The Wide Window

A Series of Unfortunate Events #3

By: Lemony Snicket

Narrated by: Lemony Snicket

Now a Netflix Original Series

Dear Listener,

If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all.

If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair.

I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

Don't miss the rest of A Series of Unfortunate Events or Audible's exclusive interview with Lemony Snicket!©2000 Lemony Snicket (P)2001, 2003 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Snicket's narration is surprisingly good; his narrator voice has just the right neutral tone, rising and falling in pitch with each plot twist." (AudioFile)

Love

reading series of unfortunate events always brings me back to my childhood, and gives me a warm feeling.

Unfortunate Change in Narrators

As other reviewers have noted, the 3rd book in the series is narrated by the very talented WRITER Lemony Snickett who is unfortunately a terrible narrator. Tim Curry is wonderful and certainly a hard act to follow. The first book with its multi-performer narration was terrific. I don'y always love when there are multiple narrators but my 7 year old son just ate it up. We listened to Book One immediately after Harry Potter and I was worried he wouldn't like anything else in comparison to the perfect Jim Dale. Book 2 was more restrained with just Tim Curry, but also perfection. Then we started Book 3. Lemony Snickett, while a master storyteller, is just dreadful. Book narration is a real skill, and of course, there will be many opinions about what is good and what is back. The first issue for me is that his voice is just not that interesting. Second, what he does with his voice in trying to act different characters is even less interesting and engaging. But last, I find that the really great narrators are able to convey the actual dialogue of a story separate and apart from rest of what they are reading. So the words within the quotations are read in the character's voice, but the words "said Count Olaf" are read in the narrators regular voice, not the characters. To me this make all the difference than if I was to read a story and when Tim Curry PERFORMS a story.

So what to do? Neither my son or I want to skip Book 3-5. We have decided to bear through it and be grateful that Book 6 returns to Tim Curry.

Yes, the story is great and again, Lemony Snickett is a very talented storyteller and writer. I love the fact that he uses words kids might not know the meaning of, but then defines them within the book. I just wish he left the narration to the professionals.

Like the narration

I don't think these books are funny, nor intended to be. I think they're poignant. I think they're introducing children to adversity that has the vague, irrational form that is the most difficult to deal with.

At first, I was put off by the narration. Its not as professional as the best narrators. However, I got used to it, and then loved it. LS is speaking from the heart. It is like your Dad talking to you, in the best way - not reading to you.

Great Story, awful reader.

What happen to previous reader? Pay him whatever he wants, bring him back! WTH is author reading his own book? He is a great writer, however he is an awful reader and his different voices if you could call it that are plain and boring.

Great series

The narrators aren't as good as in "The Bad Beginning" but overall it is a great book and a great series.

The greatest series of books ever!

There is not enough room for me to write it all, but there is for sure, nothing I dislike!

Wow

I can’t get enough of this series even though I prefer tim curry to n reading

Excellent!

Loved the reading of this book. Couldn't put it down. It's dry humor keeps me enthralled lol!

Excellent Story, Although Tim Curry is Missed

Snicket's writing is just as good as ever and The Wide Window is full of very clever excerpts. I do miss Tim Curry as the narrator for the books though Snicket is not bad at narrating at all, I just feel Curry had an extra layer of emotion and assisted storytelling that he brought to the characters and their adventures.

😃best book ever

It was all great
The story is so good
I think it's the best book ever
It's a five star book if you ask me