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A Series of Unfortunate Events

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File:Lemony audio.jpg
An illustration of Klaus (left), Violet (top) and Sunny (right), the Baudelaire siblings, who are the three main characters
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The Bad Beginning

A Series of Unfortunate Events is a children's book series, written by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym of Lemony Snicket, and illustrated by Brett Helquist. The series began with the first book in the series, The Bad Beginning, being published in 1999 by HarperCollins Children's Books. The series came to its conclusion when the thirteenth and final book, The End, was released on Friday, October 13, 2006.

A film version based on the first three books in the series, The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, and The Wide Window, was released on December 17, 2004, as Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. The movie was a moderate success, but it is unknown currently if there will be a sequel. On November 10, 2004, before the movie was released, a video game of the same name was made.

General storyline

The series follows the unlucky lives of three siblings, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire, after their parents were killed in a fire at their family home. In The Bad Beginning, they briefly live with a friend of their parents, Mr. Poe before being sent to live with Count Olaf who is supposedly either the siblings' third cousin four times removed, or their fourth cousin three times removed. The siblings discover quickly that Olaf has a tattoo of an eye on his left ankle, and more importantly, that he is a most unpleasant, evil man determined to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune that awaits Violet when she turns eighteen. In the next six books, Olaf follows the children wherever they go in a disguise so he can get closer to the orphans and steal their fortune. The orphans routinely try to get help from Mr. Poe, the banker who the Baudelaire's briefly lived with, but Poe is always either oblivious to Olaf's danger, or unaware that the disguised Olaf isn't who he claims to be.

Each of the three siblings has a distinctive skill that helps them during their adventures. Violet is always inventing new things to help them, Klaus is always finding out new information through his research, and Sunny has extremely sharp teeth that can bite almost anything in two. In later books, Sunny also learns how to cook. With her newfound cooking ability, Sunny shifts from being a helpless baby to a young girl and begins to speak in sophisticated single word utterances, a variety of incomplete sentences, and some short word sentences as well. Their meaning is either disguised by being spelled phonetically (e.g. 'surchmi' in The Slippery Slope), through cultural references (Sunny says: 'Matahari', followed by a definition of 'If I stay, I can spy on them and find out.'), or being written in other languages (e.g. Shalom or Sayonara). Sunny also outgrows her teeth as her primary skill and adds cooking to her list of abilities, solving problems with both these talents.

Lemony Snicket, the supposed author of the stories and the pseudonym of Daniel Handler, is actually a character himself on the periphery of the stories. He follows the Baudelaires, researching and recording their exploits. By the last few books in the series, the Baudelaires learn some vague information about him, but they never meet.

Writing Style and Motifs

  • The majority of the books in Series of Unfortunate Events pick up from the last, finding the three orphans in some new situation, typically not of their making. The location of each book's critical events is usually identified in the book's title.
  • Many of the odd names and phrases in his works mirror other literary works and cultural references. For example; the name of Snicket's dead love Beatrice could possibly be a reference to Beatrice Portinari, who was loved by the Florentine poet Dante Alighieri. Beatrice did not love him back, mirroring Beatrice refusing to marry Lemony. Beatrice is mentioned very often in the series, including a dedication in each book.
  • Handler often works the siblings' respective skills into the story line. Violet always has something to invent, Klaus always finds a library to do research in, and in the early books, Sunny always finds something to chew on. In later books, Sunny begins to grow into her teeth, and develops culinary skills.
  • Lemony Snicket narrates with subtle humor, usually when explaining words, and analogies in often incongruous detail. When describing a word the reader may not be aware of, he always says 'which here means...'
  • Despite the general absurdity of the books' storyline, Lemony Snicket continuously maintains the story is true and that it is his "solemn duty" to record it.
  • Snicket often goes off on humorous asides, discussing his personal life, or his opinions of various matters. The details of his supposed personal life are largely absurd and incomplete. For example, Snicket claims to have been chased by an angry mob for sixteen miles. He also has a very cynical outlook on life.
  • The blurb of each book tries to convince the reader to read a different book instead, and describes several things that might make the reader not want to read the book. For example, from an excerpt of the blurb of The Grim Grotto: "In fact, the horrors they encounter are too numerous to list, and you wouldn't even want me to describe the worst of it, which includes mushrooms, a desperate search for something lost, a mechanical monster, a distressing message from a lost friend, and tap-dancing."
  • All letters from Lemony Snicket are signed off with, "With all due respect, Lemony Snicket"
  • Snicket will display a greater aversion for macabre elements than the average reader. Whenever the story is reaching a depressing point, he will beg the reader to stop reading and imagine a happy ending.
  • Snicket translates for the youngest Baudelaire orphan, Sunny, who in the early books can only say words or phrases that only make sense to her siblings. This becomes less common as Sunny begins to speak real words. Her words are often from another language or cultural reference. For example, Busheney (Bushcheney) means a most despicable, evil man.
  • When describing a character who the Baudelaires have met before, Snicket often describes the character first and does not reveal the name of the character until they have been thoroughly described. He often does this when the disguised Olaf is introduced to the children.
  • Lemony Snicket starts each book with a description of something irrelevant to the story, before linking it back to the Baudelaires and their current situation.
  • Snicket often uses alliteration (repeated starting sounds on consecutive words) to name locations throughout the story. He also uses this writing technique for the titles of the books (the only exception being the final book, The End).
  • There are thirteen books in the series, and, excluding The End, thirteen chapters in every book. This is a reference to the famous superstition that thirteen is an unlucky number.

