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25 book adaptations that surprisingly lived up to the books they’re based on

By Amanda Mullen

From left to right: Natalie Dormer (“Cressida,” left) and Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen,” right) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate
From left to right: Natalie Dormer (“Cressida,” left) and Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen,” right) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate /
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A Series of Unfortunate Events

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is a childhood favorite that’s nearly as iconic as J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Comprised of 13 books, the series tells the unlucky tale of the Baudelaire orphans. After discovering that their parents have perished in a fire, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are whisked off to live with Count Olaf. But Count Olaf is after their fortune, and the Baudelaires will need to be clever if they have any hope of keeping it from him.

A Series of Unfortunate Events was made into a film back in 2004, but the adaptation never made it past one movie. Arguably, Jim Carrey as Count Olaf was the best thing about the original adaptation. Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate of Events series, on the other hand, has had far more success in bringing the entirety of Snicket’s world to life.

For starters, expanding Snicket’s books into a full series has allowed the showrunners to accurately paint the story of the Baudelaire orphans. Without the need to exclude certain details for the sake of time, Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events has been able to delve into all the different guardians the Baudelaire orphans go through, and it’s been able to unravel the mystery behind the Volunteer Fire Department—the secret society enmeshed in so much of what happens throughout the story.

The Netflix series also manages to maintain Snicket’s tone, successfully narrating the Baudelaires’ story in a way that’s similar to the books but doesn’t put the viewer to sleep. The narration, most of which comes from Patrick Warburton playing Lemony Snicket himself, preserves the humor that the book series is known for. The same is true of Neil Patrick Harris’ take on Count Olaf, which is another highlight of the adaptation.

And one can’t overlook the dynamic between Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes, and Presley Smith, who play Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, respectively. Not only do the three of them embody the Baudelaire orphans perfectly, but they have a chemistry that makes their time as siblings completely believable.

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