April 2008 - Posts
The Beatrice Letters
By: Lemony Snicket (& Beatrice......)
Possible Spoilers Ahead - Read at your own risk!
This book was published before Book 13 came out. Does that matter? Well, yes and no. While you will get a few clues as to what happens to the orphans at the end of the series, I was left with more questions than answers.
What are The Beatrice Letters? A series of letters written between Lemony Snicket and Beatrice Baudelaire. If you've read all 13 books, you will realize that there is more than one Beatrice Baudelaire. If you look closely at the letters, it appears that the letters to Mr. Snicket are from someone looking for the Baudelaire orphans. Now, this could potentially be there mother who miraculously survived the fire, or it could be Kit Snicket's daughter Beatrice, who was adopted and raised by the Baudelaire's. The letters from Mr. Snicket take quite a different tone. They are more like love letters to his darling Beatrice who is mentioned to be dead at the beginning of every book in the series.
Considering the Baudelaire's and the Snickets were friends, I am going to hazard a few (somewhat educated or for sure) guesses here (from the entire series and the Letters):
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The letters from Beatrice to Lemony are from his niece, Kit Snicket who is looking for the children that raised her and her elusive uncle
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The letters from Lemony to Beatrice are addressed to the Baudelaire's mother
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Count Olaf has been nefarious since childhood
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The Baudelaire parents were involved in the death of Count Olaf's parents - an interesting look at fate/justice/retribution
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Mr. Poe is not a nice man - by that I mean he is either involved with Count Olaf, or he's just plain dumb (I seem to recall something about a Elenora Poe working at the Daily Punctilo with Lemony Snicket, wonder if she was his sister or wife - and something's just suspicious about this)
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In The Beatrice Letters there are several letters that can be punched out (no, I couldn't bear to do that). Some of the anagrams that can be made from this are: Baticeer Sank or Beatrice Sank - remember that the children set out in the Beatrice when they left the island. Included with the book of letters is a poster with a destroyed boat with the name of Beatrice just visible. So, the boat that the Baudelaire's and young Beatrice took must have been destroyed in a storm, but how would young Beatrice survive on her own? Wasn't she just one when they left? Were the siblings separated from her after the storm? Does the poster show the wreckage from the beginning of The End? If so, then Count Olaf's renaming of the boat fell off (which is plausible).
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In the Letters she (young Beatrice) mentions she's had conversations with them that differ from Mr. Snicket's handling of their story. Also, Baticeer is not a word - it's an anagram for Beatrice. That almost makes me want to go back through the stories....I also read that the anagram could be "Brae in Casket" and that it would make sense because in the photographs that are included as evidence, each object is in the shape of a letter - S-T-I-C = Cist which is a type of casket. I'm not sure about how I feel on this interpretation - brae are hills, so maybe it means the end of VFD? That since the headquarters burned down the organization is now defunct? If that's possible how does the young Beatrice know how to code things if she's been separated from the Baudelaire orphans?
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My Silence Knot = Lemony Snicket (bet you didn't see that one coming!)
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Look very closely at the silhouette on the cover. There's more there than meets the eye!
Honestly, I still have a TON of questions that will quite possibly never be answered. I'm generally a fan of solid endings, sometimes I can handle a little mystery, but, quite frankly, I wanted a definitive answer to things like:
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What was the importance of the sugar bowl?
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Was it ever found?
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If it was, did it contain any answers to the Baudelaire (and our) questions?
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What happened between the Baudelaire's mother Beatrice and Lemony Snicket that caused her to not marry him?
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Why did the Baudelaire parents (probably) murder Count Olaf's parents? How would that be possible if they are the same age as Olaf? Or did they die when Olaf was older?
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How did Kit Snicket and Dewey Denoument meet? What was their relationship like?
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Who all died in the fire at the Hotel Denoument? We have some clues, but I want answers!
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Did the Baudelaire's ever unlock the secrets of the library at the Hotel Denoument? (The underwater one)
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Is the schism in the VFD still going strong?
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What happened to the Quagmires?
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Did Flora and Klaus ever meet again and rekindle their like? (Believing that she has reformed?)
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What happened What happened What happened!!!!!
If you have any answers, feel free to let me know!
Other Notes:
There is a guide with clues and 13 Shocking Secrets about Lemony Snicket. You can also find Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Biography (no, I don't have it and have no idea when, so you're on your own!) and Notorious Notations (another one I don't have). These could potentially help solve some of the mysteries that are remaining.
