Februari 16, 2008

The Bad Beginning


Judul: A Series of Unfortunate Events (ASOUE) #1 - The Bad Beginning
Penulis: Lemony Snicket
Penerbit: Egmont
Tahun: 2005
Harga: RM35.90

Oleh kerana saya tidak cukup masa menulis banyak-banyak, saya ambil saja sinopsis melalui laman wikipedia. Maaf kerana tidak menerangkannya sendiri. Saya dah berjanji menulis pasal novel ini, jadi mahu tak mahu saya perlu segera tunaikannya.


Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire are enjoying a day at Briny Beach. Mr. Poe, a banker and friend of the family, arrives to inform them that their parents had perished in a fire that destroyed their home. Mr. Poe is the executor of the Baudelaire fortune, and it is his responsibility to place the children with a guardian and take care of their money until Violet turns eighteen (the legal age to handle money).

The Baudelaire children are taken to their new guardian
Count Olaf, a distant relative who makes his living as an actor. On their way, they encounter Justice Strauss, a kind and friendly judge who is their next-door neighbour. She tells them that they are welcome in her home anytime, which has a library in it. When they meet Count Olaf, it turns out that he is a very cruel, filthy man living in a dirty musty house. Count Olaf has a strange tattoo of an eye on his left ankle, but most importantly, he is seeking the Baudelaires' fortune (the reason for their adoption). He constantly orders them to do chores and tasks, while only providing them with one bed to sleep in. Count Olaf also refers them as "orphans" instead of "children".

He tells the Baudelaires that his theatre troupe are coming over to practice their acting, and orders them to make dinner for everyone. Because they don't have any ingredients, they go to the marketplace with Justice Strauss to buy some and are able to make
Pasta Puttanesca. Count Olaf complains that he wanted roast beef (even though he never told them), which causes him to become furious and strikes Klaus across the face. They decide to visit Mr. Poe at his bank in order to get help. Mr. Poe explains to them that Olaf may raise them in his own way, however he sees fit. Count Olaf receives a phone call from Mr. Poe about the visit. He apologizes to the children and informs them that they will be participating in an upcoming play, called The Marvelous Marriage written by Al Funcoot. Olaf will play the groom, Violet will be the bride, and Klaus and Sunny will be cheering people in the audience.

The children spend the day at Justice Strauss' home. While Violet and Sunny are helping in the garden, Klaus is reading law books in the library. One of Olaf's henchman, the
Hook-Handed Man comes to get them. Klaus smuggles a book on nuptial law out of the library with him. When they arrive at Count Olaf's, Klaus spends the entire night reading about how they can foil Count Olaf's scheme to get their fortune. The next morning, Klaus discovers that two people can be married if they sign a document and state their wedding vows in the presence of a legal judge (who is Justice Strauss). Olaf plans to marry Violet during the play, in order to gain control of the fortune. When Klaus brings it up to Count Olaf, he only smiles and laughs. Klaus runs to wake up his sisters only to find that Sunny is not there. Violet and Klaus follow Olaf outside and discover that Sunny is being held inside a birdcage at the top of the tower.

Count Olaf tells them that one of his henchmen had kidnapped Sunny while they were sleeping. He warns them that if they don't cooperate during the play, the cage will be released which would send Sunny to her death. That night, Violet invents a grappling hook to reach the top of the tower, only to be caught and locked with her brother at the top of the tower until the play begins.

The play is performed, but stops after the wedding scene when Olaf announces that he is recently married to Violet. Justice Strauss attempts to find a loophole to save Violet, but the only way to stop it from being legal is that Violet is underage, which doesn't matter since she can still be married with a guardian's permission (since Olaf is her guardian, this point is shot down). When Sunny is returned to them, Violet announces that she is right-handed but signed the document with her left hand, which Justice Strauss agrees is a reason to declare the marriage invalid. Olaf escapes when one of his henchmen turns off the theater's lights. Violet finds the lightswitch, but before she is able to turn it on, she hears a whisper from Count Olaf. He tells her that he will always pursue them, and once he manages to get their fortune, he will kill them with his own hands. After the play, Justice Strauss announces that she is willing to adopt the Baudelaires, but Mr. Poe tells her that their parent's will says a relative must care for them. They enter Mr. Poe's car and it drives away as Justice Strauss waves goodbye.



Apa yang saya suka ialah gaya bahasanya yang amat berbeza berbanding buku lain. mping ilustrasi oleh Brett Helquist yang menarik, ditambah pula dengan plot yang mantap, serta watak-watak yang sesuai, semuanya disatukan, muncullah buku ini. Versi US paperback lebih menarik berbanding hardcover, kerana ilustrasinya telah ditambah lebih banyak. Versi yang saya tunjukkan di atas ialah UK hardcover.

Jikalau anda baca sekali tahulah macam mana best buku ni.

Perhatikan ilustrasi akhir buku ini, terdapat seekor ular di tiang lampu; memberi bayangan buku kedua: The Reptile Room.

Siri ini mengandungi 13 buku kesemuanya. Sabar ye.

1 ulasan:

Ammar Faris berkata...

dan...buku nih memang bez...caya lah!!!!hehehe...

Related Posts with Thumbnails