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Genre

Although the books can be classed as 'steampunk', in that they involve young people struggling against great odds in an anachronistic setting, the addition, in later books, of the mysterious organization known as V.F.D. have begun to push the story into the new genre of post-steampunk (in the same way that later additions to the cyberpunk genre are now classed as postcyberpunk).

The books can also be classified as absurdist fiction, due to their eccentric characters, quirky writing style and generally improbable storylines. Some might argue that these books could also be classified as black comedy, because of the mix of humorous and macabre elements.

Themes

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"A Series of Unfortunate Events" themed calendar

Social commentary is a major element in the books, which often comment on the seemingly inescapable follies of human nature. The book consistently presents Baudelaires as free thinking, independent people, while almost everyone in the world around them obey authority and succumb to mob psychology, peer pressure, ambition, and other social ills. A high account is given to learning, with those who are "well-read" often being sympathetic characters, while those who shun knowledge are villains. Usually, the well read characters are on the good side of the V.F.D., while the characters who have never touched a book are on the bad side.

The books also have strong themes of moral relativism, with the Baudelaires becoming more confused during the course of the series about the difference between right and wrong, feeling they have done many wicked things themselves, and struggling with the question of whether the intentions behind an action justify it. Late in the final book, in an allusion to humanity's first temptation and first sin, a snake offers the children a life-saving apple. Characters that are evil are throughout the story are shown to have many sympathetic aspects and often have led quite difficult lives, and the good character's flaws become major problems. Lemony Snicket makes it clear that he has little patience for those who only see one point of view, without considering both sides to an argument. Almost every major character in the books has lived a life quite as difficult as that of the Baudelaires, especially the villains. The books seem to highlight the choices that we must all make when faced with such incredible odds.


Allusions

While the books are marketed primarily to children, they are written with adult readers in mind; the series features many references more likely to make sense to adults. Many of the characters' names allude to other fictional works or real people with macabre connections. More obscure literary references also abound, perhaps in keeping with the common theme of being 'well-read'

Menschen

  • The Baudelaire orphans are named for Charles Baudelaire, and Sunny and Klaus take their first names from Claus and Sunny von Bülow.[1]
  • Uncle Monty warns the children never to let the Virginian Wolfsnake near a typewriter, referencing both Monty Python and Virginia Woolf.
  • The two triplets that the Baudelaire children befriend are named Isadora and Duncan after Isadora Duncan.
  • Poe's children, Edgar and Albert, may refer to Edgar Allan Poe[2]
  • In the last book of the series, "The End", some of the characters on the island are named after Shakespeare's characters in various plays. (i.e. Miranda Caliban, a character named after the witch bastard in Shakespeare's "The Tempest").[1]

Literary works

Setting

The books seem to be set in an alternate version of earth with stylistic similarities to both the 19th century and the 1930s, though with contemporary, and seemingly anachronistic scientific knowledge. One example of this "technological disconnect" is documented in The Hostile Hospital, where the Baudelaire children send a message via Morse Code on a telegraph, yet in the Last Chance General Store, there is fiber-optic cable for sale. Although the film version sets the Baudelaires' mansion in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, real places are rarely mentioned in the books. A notable exception occurs in The Reptile Room, where Uncle Monty and the Baudelaires plan a trip to Peru; there are also references to the nobility of North American regions, specifically the Duchess of Winnipeg and the King of Arizona. A book in Jerome and Esmé Squalor's library was titled Trout, In France They're Out; a reference to the country in Europe.

Distribution

Books

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The Grim Grotto UK Cover

The series includes thirteen main books as follow:

There are also books that accompany the series, such as: The Beatrice Letters , The Blank Book, The Dismal Dinner, Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography, The Notorious Notations, The Puzzling Puzzles, 13 Shocking Secrets You'll Wish You Never Knew About Lemony Snicket. Paperback reprints of The Bad Beginning and The Reptile Room, named The Bad Beginning, Or Orphans! and The Reptile Room, Or Murder! with additional material and restyled covers are also to be released, alongside Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid, a humour book.

