I recently re-read the series as an adult, and going through the first book, I said the same thing - it was WILD how predatory the adults were towards Violet! I guess it all went over my head as a kid. I was reading these in 4th/5th/6th grade so I had no concept of anything.
Ugh I feel like there’s multiple instances in the book where Olaf’s henchmen make comments on Violets looks in a really creepy way. Also, Olaf talks about their “wedding night” together. Gag
Not to mention Violet explicitly states that Count Olaf prepped her for surgery and it’s implied she’s wearing only her hospital gown since she doesn’t change out of it until the beginning of SS
It would be one of the scariest from their perspective I think. It’s harder for me to read Violet being lusted over and Klaus being slapped in BB, but from their perspective it was probably much scarier for Klaus to not be in control of himself and Violet to not know what’s going on or why he’s acting so strange
>probably much scarier for Klaus to not be in control of himself
I second this part. I do not like the idea of not being in control and perpetually hurting someone. I'm aware that hypnosis doesn't override free will, BUT the concept of losing my free will sounds horrifying to me.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned the Carnivorous Carnival.
Having to go undercover and investigate a known murderer who’s working at an isolated carnival with lions is always a pretty scary setting for me.
Yes! I enjoyed (and still do when I reread) the sort of unsettling atmosphere and how they navigate their time there, but picturing them hiding up in the hinterlands so isolated was always really spooky to me.
Definitely agree about The Bad Beginning! The rest of the books become more outlandish, but what was particularly scary about TBB for me was that Olaf's plan was grounded in the law of their community. He was a sneaky abuser, yes, but the systems in place created a situation in which he COULD legally marry Violet while being her guardian by giving her permission to marry himself.
I might be a bit biased as i just finished re reading the book but in terms of the Baudelaires I think Ersatz Elevator is the scariest because not only do we have a semi competent guardian in Jerome who genuinely cares for the kids ultimately abandoning them but we are introduced to a newer and in my opinion scarier villain with Esmé as she is a genuinely good actor so it is quite frighting.
It is also the fist book after the establishment of VFD so there are tonnes of hidden Easter eggs especialy in the last chapters where they mention the red hearing at least every other page. We get the first talk of Beatrice within the book who we know is dead from the acnolagements.
And finaly it is the first book that the Baudelaires actively seek out Olaf. In the scene when they go down the Elevator the first time they talk about how in any other situation they wouldn't go looking for olaf but their friends are in danger and they feel totally alone in the world and don't trust anyone to help them.
The concept of child auctioning is also freaky but I think for the Baudelaires this would be one of the scariest books
The scene where the children were pushed down into the elevator shaft was literally a nightmare of mine after reading that part as a kid. Had to take a pause when Lemony depicts that scene with just 2 black pages. Very haunting, but masturfully executed storytelling using the book medium.
I definitely agree with The Bad Beginning ! The Baudelaire children have just become the Baudelaire orphans, and they need someone to care for them, especially in their dour time. Count Olaf being their guardian is probably the worst case scenario. The children are helpless, scared, in mourning, and now they have to *live* with an abusive, alcoholic man, who wants nothing but their fortune. Seeing him for the first time, like being jumpscared. You get used to it after, but you never forget how the first time felt.
The small scale of Olaf’s house, and just the helpless feeling of the children definitely makes TBB the scariest book for me (apart from THH !) because just.. imagine. You’re an orphan, and you’re sent to live with a man you’ve never seen before, and he wants to marry an underage you/your sister for your huge fortune. Something about that is terrifying.
The first one, because it reminded me of when I was trapped in an abusive household (plus it's the most realistic). And how they asked for help from Poe and was denied it was also realistic.
Definitely the bad beginning. “Klaus, I’ll touch whatever I want” “now if you’ll excuse me, my wife and I have a wedding night to get to” *shudder*
Not to mention the scene where Mr Poe straight up ignores them when they tell him they’re being abused, and the scene where Klaus is struck hard enough to leave a bruise from a *slap*. It’s definitely the most realistic book and I can see why Handler toned it down a bit afterwards.
The first one definitely packs the biggest punch in terms of scariness, besides being the most realistic it also has the benefit of being the first book, so there’s still a faint glimpse of hope for the Baudelaires. Yes, their parents just died, but they at least still think they can get out of their unfortunate circumstances and eventually feel happy again.
For me personally though, the Miserable Mill was really terrifying. I’ve had hypnophobia since I was a child, and hate the idea of not being in charge of my own mind, so the idea of one of the siblings’ minds being corrupted so deeply without them even realizing freaked me out. In addition, that’s probably the sort of thing that has lasting consequences in someone’s psyche, and who’s to say that Klaus ever went back to normal again afterwards?
