What types of styles are used in the text?

As the novel is written for young readers, the language tends to be very conversational and easy to follow. The sentences are constructed in a way that is not only easy to follow, but also gains momentum as the reader reads on. The sentences are constructed to entice the reader to turn the next page, and often this structure works. Occasionally, there are passages utilizing artistic words and phrases that may be a hindrance to some readers. Additionally, the narrator, Lemony Snicket, often uses big vocabulary words in his descriptions, but defines them immediately in the text. Violet also uses scientific words and phrases, typically when she is inventing something, but readers should be able to deduce contextually what these phrases mean. This language adds a depth to the novel that allows the reader a glimpse into a world that is made believable through the language used by not only the characters but by the narrator as well. Most of the novel is told in exposition so there is not a lot of dialogue to distinguish secondary characters - although the reader does learn a lot about the Baudelaire children, the large cast of village members have very little - aside from one unique characteristic (plaid pants, bright lipstick, etc) - to define them individually.

The narrator's language is ironic and snarky. There have been multiple arguments made as to whether or not young readers will understand the layers of humor, or if these books should have been marketed to an adult audience. Indeed, there are innumerable literary references and allusions and moments of complex foreshadowing, but there should be no denying that on the surface, Handler (Snicket) presents a series of stories about pluck and perseverance that will resonate with readers of all ages.