Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Reading is fun-damental. Sorry for the pun, but it's kind of true—books and reading play a major role in The Bad Beginning. Before their parents died, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny loved to read in their gigantic home library, but when they go to live with Count Olaf, there's not a book in sight (3.16). The one saving grace is Justice Strauss:
The room was a library. Not a public library, but a private library; that is, a large collection of books belonging to Justice Strauss. There were shelves and shelves of them, on every wall from the floor to the ceiling, and separate shelves and shelves of them in the middle of the room. The only place there weren't books was in one corner, where there were some large, comfortable-looking chairs and a wooden table with lamps hanging over them, perfect for reading. Although it was not as big as their parents' library, it was as cozy, and the Baudelaire children were thrilled. (3.37)
Here, the children use books as a way to escape from Count Olaf and his villainy. They may be forced to live with him, but by reading about all their favorite topics, they can drift away into a world of fantasy. Too bad it doesn't last.
Books don't only provide a distraction for the children, though—they're also a source of salvation. Whenever the Baudelaires' have a problem, they look in a book. They find the recipe for pasta puttanesca in a book (though Count Olaf isn't impressed) and Klaus finds out exactly what Count Olaf is up to during The Marvelous Marriage by hunting through a book about marriage law. Reading for the win.
Naturally, Count Olaf doesn't care much for books (he hates anything that well-mannered, intelligent people might like). He even mocks the Baudelaires sticking their noses in books when he tells them, "You may have read more books than I have, but it didn't help you gain the upper hand in this situation" (9.22). Oh, we'll see who has the last laugh, Count Olaf. As their fondness for books makes crystal-clear, these kids are curious and capable learners, so our money's on them when all is said and done.