On the run as suspected murderers, the unlucky Baudelaire orphans find themselves trapped in the Caligari Carnival, where they must masquerade as freaks in order to hide from the evil Count Olaf.
Catastrophes and misfortune continue to plague the Baudelaire orphans after they are sent to live with fearful Aunt Josephine who offers little protection against Count Olaf's treachery.
As their outrageous misfortune continues, the Baudelaire orphans are shipped off to a miserable boarding school, where they befriend the two Quagmire triplets and find that they have been followed by the dreaded Count Olaf.
After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.
The elusive author provides a glimpse into his mysterious and sometimes confusing life, using fanciful letters, diary entries, and other miscellaneous documents as well as photographs and illustrations.
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny disguise themselves as cheerful hospital volunteers after they are falsely accused of murder in order to find clues concerning their parents' deaths and are pursued by Count Olaf who is after their fortune.
Under a new government program based on the saying "It takes a village to raise a child," the Baudelaire orphans are adopted by an entire town, with disastrous results.