Also, keep in mind the types of codes Lemony Snicket talks about when referring to the VFD's activities and ways of communicating with each other. I think if you used their anagrams, spelling variations and poems with the wrong words you may find out more. If you do, let me know!!!!
A Series of Unfortunate Events website.
This link will take you to a page with a few other websites dealing with A Series of Unfortunate Events. I haven't really looked into them, so maybe some of my (your) questions will be answered there. If there were only more time to really investigate!
The End - A Series of Unfortunate Events
By: Lemony Snicket
If you're waiting for the be-all, end-all answer to all of your questions, you are going to be disappointed. You can't say that you weren't warned you wouldn't like the ending! Which, by the way, leaves the door wide open for - well, I shouldn't really tell you that now, should I?
When I saw the cover of the book I was really hoping that those feet were Count Olaf's and that he has not survived the storm. I know, it's pretty heartless, but what kind of person chases young children practically around the world in order to kill them to get their fortune? "It depends on how you look at it...." (You'll get that when you read the book!)
Alas, my hopes of Olaf's death were all for naught. Of course he has to try and make the children's lives even more difficult than it already is: they're stranded on an island where there is no conflict, no controversy, everyong gets along and no one has any secrets (or do they??). It may sound like a paradise, especially after the experiences the Baudelaire's have had lately, but things just aren't quite adding up for the children. Why won't Ishmael let the people keep their finds? Why do they eat the same thing ALL THE TIME? What did Ishmael drop in the water? When is the Coastel Shelf going to flood again? What happened to the Medusoid Mycelium? Is their friend who washed up on shore going to be okay? What about their friends that are missing? What about themselves? Is there really going to be another schism?
The children are again facing moral decisions that adults would have a hard time with. How do you justify a villainous action that really is for the greater good? Or does that also "depend on how you look at it?"
Quite frankly, I still had many, many, many questions at the end of this book, but I think it's quite possible to answer most of them if you went back through the series and kept your own commonplace book. Also, if you pick up The Beatrice Letters you could very well answer even more questions. Although, the deciphering could be difficult....
I will tell you that we learn quite a lot about the Baudelaire parents in this book (especially when you compare it to the others). We also learn a few more of their secrets, which, if I thought about it long enough and had a commonplace book I could decipher a few more. Alas, I did not start a commonplace book!
The Penultimate Peril - A Series of Unfortunate Events
By: Lemony Snicket
penultimate: next to the last (from the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
I thought I'd include that definition just in case the title threw you for a loop. It seems like a strange title, especially if you haven't run across that word before. Anyways - back to the story:
The Baudelaire's are hoping to get answers to some of their many questions from Kit Snicket. In the end, she ends up providing more questions than answers. She leaves them with a job to do: they are to be concierge flaneurs at the Hotel Denoument. Yes, the children are now disguised as concierge people who work in a hotel that is organized by the Dewey Decimal system. Yes, the rooms are organized by numbers! I love this idea! A few problems arise: there is no catalog, so basically the children are supposed to know the entire system by heart (let me tell you, I think you'd have to work in a library that shelves by Dewey for YEARS before you'd have it memorized. I believe the 900s focus on places - somewhere in there anyways, and I only know this because that was my section of nonfiction children's books I had to shelve) The next, much larger problem, is that the children have to figure out if their new boss is either Frank or Ernest, and once they figure that out they need to figure out whose on which side of the schism. (If you haven't been reading along, the schism is what happened when V.F.D. split). Within minutes each child has to individually help out a guest at the hotel. Plus, they have to hope that their disguises aren't discovered - especially since they know a majority of the guests! The guests provide both pleasant and unpleasant memories and new experiences for the children. Just so you know, a part of the reason they make the decisions they do is because the vast majority of the adults in their lives have failed them in one way or another - and if you think about it, quite a few of them deal with the adult not being able to make a moral decision, or an unselfish decision that would benefit more than just their selfish desires.
The Baudelaire's continue to surprise me in the decisions they make. As I read them I'm somewhat surprised, but when I put myself in their situation I think I would quite possibly do the same things they do. These children are facing a variety of personal and moral questions that would make those of us who are quite comfortable with ourselves question our own beliefs. Would we be able to do something awful for the greater good? Is it worth it to do said awful thing in the long run? How do you value what's right and what's wrong? How do you know if you've made the 'right' choice? All three of the children voice an opinion on things that should be done towards the end of the book. While I think all three may take you by surprise, Sunny's is the most drastic to me. I can't say that I completely disagree with her idea and the subsequent decision, but I have to wonder, if they had had a "proper" guardian after their parents death, would the children be this jaded towards the adults in their lives? This series has taken a few moral/ethical/personal values turns that I was really not expecting - okay, it's been getting their quite quickly in the last few books of the Baudelaire's tragic story, but I think it's a good thing: it's going to show people that not all decisions are a black & white / right vs. wrong. Sometimes there's some fuzzy gray areas, and these can be the most difficult of all to deal with.
A couple of other quetions to start thinking about: did the Baudelaire parents involve themselves in anything questionable that may have led to their house being burnt down? What made Count Olaf the way he is? What was his childhood like that he became this twisted, vile, despicable soul?
The Grim Grotto: A Series of Unfortunate Events
By: Lemony Snicket
The last time we left the Baudelaire's they were separated from Quigley Quagmire and washed down the Stricken Stream. Captain Widdersham and his 'crew of two' on the submarine 'rescue' the children. After adjusting to the many 'Aye's' of the Captain and beginning their assigned tasks, things, of course, don't go quite as planned.
That darn sugar bowl. It's been causing a lot of problems since the burning of the headquarters in the Mortmain Mountains, and it looks like it's going to continue on in that vein. The children and Fiona (another child, and member of the 'crew of two') end up having to conduct a dangerous mission that ends up putting all of their lives in danger, one more so than the others. Why do the children have to do the mission and not the Captain or other (hopefully) trust-worthy adult? Because the place they need to look is only big enough for children! Fiona's knowledge of fungi can potentially help save them, but Violet discovers some disturbing information while looking for the sugar bowl. She's not sure if she can trust Fiona, but she really wants to. When someone from Fiona's distant past and the Baudelaire's not-so-distant-past enters the picture, things get tricky and complicated quite quickly.
The children have yet another daring escape ahead of them (you may have to suspend disbelief a bit more than usual at one part of their escape - sorry, I can't tell you any more than that...) and when they meet an old "friend" then a new acquaintance that they've heard about, well, even though you may not agree with their choice, it was perfectly clear who the children needed to go with.
On another Snicket note:
I think I should have mentioned this earlier, but have you been reading the dedications in each of the books? Hint: They involve Beatrice. Who is Beatrice you say? WELL! She has been mentioned in the dedication of every single title in the series as well as in the text of quite a few of the books. (I want to say all, but I'm just not completely positive about that.) I think I'm just as interested in Beatrice as I am in the Baudelaire's at this point. It might be fun to go back through the text of all the books and note when Lemony mentions her. Yes, she is mentioned, and I also find it intriguing that Lemony mentions himself in the book. I also think he mentions himself more than he lets on (or makes obvious)....I'll just let you sit and ponder that one!
Also, you are attempting to read the letters to his publisher at the end of each of the books.....right?
And you're paying attention to the illustrations in the text, right? Right???
FactCheck.org is "a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.
The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation." (From the 'About Us' page.)
Take a few minutes and inform yourself!
The Slippery Slope - A Series of Unfortunate Events
By: Lemony Snicket
I must be an optimist to continue reading books that tell me it's only going to get worse. For some reason I don't let that deter me from continuing this series, even despite the repeated warnings. All I can say is I am so glad I am reading these now that they are all published and I can just move seamlessly from one story to the next. On to the book!
At the end of The Carnivorous Carnival the disguised Baudelaire's have left with Count Olaf and his troop to head to the V.F.D. headquarters in the Mortmain Mountains. Of course, things definitely do not go as planned for the children. First, Count Olaf has Sunny ride in the car and makes Violet and Klaus ride in the caravan behind the car. Please tell me that you see where this is going....heading UP the mountains, trusting Olaf won't harm them.....yeah, I think you get the picture!
Sunny is treated abombinably by Olaf and his henchmen. They force her to sleep in a casserole dish and to cook. Granted, it is pointed out that Sunny isn't exactly a baby anymore, but she is still far to young to be sleeping out-of-doors and cooking for evil people on top of the mountain. She has a tremendous amount of pluck for one so young and doesn't give up hope that her siblings will find her, although how they might escape their fate is quite beyond her.
Violet and Klaus - I hate to say too much and give this away, but you must know by now that although horrible things happen to these children every time we turn around, they manage to make it through the situation at hand. (I am optimistic that the last book won't end in complete tragedy, i.e. none of the children die and they finally find a suitable guardian. Yes, I realize that goes against the title of the series. So be it!) Let's just say I am SO very glad I have never had to do what they did at the beginning of this book - and have to continue to do throughout it to survive. Other than the cold (I am not a huge fan), they have to deal with an old enemy (other than Olaf and his evil followers), a new friend, a difficult climb, a moral dilemma, a rescue operation (actually more than one....) and yet another loss and catastrophic event they have to work their way out of. And let me just say the endings are making use of the cliff-hanger in an ever-increasingly-impressive manner. I had to start book 11 right away!
From the library's website, click on MnPALS, then click on Advanced. In the Field to Search drop-down, select author and type in the author's last name then first name, re: Bach, Johann Sebastian. In the Format drop-down, select Music Scores. Select enter and you will see your result list shortly! Hope this is helpful!
The Carnivorous Carnival - A Series of Unfortunate Events
By: Lemony Snicket
After escaping the hospital with Count Olaf in the last book, the Baudelaire's are now trying to determine just what to do about their situation. First, they are in the trunk of Count Olaf's car. They really don't want to be there, but in order to get the information they need about the fire that burned down their house, killed their parents and began this horrendous series of events, they need to be able to spy on Olaf for a little while. They decide to stay at the Carnival where Olaf and his evil henchmen (and women) have stopped and spy on him for a change.
Their disguises work, and they get jobs as freaks at the Carnival. Unfortunately for them, while trying to learn Madam Lulu's secrets and how she manages to tell Count Olaf exactly where the children are at any given time, Count Olaf debuts an event even more sinister than those he's managed to think of previously. The lions that he's brought to the Carnival are not only hungry, but they're angry as well, especially since Count Olaf whips them and keeps them in a very confined cage. The Baudelaire's are on a mission to prevent anyone from being eaten by the lions, escape from the Carnival with Madam Lulu, find out all the information she has on their parents, find out if one of their parents really is still alive, and stop Count Olaf and his evil followers. Of course, things don't work out the way we would hope, and this ending will really have you on the edge of your seats - especially since Count Olaf has decided he only needs one orphan to get their fortune....
It's that time of year where you and the government work out who owes who what. Some dread it, some get it taken care of right away. What am I talking about? Taxes! I know, fun, right?
Even though it may not be fun or exciting it's one of those things that just has to be done. In order to help you out, we've put a couple of links on Viking Voyageur to help you get your taxes done. The links are the first blue lines on the page. You'll see them!
Hurry! You have until Tuesday!
The Hostile Hospital - A Series of Unfortunate Events
By: Lemony Snicket
We left the Baudelaire's basically walking across the middle of nowhere to get out of V.F.D. and away from Count Olaf yet again. They're still in the middle of nowhere when we meet up with them, but they've come to the Last Chance General Store. They manage to send a telegram to Mr. Poe, but while waiting for a reply (that never comes) the storekeeper realizes the children are the 'murderers' mentioned in The Daily Punctilio. They escape the store just as the V.F.D. van out front is getting gas. Thinking the children are a part of the Volunteers Fighting Disease group, they are invited along to cheer up the hospital patients the V.F.D. visits. (They're not particularly the brightest group of people, but they do mean well.) Even though they know they should never get into a van with strangers, the children feel they have no choice because: a - they are in the middle on nowhere b - the shopkeeper recognized them and they don't want to be turned in c - they're in the middle of nowhere.
When they arrive at the hospital they volunteer for a brand-new job that has amazingly just opened up. They will be working in the hall of records at the hospital, filing away information. They like their new boss and feel bad when they trick him in order to learn more about their parents and the fire that killed them. Unfortunately, while looking for the records they need, they run into an associate of Olaf's and they are not happy to see her (who would be?). Violet helps Klaus and Sunny to escape, but when she doesn't return to their hiding place the younger Baudelaire's worry - and with due reason! When they find out what Olaf is up to they almost can't stomach it, but Violet needs them and they'll do anything they can to rescue her.
Will Count Olaf succeed in his evil plan with Violet? Or will Klaus and Sunny save the day? The adventure continues and you will never believe how the children escape Count Olaf this time!
JSTOR and ProjectMUSE are both back to working as they should be! Thanks for your patience as we worked this out. As always, if you need help with anything, call, e-mail, IM or even stop by and ask!
The Vile Village: A Series of Unfortunate Events
By:
Lemony Snicket
Well, this is book 7, so that means we're over halfway to the end of the series. I'm actually finding it to be more fun than I remembered. That just goes to show you that some books are better at certain dates, times and mindframes than others! I firmly believe your mood can affect your reading experience. Sometimes books are just better a few years down the road.....
Back to the Baudelaire's....We catch up with the children in Mr. Poe's office. They're reading a newspaper article that just reeks of bad journalism and research. It states that Count Omar has captured a set of twins. There are 2 mistakes in the headline alone (can you spot them?), and you can bet it doesn't get any better after that. The newspaper also continues it's journey into lackluster journalism in other parts of the story. On a personal note, I can't stand it when newspapers have spelling and grammatical errors, but errors in the facts of the story is just plain lazy on their part.
The children are told they will be going to a village that believes in the mantra, "It takes a village to raise a child." They are allowed to pick out the one they want to live in. Most have sad connections with them, but the last one on the list is more than intriguing to the children: V.F.D.
Unfortunately those initials don't really add up to the V.F.D. the children are on the lookout for. However, after arriving at their destination and getting their interesting living situation and 'jobs' in somewhat of an order, their new caretaker, Hector, shows them a scrap of paper that truly amazes the children. The handwriting and the way the words are arranged are very familiar to the children. So familiar that another rescue operation is underway before you know it! Can they figure out the hidden clues? Can they save an innocent man from burning at the stake? Will Count Olaf finally be captured? Will the Baudelaire's have a chance at happiness yet?
At this time the link for JSTOR on the library's webpage takes you to a page that tells you there is a a page loading error. If you click on the red J on the top left side of your screen you will be taken to a basic search screen page. You can enter your search terms here, or you can click on advanced search below the basic box, or you can click on 'Search' to the right of the red J. The links in the Research QuickStart database are working.
Also, Project Muse will let you conduct a search, but it will not let you access the html or PDF full text items. It asks for a user name and password. We are working with Project Muse to fix this.
Thank-you for your patience in dealing with this matter. Look here for further updates!
Since the economy is such a hot topic in the news these days, I thought this week's Site-of-the-Week should incorporate something having to do with the economy! Hence, I present to you:
The Financial Forecast Center
The following is excerpted from their About Us page:
About the Financial Forecast Center
The Financial Forecast Center has been producing and publishing economic and financial market forecasts since 1997. These forecasts have been and will continue to be published exclusively on the internet.
All forecasts are generated in-house using artificial intelligence. The forecast models are 100% quantitative and use a global, long-range economic dataset. Thus, the forecasts are very objective. And because the Financial Forecast Center has no ties to other companies or institutions, our products and services are completely independent.
You can find information on Money Rates, the U.S. General Economy, Currency to Exchange Rates, and Stock Indexes. You can also sign up for long range forecasts, but that will cost about $30 a year.
Take a gander and learn something new!
The Ersatz Elevator - A Series of Unfortunate Events
By: Lemony Snicket
We again see Mr. Poe on his way to drop off the Baudelaire orphans at yet another guardians home. This time they are being taken to 667 Dark Avenue to live with Jerome and Esme Squalor. (The last name is quite fitting for Esme.) The Squalor's live in the penthouse, and since elevators are 'out' the children have to take the dark stairs. (The stairs are dark because light is 'out'. Everyone in this building/area of town are very concerned with what's 'in' and what's 'out'. It's really very silly, and there is more foolishness involving the things that are 'in' and those that are 'out' than having to climb 48 or 84 floors to the penthouse.)
The Baudelaire's new guardians are an interesting pair. Jerome is kind to the children, but really no help when it comes down to it. Esme is really only interested in them at the moment since 'orphans are in'. They have lovely rooms and a home so big they frequently get lost in it. Things aren't too terrible for the children, that is, until the auctioneer Gunther shows up. Things go seriously downhill from there.
When 'Gunther' arrives the children know they're in some trouble again. And yet again, nobody believes them when they tell the adults that Gunther is Olaf. Besides this, they're still dealing with what happened to their friends the Quagmires. Mysterious happenings regarding Gunther puzzle the children, until they figure out where he may be - and are they in for a surprise! (It's not a good one - you should know better than that by now!)
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