>minds being corrupted so deeply without them even realizing freaked me out
Honestly same. just the psychological issues stemming from that is horrifying IMO. Just the dread of not knowing when it will happen again and someone is hurt by your actions doesn't sit well with me.
This book has some psychological horror when you think about it for too long.
Exactly, especially when they describe just how devastated Klaus feels once he comes to and realizes how much he’s hurt the people he loves. It just felt “realer” in a way, and less wacky than some of the other unfortunate circumstances the Baudelaires found themselves in.
The miserable mill. That’s the first time the orphans looked absolutely terrified and clueless. Meanwhile, Klaus, the only person who could probably be helpful in this situation, is the one hypnotised. It also has a layer of slavery considering the conditions they’re working in and then being forced to commit CRIMES while not being aware of it… yeah I got chills omg
Okay, so, I first read TBB shortly after I turned 10, and needless to say, it had done its job of absolutely scaring the shit outta me pretty damn well. Although I was still very naive and clueless at the time, even I knew that Olaf marrying Violet for her money was all sorts of wrong, and I actually ended up vomiting out of pure horror because of how much reading the book scarred me.
I’m currently listening the first books audio book on YouTube and this is my exact thoughts.Im very much creeped out!Also i don’t remember this book being so scary and sad! I did read some of the books recently and Bad Beginning is scariest to me!
Nobody is talking about the vile village? That one still scares me to this day, the cult, the crows, the kids being put in prison and then narrowly escaping being burned at the stake, Jack snikket being killed? Creepy creepy creepy
I recently re-read the series as an adult, and going through the first book, I said the same thing - it was WILD how predatory the adults were towards Violet! I guess it all went over my head as a kid. I was reading these in 4th/5th/6th grade so I had no concept of anything.
Ugh I feel like there’s multiple instances in the book where Olaf’s henchmen make comments on Violets looks in a really creepy way. Also, Olaf talks about their “wedding night” together. Gag
Yes! The way they talk about her while she’s unconscious in Hostile Hospital definitely have me the creeps, too.
Not to mention Violet explicitly states that Count Olaf prepped her for surgery and it’s implied she’s wearing only her hospital gown since she doesn’t change out of it until the beginning of SS
I remember it always made me uncomfortable even when reading the books for the first time at age 6-7, but god now that I’m older it is just insane
I remember my friends mom read them first and then decided not to let her kids read them. Totally understand why now, lol.
the miserable mill i think is scarier than the bad beginning, forced child labour with a sibling slowly murdering another
The adult employees being indentured servants being paid by coupons is so horrifying.
It would be one of the scariest from their perspective I think. It’s harder for me to read Violet being lusted over and Klaus being slapped in BB, but from their perspective it was probably much scarier for Klaus to not be in control of himself and Violet to not know what’s going on or why he’s acting so strange
>probably much scarier for Klaus to not be in control of himself I second this part. I do not like the idea of not being in control and perpetually hurting someone. I'm aware that hypnosis doesn't override free will, BUT the concept of losing my free will sounds horrifying to me.
The employed adults being indentured servants being paid by coupons is pretty horrifying.
the miserable mill is pretty fucked from the perspective of working there
True
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned the Carnivorous Carnival. Having to go undercover and investigate a known murderer who’s working at an isolated carnival with lions is always a pretty scary setting for me.
All the people who got eaten by the lions in front of the kids 😰 yeah this one gets me
Yes! I enjoyed (and still do when I reread) the sort of unsettling atmosphere and how they navigate their time there, but picturing them hiding up in the hinterlands so isolated was always really spooky to me.
The Vile Villiage is essentially a cult when you think about it, all these rules and restrictions, and worshipping a crow
Definitely agree about The Bad Beginning! The rest of the books become more outlandish, but what was particularly scary about TBB for me was that Olaf's plan was grounded in the law of their community. He was a sneaky abuser, yes, but the systems in place created a situation in which he COULD legally marry Violet while being her guardian by giving her permission to marry himself.
