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Cover of The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning: Audiobook

Book 1 of the A Series of Unfortunate Events series · see all 3 in reading order

As an audiobook, The Bad Beginning runs 2.5 hours, narrated by Tim Curry (about 1.7 hours at 1.5× playback speed).

2.5listening hrs
4.2★90 ratings
Mysterygenre
Free for new listeners

The instrumentWhen will you finish it?

Based on 2.5 hours of listening.

Days to finish The Bad Beginning at common listening paces
Your paceYou'll finish in
30 min / day5 days
1 hour / day3 days
2 hours / day2 days
1 hour / day at 1.5×2 days

What our data says

  • At 2.5 hours, it's shorter than 96% of the mystery audiobooks we measured.
  • That's 71% shorter than the average mystery audiobook (8.6 hrs across 582 titles in our dataset).
  • Narrator Tim Curry appears on 2 audiobooks in our dataset, averaging 4.21★.

Computed from mystery audiobooks in The Books Insider dataset (build ). Methodology.

Who is this for?

Best for mystery listeners who want a comic streak: a weekend-size listen at 2.5 hours.

About the book

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.

How to listen to The Bad Beginning free

New members at audiobooks.com get three free audiobooks with the trial.

Separately, the store's catalog carries more than 10,000 audiobooks that are always free to stream.

Start listening free

Questions listeners ask

How long is The Bad Beginning as an audiobook?

The Bad Beginning runs 2.5 hours. At 1.5× speed that drops to roughly 1.7 hours.

Is The Bad Beginning free as an audiobook?

Yes, for new listeners: the trial starts you with three free audiobooks.

Who narrates The Bad Beginning?

The Bad Beginning is narrated by Tim Curry.

When was The Bad Beginning first published?

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket was first published in 1999.