What is the author's style in The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket?

Many difficult words are defined throughout this book. The narrator does not speak down to children, and in fact, this series can go a long way towards improving the vocabulary of many readers. These definitions appear in the narrative of the story, as well as in dialogue between characters. Each time a difficult word is presented, the phrase, "which means" is used. Instead of using stagnant definitions, the narrator frequently uses comparative definitions in an effort to make them more fun to read. A few Latin phrases appear, such as "in loco parentis," but the majority of the book is written in plain but descriptive English.