The Bad Beginning

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.
In what is agreed upon by all to be a very bad beginning to the rest of their lives, these three youngsters not only learn that their parents have died and that they've become orphans overnight, but also that a one Count Olaf will be their caretaker. Repulsive, demanding, and downright sinister, Count Olaf proves to be as greedy as his eyes are beady (and, readers, they are beady).