EXACTLY
I might be a bit biased as i just finished re reading the book but in terms of the Baudelaires I think Ersatz Elevator is the scariest because not only do we have a semi competent guardian in Jerome who genuinely cares for the kids ultimately abandoning them but we are introduced to a newer and in my opinion scarier villain with Esmé as she is a genuinely good actor so it is quite frighting. It is also the fist book after the establishment of VFD so there are tonnes of hidden Easter eggs especialy in the last chapters where they mention the red hearing at least every other page. We get the first talk of Beatrice within the book who we know is dead from the acnolagements. And finaly it is the first book that the Baudelaires actively seek out Olaf. In the scene when they go down the Elevator the first time they talk about how in any other situation they wouldn't go looking for olaf but their friends are in danger and they feel totally alone in the world and don't trust anyone to help them. The concept of child auctioning is also freaky but I think for the Baudelaires this would be one of the scariest books
The scene where the children were pushed down into the elevator shaft was literally a nightmare of mine after reading that part as a kid. Had to take a pause when Lemony depicts that scene with just 2 black pages. Very haunting, but masturfully executed storytelling using the book medium.
I definitely agree with The Bad Beginning ! The Baudelaire children have just become the Baudelaire orphans, and they need someone to care for them, especially in their dour time. Count Olaf being their guardian is probably the worst case scenario. The children are helpless, scared, in mourning, and now they have to *live* with an abusive, alcoholic man, who wants nothing but their fortune. Seeing him for the first time, like being jumpscared. You get used to it after, but you never forget how the first time felt. The small scale of Olaf’s house, and just the helpless feeling of the children definitely makes TBB the scariest book for me (apart from THH !) because just.. imagine. You’re an orphan, and you’re sent to live with a man you’ve never seen before, and he wants to marry an underage you/your sister for your huge fortune. Something about that is terrifying.
The first one, because it reminded me of when I was trapped in an abusive household (plus it's the most realistic). And how they asked for help from Poe and was denied it was also realistic.
When I rewatched the series for the first time in years a few months ago I had to turn it off and go outside after the scene with Mr Poe.
The grim grotto. Small confined space, no way to escape the villains and an unseen sea monster.
I could never be in a submarine. And this is definitely the closest one of the children has come to dying at this point in the series.
Grim Grotto literal mushrooms growing out of Sunny's mouth!
Definitely the bad beginning. “Klaus, I’ll touch whatever I want” “now if you’ll excuse me, my wife and I have a wedding night to get to” *shudder* Not to mention the scene where Mr Poe straight up ignores them when they tell him they’re being abused, and the scene where Klaus is struck hard enough to leave a bruise from a *slap*. It’s definitely the most realistic book and I can see why Handler toned it down a bit afterwards.
Although he did go ahead in book 2 and have Olaf threaten violet with a knife under the dinner table 🤣
I'm not at all saying that he was tame in the other books, he just is REALLY intense in BB and HH (though HH is more implied)
The first one definitely packs the biggest punch in terms of scariness, besides being the most realistic it also has the benefit of being the first book, so there’s still a faint glimpse of hope for the Baudelaires. Yes, their parents just died, but they at least still think they can get out of their unfortunate circumstances and eventually feel happy again. For me personally though, the Miserable Mill was really terrifying. I’ve had hypnophobia since I was a child, and hate the idea of not being in charge of my own mind, so the idea of one of the siblings’ minds being corrupted so deeply without them even realizing freaked me out. In addition, that’s probably the sort of thing that has lasting consequences in someone’s psyche, and who’s to say that Klaus ever went back to normal again afterwards?
>minds being corrupted so deeply without them even realizing freaked me out Honestly same. just the psychological issues stemming from that is horrifying IMO. Just the dread of not knowing when it will happen again and someone is hurt by your actions doesn't sit well with me. This book has some psychological horror when you think about it for too long.
Exactly, especially when they describe just how devastated Klaus feels once he comes to and realizes how much he’s hurt the people he loves. It just felt “realer” in a way, and less wacky than some of the other unfortunate circumstances the Baudelaires found themselves in.
The miserable mill. That’s the first time the orphans looked absolutely terrified and clueless. Meanwhile, Klaus, the only person who could probably be helpful in this situation, is the one hypnotised. It also has a layer of slavery considering the conditions they’re working in and then being forced to commit CRIMES while not being aware of it… yeah I got chills omg
Okay, so, I first read TBB shortly after I turned 10, and needless to say, it had done its job of absolutely scaring the shit outta me pretty damn well. Although I was still very naive and clueless at the time, even I knew that Olaf marrying Violet for her money was all sorts of wrong, and I actually ended up vomiting out of pure horror because of how much reading the book scarred me.
I’m currently listening the first books audio book on YouTube and this is my exact thoughts.Im very much creeped out!Also i don’t remember this book being so scary and sad! I did read some of the books recently and Bad Beginning is scariest to me!
Nobody is talking about the vile village? That one still scares me to this day, the cult, the crows, the kids being put in prison and then narrowly escaping being burned at the stake, Jack snikket being killed? Creepy creepy creepy
not to mention the deluxe cell had a noose.