A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS #1 The Bad Beginning

Tension-producing orchestral music, scene-setting sound effects, and most of all, Tim Curry's chocolate-voiced narration captivate the listener in this multicast production of the Lemony Snicket that started it all. As most people know by now, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire's parents die in a tragic fire, leaving the three children alone and pitted against the dastardly Count Olaf and the idiotic Poe family. Yet, no matter how dreadful their situation, the children triumph with their wits and manners intact. The cast of seven at first sound self-consciously formal until one realizes that the acting is supposed to be as mannered as the clever writing. It's all good fun for listening children and their parents. A.C.S. 2005 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 04/ JAN 05]