Reading order · 13 books · 1999 to 2006 · Set in various places
A Series of Unfortunate Events Books in Order
A Series of Unfortunate Events follows the Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus and baby Sunny, who lose their parents in a fire and are pursued by the villainous Count Olaf, who wants their fortune. The narrator, Lemony Snicket, warns readers to look away. Gothic, clever and darkly funny.
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Series facts
- Books
- 13
- Published
- 1999 to 2006
- First book
- The Bad Beginning
- Latest
- The End (2006)
- Setting
- Set in various places
The reading order
Every A Series of Unfortunate Events book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
13 books · Set in various places
- 1The Bad Beginning1999With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireAfter their parents die in a fire, the Baudelaire children are sent to live with Count Olaf, a terrible actor who wants their fortune.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Reptile Room1999With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe Baudelaires go to live with their kind Uncle Monty, a herpetologist, but Count Olaf follows in disguise.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Wide Window2000With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe children are sent to live with their Aunt Josephine, who is afraid of almost everything, in a house perched over Lake Lachrymose.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Miserable Mill2000With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe Baudelaires are sent to work at the Lucky Smells Lumbermill.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Austere Academy2000With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe children are sent to a grim boarding school, where they befriend the Quagmire triplets.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Ersatz Elevator2001With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe Baudelaires go to live with a wealthy couple in a penthouse, where everything is about what is fashionable.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Vile Village2001With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe children are adopted by an entire village, which is obsessed with crows and rules.Buy on Amazon
- 8The Hostile Hospital2001With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe Baudelaires hide in a hospital, where they find a clue to their past.Buy on Amazon
- 9The Carnivorous Carnival2002With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe Baudelaires disguise themselves as carnival performers.Buy on Amazon
- 10The Slippery Slope2003With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireIn the mountains, Violet and Klaus set out to rescue Sunny.Buy on Amazon
- 11The Grim Grotto2004With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe children join the crew of a submarine searching for a mysterious sugar bowl.Buy on Amazon
- 12The Penultimate Peril2005With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe Baudelaires work undercover at the Hotel Denouement.Buy on Amazon
- 13The End2006With Violet Baudelaire and Klaus BaudelaireThe Baudelaires are shipwrecked on a strange island.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read the thirteen books in order, starting with The Bad Beginning.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Violet Baudelaire | Klaus Baudelaire | Sunny Baudelaire | Count Olaf | Mr Poe | Lemony Snicket | Duncan and Isadora Quagmire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Bad Beginning | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 2 The Reptile Room | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 3 The Wide Window | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 4 The Miserable Mill | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 5 The Austere Academy | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 6 The Ersatz Elevator | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 7 The Vile Village | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 8 The Hostile Hospital | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 9 The Carnivorous Carnival | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 10 The Slippery Slope | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 11 The Grim Grotto | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 12 The Penultimate Peril | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 13 The End | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the A Series of Unfortunate Events books
7 characters from Lemony Snicket’s chart, with the number of A Series of Unfortunate Events books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Violet BaudelaireEldest, an inventor | 13 | The Bad Beginning 1999 |
| Klaus BaudelaireMiddle child, a reader | 13 | The Bad Beginning 1999 |
| Sunny BaudelaireBaby with sharp teeth | 13 | The Bad Beginning 1999 |
| Count OlafVillainous actor | 13 | The Bad Beginning 1999 |
| Mr PoeBumbling banker | 13 | The Bad Beginning 1999 |
| Lemony SnicketNarrator | 13 | The Bad Beginning 1999 |
| Duncan and Isadora QuagmireTriplets befriended at school | 4 | The Austere Academy 2000 |