In this, the first installment of “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” the reader is warned right from the beginning that if a happy ending is what they want, they’d better look elsewhere. But I still think most readers with a developed sense of humor will be charmed by this parody of Victorian-style children’s novels, in which children are routinely orphaned and placed at the mercy of scheming relatives, cold porridge and itchy clothes.

One of my favorite devices was the author’s habit of defining any difficult word he happened to use in the course of telling the story, such as “fitfully” and “mystical”, as well as elaborating on such abstract concepts as the difference between literally and figuratively doing something. Intelligent children who aren’t bothered by stories in which horrible things happen to other intelligent children (who yet always seem to persevere through the strength of their own character and wits) will not only get a funny, fast-paced, engaging story but might also learn a thing or two along the way.