enjoy books that were about something very tragic. There is some humor in the books and it is very intelligent humor. I love that because my sense of humor is very dry, and I understand what it means to not always understand why something is funny, you just happen to laugh at it. I looked into his other books and they all seem very interesting as well.
I think this series though is something that all young people should give a chance. I want them to know that the book does end on a positive note. (No spoilers) but it does have a happy ending. I remember when I was reading the middle book in the series and I was telling myself that if the series did not have a happy ending then I would be very disappointed.
I also love how the main characters grow up and become very strong in their different ways. The eldest sister, Violet, becomes very independent and she has shown that even through many different difficult times that you can get through whatever life throws your way. The middle sibling, Klaus, has many opportunities as he grows up to become the character who helps the siblings get through everything that they have to face. Lastly, Sunny goes from an infant who says a few words and by the end she is a very intelligent toddler who uses her words and even helps save the day a couple times because of her intellect.
I think these books should be read by everyone, not just children. They have a lot of interesting situations that everyone can identify with. I am very grateful to Lemony Snicket for producing this series. They still give me an inner warmth when I read them, and the ending is definitely one of my favorite moments in American literature.
