화재로 부모님과 집을 한꺼번에 잃은 보들레어가 세 남매인 바이올렛, 클라우스, 써니. 부모로부터 엄청난 유산을 상속받지만 그들이 성인이 되기 전에는 한 푼의 유산도 사용할 수 없다. 집을 잃은 아이들은 후견인이 되어줄 겁나 먼 친척인 올라프 백작을 만나게 되지만 실제로 그는 아이들의 유산을 노리는 비열하고 사악한 인물! 올라프 백작은 유산을 포기하지 않고 다른 사람으로 계속해서 변장해 가며 세 남매를 위협하는데...

Dear Reader,

I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket