Lemony Snicket - A Series of Unfortunate Events

Post by **Natasha (candygirl)** » Aug 28th 2004, 10:10 pm

Yes, I realize I am an adult, but I love the Lemony Snicket books! I bought most of them here and there so I have the first ten books sitting on my shelves, but I read them in spurts beacuse I always have so many books to read lying around the house. I read the first book as soon as I bought it, but I didn't read the second and third books until last year. I just finished the fourth, fifth, and sixth books this week and now I'm totally hooked. This is a good website that lists many of the allusions and references in the books. The list is not complete since he does not want his site to be blocked by filters. That just means you'll have to do your own research on Lolita, Sappho, and Pincus on your own!

There is a good interview here:

Handler has also said that the books follow the great Jewish traditions: The Baudelaire orphans behave well and bravely because it's the right thing to do, not because it will get them ahead. "Judaism doesn't really promise any reward, they just emphasize that good behavior is more or less its own reward, " he said.

As a kid, Handler ate up the books of Roald Dahl and Edward Gorey -- two dark and funny authors. Today, what he can't bear are moralistic books for children.

"I think you learn something from any good book, and I think that one's education comes largely from literature. But over and over, the message of children's books is, 'If you behave well, you'll be rewarded.' Which is not a very Jewish message. It is just not an interesting message to me, and not a true one."

Handler had learned more interesting messages at home: His father fled Germany as a young boy. "I knew about the Holocaust at an earlier age than most people learn about it, I think, and so the idea that the world could suddenly go very wrong -- and that it had no bearing on what sort of person you were -- sunk in pretty early. And it's affected my politics and my writing and my life."

The movie version (which covers the first three books) is being released in December, so I already told my boyfriend to start reading!

Nostradamus · Post by **Nostradamus** » Sep 21st 2004, 5:57 am

My young-parent friends have been getting this series for their daughter, and they often compare me to one of the main characters, a cantankerous old man. Anyone know who they are are talking about, and why he resembles me?

emmie · Post by **emmie** » Sep 21st 2004, 10:23 pm

I just saw the trailer for the movie yesterday. the story and the movie, look pretty promising. Jim Carrey plays the older man and looks really creepy, I didn't recognize him at first!

Post by **Natasha (candygirl)** » Sep 22nd 2004, 1:18 am

Count Olaf is the filthy, evil bad guy of the series who is trying to steal the Baudelaire fortune. He wears different disguises in each book. He has one eyebrow and a tattoo of an eye on his ankle. Sound familar yet, Nostradamus?

Nostradamus · Post by **Nostradamus** » Sep 22nd 2004, 3:12 am

Well, on several occasions I have nearly lost my eyebrows to various quasi-scientific exeriments with fireworks...

filthy, evil bad guy

Maybe my friends do not have such a high opinion of me as I thought!

Post by **Natasha (candygirl)** » Sep 22nd 2004, 3:57 am

I guess I should have been a little more specific about the eyebrow. Count Olaf did not lose an eyebrow in a tragic barbeque accident - he has a hideous monobrow.

starbug · Post by **starbug** » Sep 22nd 2004, 9:12 am

This is a little left-field, but I was watching an episode of the Waltons recently (yes, really) and the grandfather did make me think of you, Nostradamus. He really can be quite cryptic, curmudgeonly and cantankerous (sp?) at times. Heart of gold though, obviously, since it's the Waltons and all.............

I realise you might not take that as the most flattering of comparisons, and I'm in no way suggesting you're a septagenarian (if you are though, of course that's cool), but for some reason, there it was.

Nostradamus · Post by **Nostradamus** » Sep 22nd 2004, 10:21 pm

As long as he doesn't have a monobrow!

ETA: After consultation with a Waltons fan, I thank you for the flattering, if roundabout, compliment. Plus you get bonus points for using the word "septuagenarian"!

Post by **Natasha (candygirl)** » Oct 18th 2004, 1:28 am

Yesterday, I went to a bookstore to see Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket). He always tells the kids that Mr. Snicket couldn't make it (this time the excuse was that a snake bit Lemony Snicket in the armpit and he was temporarily paralyzed). The three important lessons he imparted on the audience:

(1) Never raise your hand! This is dangerous because it puts you at risk for being bitten in the armpit by a snake. His advice was to let other people raise their hands and give the answers because it's just school.

(2) If you see Count Olaf, scream and run away. He sang a song (and accompanied himself on the accordion, no less!) which featured the lyrics, "Run run run run run or die die die die die!" Not as funny in print as it was in person

(3) If you squeeze anything hard enough, eventually it makes a noise. This point was illustrated by two kids from the audience, one of whom was instructed to squeeze the other one as hard as she could.

wicked · Post by **wicked** » Oct 18th 2004, 10:28 am

HA HA HA I love the lemony snicket books. My son and I have been reading them for bedtime! I adore that he sues language so well, and explaines the meanings of words...oh yeah and that the stories don;t make me want to drive a fork into my eyes to stop the pain of reading thtme to my child...see ANY of the olson twin books !!!!

Post by **Natasha (candygirl)** » Aug 7th 2005, 5:58 pm

Book the Twelfth is coming out in October! To tide you over until then, the Nameless Novel website is giving mysterious clues out every day. Lots of fun!

Post by **Natasha (candygirl)** » Oct 18th 2005, 3:23 am

You can read the first chapter of the Penultimate Peril here!

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Lemony Snicket - A Series of Unfortunate Events

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