Chapter 1

1. If your parents died as in the story, would you handle it as well as the Baudelaire children? What does this show you about their personalities?

2. What statement is the author trying to make in this chapter about the story?

3. Would you feel safe if Mr. Poe was handling the choice over your new parents? Why or why not?

Chapter 2

1. What is your first impression of Count Olaf? Do you think he's a nice person? What led you to your decision?

2. What is the mood set off a mood at the beginning of chapters one and two? What causes you to feel this way?

3. Would you rather live with Count Olaf or Mr. Poe if you were in the Baudelaire's position?

Chapter 3

1. How has your impressions of Count Olaf changed, or have they changed at all?

2. Violet says, "Count Olaf gives us a lot of responsibility." Do you think he gives too much responsibility to the children? If so, why?

3. How does Justice Strauss living next door affect the choices of the Baudelaire orphans?

 

 

Chapter 4

1. What do you think about how Count Olaf is using his authority to control the children? Ex. the dinner incident

2. Who's your favorite character so far in the story? For what reasons? List at least 5.

3. What seemed wrong about Count Olaf's friends' reactions to how Count Olaf was treating the children in front of them?

4. What does Sunny always crying show you about how Count Olaf most likely treats them all the time or how Sunny feels about them?

Chapter 5

1. Why do you think Mr. Poe ignores their situation?

2. What does the children's wishes about their dream house? What does this tell about what they enjoy?

3. Why do the children not want to see Mr. Poe? Is this Mr. Poe's fault? Why is it or is it not?

4. What do the children do in order to live with Justice Strauss or anyone besides Count Olaf?

Chapter 6

1. What is your favorite scene in the book so far? Why does it interest you?

2. Do you think that Count Olaf's play the Marvelous Marriage is a trick? Why or why not?

3. What is the name Al Funcoot unscrambled into? Why do you think the author would do this?

 

Chapter 7

1. Do you think that there is anything wrong with the Marvelous Marriage? If so, why?

2. Why do you think that Count Olaf would send the Hook-Handed Man to get the Baudelaire's from Justice Strauss's house instead of going there himself?

3. Why do you think that Klaus "believed if you read enough books you could solve any problem"? Describe three reasons why you think this.

4. What do you think will happen in the next chapter? Will Klaus find anything in the law book?

Chapter 8

1. On page 94, it repeats the sentence "he found himself reading the same sentence over and over." Why do you think the author did this?

2. Count Olaf says that "But a man like myself could acquire any number of beautiful women." Do you think that is true, or would they just run away? Why, support your answer with incidents from the book.

3. What do you think would happen if Klaus didn't tell Count Olaf that he had found out what he was up to?

4. What about Count Olaf's personality makes him refer to the Baudelaires as orphans instead of calling each by name? Explain.

Chapter 9

1. After reading Chapter 9, do you think that Violet will marry Count Olaf? Explain your reasoning.

2. What invention do you think that Violet will make? List some household supplies that she could use to make it.

3. What reasons do you think Count Olaf told the Baudelaires where he hid Sunny. Explain.

4. Do you agree with Violet that Count Olaf is an "unsavory, clever, drunken brute"? Why?

Chapter 10

1. If you had to rescue Sunny, what would you do? How would you do it?

2. What does the fact that the orphans not wanting to give the others false hope tell you about their personalities? Explain with incidents in the book.

3. Now that you've read Chapter 10, have you changed your thinking about Count Olaf marrying Violet? Why or why not?

4. Do you think that you would be as brave as Violet if you were in her place? How would you act differently? How about similarly?

Chapter 11

1. Why do you think that Count Olaf has a lot of pictures of eyes in his house?

2. What reasoning do you think Count Olaf had when he told the hook-handed man to throw Klaus in the tower with his sisters?

3. Do you think that Violet could have let Sunny out of the birdcage without making Count Olaf angry? Why?

4. Klaus thought that there was no way out of their predicament. What do you think that the Baudelaires will do in Chapters 13 & 14?

Chapter 12

1. What would interest you if you were the Baudelaires watching what went on behind the scenes of a theatrical performance? Why would it?

2. What would be a way that Violet could escape being the bride of Count Olaf? What do you think it will be?

3. In what ways does it seem that Count Olaf and his theater troupe are monitoring the Baudelaires?

4. If you were Justice Strauss, would you find the wedding a little odd? In what ways? Explain.

Chapter 13

1. Before you read the chapter, did you think that everything would be okay in the end? If so, did you think that the orphans would get to live with Justice Strauss? Why?

2. If you were a fourth Baudelaire, how would the story have been changed? Write a summary of your new story.

3. What will happen to the Baudelaires in the second book? Why do you think this?

4. Do you think that the number of chapters in the book has any significance? Why do you think this?