

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US">Dear Reader,</span></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US">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.</span></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US">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.</span></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US">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.</span></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US">With all due respect,</span></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US">Lemony Snicket</span></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US">&nbsp;</span></strong></p>



<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US">About the Author</span></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-bidi-font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US">Lemony Snicket</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Google Sans&quot;,sans-serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
font-weight:normal" lang="EN-US"> was born in 1970 in San Francisco, California United
States. He has published two novels for adults, The Basic Eight and Watch Your
Mouth. he has published eleven of the planned thirteen books in a series for
children called A Series of Unfortunate Events. He is married to Lisa Brown, a
graphic artist. The couple has one child.</span></strong></p>

