***Spoiler*** Lemony Snicket

[Chimera]

I have read Artemis Fowl, and got really excited about deciphering the code at the bottom of each page, but only got halfway before I got distracted by something else. I did understand that it was a prophecy about Artemis Fowl--I should finish deciphering it. It's probably important for the 4th book, which I haven't read yet but looks like some sort of "end-of-the-world" thing.

Yeah, in some ways the Unauthorized Autobiography is more confusing then helpful. I love the humor, though. Like when they are discussing disguises and there is a picture of a pretty young girl and an emaciated old man and they talk about how the same girl in the first picture in the second picture "has dramtically altered herself using the VFD disguise kit and is now completely unrecognizable, particularly with the older gentleman standing in front of her." lol  

Or when they have a picture of a group of sailers, and the names given for most of them (perhaps all) are Young Adult and Children's lit authors--like (Sharon) Creech, (Lois) Lowry, (Jon) Sciezka, (E.L.) Konigsburg, etc. And of course in that picture the one identified as "Sailor Snicket" the face has been scratched out.

I think it is meant to be that the VFD was run by children. Which is a bit strange. But if you look at the skills and resourcefullness of the Quagmire triplets and the Baudelaires, including the infant Sunny (who does a lot of remarkable things for a baby), then it kind of fits the world. But it does seem like more borderline absurdism. And one does wonder what happened in the meantime, if VFD fell apart while they were all so young, and now they are grown up (as evidenced from the encounters with Jacques and Kit).

[Chimera]

She leaves with two orphans when she leaves the Prufrock school. Do you have an idea of who? And why are they always taken by their ankles?? So weird.

No, I don't get the ankles thing. It is weird. But that is one reason I like it--it's so different! I don't know why--I'm weird, I guess. And I have no idea who those orphans are.

[Tink]

I have read Artemis Fowl, and got really excited about deciphering the code at the bottom of each page, but only got halfway before I got distracted by something else. I did understand that it was a prophecy about Artemis Fowl--I should finish deciphering it. It's probably important for the 4th book, which I haven't read yet but looks like some sort of "end-of-the-world" thing.

It really isn't important to know what the code says. It's interesting, but not needed. There is one in the fourth book as well and it's even less important, but I could see how kids would really like it. Both of them actually repeat themselves, so you don't have to decipher a whole book of code to know what it says, just part.

Was there anything else you wanted to discuss with Lemony Snicket. I don't really know what to talk about. There is so much we still don't understand and with only two books left, I don't know how it will all be covered. And like I said, I'm more for waiting to see what happens than to figure it out. You could propose your Beatrice theory, though, and include what evidence you've found to support it.

I'm interested to see what the author of the series will write when this series is done.

[Chimera]

You could propose your Beatrice theory, though, and include what evidence you've found to support it.

I'm interested to see what the author of the series will write when this series is done.

That will take some effort. Maybe this weekend--we'll see.

I also am interested to see what Daniel Handler (the real author) will do after this. I hope he stays in Children's/YA lit.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

You guys need to talk to Karen.

[Chimera]

I haven't seen her on the site for a long time. Did we scare her away? Or, more correctly, did some of the TWG's who will remain unmentioned scare her away? Like e and his ninja monkeys?  

Tell her to get on and post on this thread. We'd love to have another Lemony Snicket fanatic.  

[Tink]

So I got a copy of the Penultimate Peril from the library and read it. It was definitely interesting. **Spoilers (sorta)** I thought the court scene was hilarious (especially that even Esme kept her blindfold on). I wonder what is going to happen in the last book. There just seems like so much left that is still unresolved. Why did their parents poisen someone (Olaf's parents, right?) at the opera? And why do all these families have three children (some triplets)? And why were they taken to be a volunteer? And were the parents always killed when they were taken? How are these children chosen? I really hope it's explained in the next book.

[Chimera]

That's kind of how I felt. It answered some questions, but raised a lot more. But I was really glad I had read the Unauthorized Autobiography. It seems like the author is kind of assuming at this point that you have. I wonder what someone would think about this book who hadn't read the biography.

***Spoiler*** Oh, and I about cried when I realized that the guy who was shot by the harpoon was Kit's husband, and now she was pregnant and all alone. It was just an obscure little reference, but it was another wretched thing among so many wretched things that I about threw the book across the room.

Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler is definitely playing with some interesting themes. This is not your typical book--the good guys are dangerously close to being the bad guys, if they have not already become so. I too am intrigued about how it will end in the last book. And quite peeved that I will have to wait a long time for it to come out.  

[Tink]

Gosh I must have totally missed the reference about Kit's husband being the third triplet (what was his name?). What was the reference? It'd be great to take a look and see. I really feel I need to read that book again, but I don't have the patience to read a book twice through in a row (even HP books).

And I agree about reading the autobiography. It helped me understand a lot, including the schism, although I still don't know exactly what happened, but I know it dealt with Olaf and Esme.

I was talking with this girl last night about the books. She said she read through like book 4 and stopped because it was getting repetitive, she was annoyed with the definitions, and she didn't feel like there was any character growth. She actually owned through like book 10, but she sold them all (can't remember what Web site). She said she was also annoyed that because there didn't seem to be too much time passing, there was no way for Violet to reach 18 by the end of book 13 and so how was Olaf going to get their fortune. I about laughed at this because she didn't realize how much had changed. I tried to explain to her how the children do start to grow up more and change, how the plot line totally moves away from living with new guardians, and how there is a whole mystery around the VFD. Hopefully this will intrigue her to finish reading the series. I remember feeling somewhat of the same feelings around books 4 and 5, but I'm not a quitter and I'm glad I continued. Once we got past the guardian thing, it started to get really interesting. I still can't see how it can end in one more book, but we'll see.

[Chimera]

Gosh I must have totally missed the reference about Kit's husband being the third triplet (what was his name?). What was the reference? It'd be great to take a look and see. I really feel I need to read that book again, but I don't have the patience to read a book twice through in a row (even HP books).

I found it.

p. 350 "For another terrible moment, it felt like the boat was going to sink into the water, just as Dewey Denouement had sunk into the pond, guarding his underwater catalog and all its secrets, and leaving the woman he loved pregnant and distraught."

Kit is referred to earlier as "pregnant" and "distraught" several times (see p. 25 and 45 for two examples). So when I read the above statement I connected it with Kit and became very sad that the father of her child (when I looked back for these I realized it never referred to him as her husband, so I don't know if they were actually married) was dead, and that it was kind of the Baudelaires' fault.

It is indeed an obscure reference that you have to be attuned to, and I could be wrong, but since everything ties together, I don't think so. It is little references like these--clues you have to remember, string together, and build upon book after book--that have given rise to my theory about Beatrice being the Baudelaires' mother. But, because they are so obscure, I'd have to go back and read the entire series to find them all. I don't have the time right now, though. If I do, I definitely will post them here.

[Tink]

Now that you remind me of that sentence, I do remembering thinking "Oh, he's the father of Kit's baby!" and then I completely forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder.

That'd be great if you post stuff you find out, but I understand the not having time. I have a desire to re-read the series and use a "commonplace book" (which I think is a weird name for what it is) to write down on the clues, but the task seems more daunting than cleaning my bedroom (although decidedly more interesting and fun). Maybe I'll give it some time and do it in like 6 months. I think it would be interesting.

[Simon Johnson]

Hi,
   I have a theory on L.S's book's that I have to share with people:

KIT SNICKET is the Bauldelaires' mother
This is why I think this:
1. Mom knows Kit's salad recipe.
2. Book 9, L.S says he is heading north to look for Kit. Mom was suspected to be up there.
3. This could be the reason why he writes the Baudelaire stories.
4. He appears on p.13 of the Snicket file with his bro and the Baudelaire parents.

There are too many reason's to list or remember, but please contact me on this subject!!!!!!!!!

[Chimera]

What do you mean, like their real mother but they don't know it? Because the Baudelaires meet Kit Snicket at the end of Book 11 and have a couple scenes with her in Book 12, and none of them say, "Mother! It's you!" So I'm not quite sure how your theory works, but maybe I'm not understanding what you're saying. Have you read book 12? (the most recent)

[Tink]

I agree with Chimera. Violet was like 14, was it when the fire happened? She wouldn't exactly forget what her mother looks like (let alone her brother who was also like 13). So I would think they would've been very excited to see her again.

[dankezman]

 TEXTAs a big fan of Lemony Snicket and his books. I agree with Chimera and tink. simon you are obviously not a big fan