The Bad Beginning, A Multi-Voice Recording Audiobook By Lemony Snicket cover art

The Bad Beginning, A Multi-Voice Recording

A Series of Unfortunate Events #1

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The Bad Beginning, A Multi-Voice Recording

By: Lemony Snicket
Narrated by: Tim Curry, Full Cast
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About this listen

Like a car alarm, bagpipe music, or a doorbell ringing in the middle of the night, hearing this all-new audio edition of The Bad Beginning will only upset you. This unique multi-voice recording brings the first book in Lemony Snicket's alarming A Series of Unfortunate Events to such terrible life that no one should really have to experience it. Unless you have an ear for such ghastly details as a tragic fire, a nefarious villain, itchy clothing, and cold porridge for breakfast, all narrated in chilly detail by the distinguished, and disturbed, Tim Curry with a team of talented readers, you would be better off listening to something else.Don't miss the rest of A Series of Unfortunate Events or Audible's exclusive interview with Lemony Snicket!©1999 Lemony Snicket (P)2004 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Family Life Growing Up & Facts of Life Humorous Fiction Funny Witty

Critic reviews

Audie Award Finalist, Children's Titles for Ages 8+, 2005
Grammy Award Nominee, Best Spoken Word Album for Children, 2005
Book Sense Book of the Year Award Finalist, Children's Literature, 2001

"Tension-producing orchestral music, scene-setting sound effects, and most of all, Tim Curry's chocolate-voiced narration captivate the listener in this multicast production of the Lemony Snicket that started it all.... It's all good fun for listening children and their parents." (AudioFile)

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What listeners say about The Bad Beginning, A Multi-Voice Recording

Highly rated for:

Engaging Storyline Intriguing Plot Excellent Narration Clever Storytelling Unique Story Engaging Voice Acting
Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
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All the Noise

wonderfully read, awesome writing, but the background noise was unnecessary, mildly irritating, and at times made the reading hard to hear. A great performance but is go with the normal audiobook version if I had to choose again.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, but a terrible production

I really love this story; however, there was far, far too much background noise and voices that were supposed to enhance the experience. It had just the opposite effect and was very distracting.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Tim Curry out does himself

I was absolutely unsure about this title. I didn't know if I would like this at all. But man...Tim Curry pulls you in and keeps you there. You can help but want to keep going. He is mesmerizing! It was great!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I got it for Tim Curry but loved it for itself

This is a wonderful story, supposedly a kids' story but really good for family and adult audiences as well. The narration performance is superb. My only complaint is I cannot seem to get the whole series from Audible...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

To Lemony, Dreadful, weeping, presumed dead

Unlike books such as Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, or even Where the Red Fern Grows this audio program contains nothing happy. There is no happy tower, no happy reptile room, no happy schools, no happy apartments, no happy village, nor is there any happiness at all. You will most certainly cry, unlike the first of the two previously mentioned books, and unlike the third book mentioned you will most certainly be tracked down by a villainous actor who will try to steal not only the absurd amount of money that everyone apparently has by using arson, but he will also poke you with a stick until you give him your almond cookie. Your day will become Reptilian, wide, miserable, austere, ersatz, vile, hostile, carnivorous, slippery, grim, penultimate, and to end, inevitably- a word which here means "a fancy word for all adjectives that I just listed and more terrible things, but ending on an obvious adjective"- bad. So in conclusion instead of listening to an audio book reported by a man who is tied up in a coffin at a funeral that is for a woman named Beatrice, don't expect a happy ending. Besides, that's not how the story goes.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great book!

I read the series when I was a kid, and really enjoyed getting to relive it via audiobook. I wasn't a huge fan of the full cast, though. I think I prefer single-performer works. Tim Curry is an excellent narrator, and the story was just as good as I remembered!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Stellar performance; great for tweens and up.

This reading kept the attention of a very fidgety 10-year-old who "hates books", an almost 9-year-old who loves books, and a middle-aged parent for almost the entirety of what otherwise would have felt like a VERY long automobile trip. Thank you, Audible, Tim Curry and cast, and Lemony Snicket!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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sound effects

not a huge fan of the theatrical recording, just like the books a whole lot, so I had to give this book 5 starts

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A view of a 9 year old

I like the personality of the story you really feel for the Baudelaire its a good story full of adventuroe bravery and love

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, scary music

My 7-year-old son loved listening to this book. It is well-narrated and a good, literary tale. However, the music that accompanies the audiobook is pretty terrifying. He wasn’t able to listen to it at night. As long as you’re aware of that, we highly recommend.

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