See also: Summary of novels in A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Audio

Audio books

Most of the series of unabridged audio books are read by actor Tim Curry, though Books III-V are read by Handler as Lemony Snicket. The “Dear Reader” blurb is usually read by Handler (as Snicket) at the beginning, although it’s missing in The Hostile Hospital. He also usually reads the 'To my Kind Editor' blurb about the next book at the end. Starting at 'The Carnivourous Carnival' there is another actor who replaces Handler in reading the two blurbs, although they are skipped entirely in 'The Grim Grotto.' All of the recordings include a loosely related song by The Gothic Archies, a novelty band, featuring lyrics by Handler's Magnetic Fields bandmate Stephin Merritt.

The Tragic Treasury

In October 2006, The Tragic Treasury: Songs from A Series of Unfortunate Events by The Gothic Archies was released. The album is a collection of thirteen songs written and performed by Stephin Merritt, each one originally appearing on one of the corresponding thirteen audiobooks of the series. Two bonus songs are also included.

Film

Main article: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
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The film's logo

A film version, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, based on the first three books, was released on December 17, 2004. It stars Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, Meryl Streep as Aunt Josephine, Billy Connolly as Uncle Monty, Emily Browning as Violet, Liam Aiken as Klaus, Kara & Shelby Hoffman as Sunny, and Jude Law as the voice of Lemony Snicket. The film tie-in editions of the novels feature a variation on the usual reverse-psychology blurb: the blurb takes the form of a message from Count Olaf, listing the good points of the story (such as "a dashing count") but suggesting that it would be much easier and less boring to watch the movie instead.

Considering the success of the movie, the director and some of the lead actors hinted that they are keen on making a sequel, but no one has written a script as of yet. According to director Brad Silberling, the second movie would take its plot from the next few books. Also, Silberling is quite unhappy that the filming process took seven months instead of the seven weeks in which he claimed he could shoot the movie. Browning has said that any further films would have to be produced quickly, as the children do not age much throughout the book series (As The End reveals that the series took place over a year). Other plot discrepancies, such as Klaus's glasses breaking in the Miserable Mill (he has glasses in the film, but rarely uses them) may also hinder the production of any sequel.

A petition for Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events sequel has been signed over by thousands of Lemony Snicket fans. The petition will be sent to Paramount Pictures and other people involved in the making of the first film when enough signatures have been collected.[3]

The film takes place in and around Boston, Massachusetts: The envelope at the end of the film is addressed to Boston, Mass. Perhaps incidentally, Viacom, Paramount's parent, owned 2 TV stations in Boston at the time of the film's release: CBS affiliate WBZ-TV, and UPN affiliate WSBK-TV (they are now owned by CBS Corporation).

Awards

The Penultimate Peril

The Bad Beginning

  • Colorado Children’s Book Award [4]
  • Nevada Young Readers Award [5]
  • Nene Award (Hawaii)[6]
  • Book Sense Book of the Year (Finalist)[7]

The Wide Window

  • IRA/CBC Children's Choice[8]

The Ersatz Elevator

  • Book Sense 76 Pick[9]

The Vile Village

  • IRA/CBC Children's Choice[10]

The Hostile Hospital

  • IRA/CBC Children's Choice[11]

The Grim Grotto

  • Amazon.com Customers’ Favorite[12]

The Penultimate Peril

  • The 2006 Quill Book Awards - Children's Chapter Book/Middle Grade Winner[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Lemony Snicket". Quidditch.com. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
  2. ^ "Biography for Daniel Handler". IMDB. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
  3. ^ A Sequel to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events at Petition Online
  4. ^ http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064407663/A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events_1_The_Bad_Beginning/index.aspx
  5. ^ http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064407663/A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events_1_The_Bad_Beginning/index.aspx
  6. ^ http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064407663/A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events_1_The_Bad_Beginning/index.aspx
  7. ^ http://www.bookweb.org/news/awards/3433.html
  8. ^ http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064407687/A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events_3_The_Wide_Window/index.aspx
  9. ^ http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064408646/A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events_6_The_Ersatz_Elevator/index.aspx
  10. ^ http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064408653/A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events_7_The_Vile_Village/index.aspx
  11. ^ http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064408660/A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events_8_The_Hostile_Hospital/index.aspx
  12. ^ http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064410144/A_Series_of_Unfortunate_Events_11_The_Grim_Grotto/index.aspx
  13. ^ http://www.thequills.org/2006.html

See also