Post by bandit on Sept 27, 2015 2:39:14 GMT -5
The book title didn't fit in the thread title. Anyway, I stole Terry's project again and compiled instances of intertextuality while I read. Sorry Terry. Everyone can add things that I missed, or things that they think might be references. Spoilers for ?4 below, of course.
"I headed toward the train station, thinking of the book. It was about a man who went to sleep one night, and when he woke up he was an insect. It was causing him a great deal of trouble." (p. 15)
- Referring to The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka.
"The sixth floor sold toys, and I thought of a book for small children as I paused to catch my breath. A bear wanders a department store at night, looking for a button he has lost. He's caught by the night watchman."
- Referring to Corduroy, by Don Freeman.
"I found a ticket booth where a woman sat behind a window, reading a book I didn't like ... I pointed at the book. 'Give me a ticket or I'll give away the ending.'
'You wouldn't dare,' Polly Partial snarled. 'Now scram. There's no ticket for you here.'
'They find him guilty,' I said. 'The lawyer does his best at the trial, but the town finds Tom guilty just the same.'" (pp. 26, 32)
- Referring to To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Lemony gives away the ending again on page 66.
"'Is there room for one more passenger on that train?'
'The Thistle of the Valley?'
'Is that what the train is called?'
'Yes.'" (p.28)
- A lily-of-the-valley is a sweet but poisonous plant. It is often used for medicinal purposes in combination with holy thistle, which is a bitter but arguably edible plant. Both names have a religious connotation, particularly in Solomon 2:1, which reads: "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys" (King James Bible). Note that this quote mentions the Sharon plain, which is the northern half of the coastal plain of Israel; its name also strongly recalls the character of Sharon Haines.
"'Have you read a book called The Turn of the Screw?' I asked.
Pip pointed his thumb at the hood of the taxi. 'We get enough hardware in our ordinary lives,' he said.
'It's not about hardware,' I told him. 'It's about a babysitter and some ghosts. It's difficult but it's spooky, and speaking of which, stop here, will you?'" (pp. 47-48)
- Referring, of course, to The Turn Of The Screw, by Henry James.
"Look, everybody has a turn, Snicket. Giacomo Casanova had a turn. Marcel Duchamp had a turn. Beverly Cleary had a turn. People have done difficult things for more or less noble reasons. Your turn now." (p. 54)
- Giacomo Casanova was a famous adventurer in the 18th century, Marcel Duchamp was a Dadaist artist in the 20th century, and Beverly Cleary is a children's author. It is later explained on pp. 130-131 that they are mentioned here because of their lesser known careers as librarians.
"'The news is that I lost my ticket,' I said, 'but Ms. Mallahan can vouch for me.'
'But this is just a business card,' the woman said.
'You can get anything printed on a card like this,' the man said. 'It's the easiest disguise in the world.'" (p. 72)
- Possibly a nod to Count Olaf's "Captain Sham" disguise in The Wide Window, which includes a fake business card: "Business cards, of course, are not proof of anything. Anyone can go to a print shop and have cards made that say anything they like. The king of Denmark can order business cards that say he sells golf balls. Your dentist can order business cards that say she is your grandmother. In order to escape from the castle of an enemy of mine, I once had cards printed that said I was an admiral in the French navy. Just because something is typed—whether it is typed on a business card or typed in a newspaper or book—this does not mean that it is true."
"'Jake has started naming his sandwiches,' she told me. 'This is the Highsmith ...'" (p. 78)
- The sandwich is named after Patricia Highsmith, a 20th century author known for her black humor-tinged psychological thrillers. In this case, she is most likely mentioned for her novel Strangers On A Train, in which murder(s) happen(s) on a train.
"Jake rubbed at both his eyes with both his fists. 'I wouldn't know who Eleanor Estes was if it weren't for Qwerty,' he said. 'I wouldn't know Lowry. I wouldn't know Snyder ...'" (p. 146)
Eleanor Estes, Lois Lowry, and Zilpha Keatley Snyder are all children's authors who Daniel Handler has praised in the past. Estes was also a librarian.
"'Kenneth Grahame,' she told me.
'He's not the only noble author,' I said. 'There's Dahl.'
'Sendak,' Moxie said, and all my associates chimed in.
'Konigsburg.'
'Brown.'
'Gorey.'
'Grimm,' I said." (p. 156)
- Once again referring to some of Daniel Handler's favorite children's authors: Roald Dahl, Maurice Sendak, E.L. Konigsburg, Marc Brown, Edward Gorey, and the Brothers Grimm.
- Referring to The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka.
"The sixth floor sold toys, and I thought of a book for small children as I paused to catch my breath. A bear wanders a department store at night, looking for a button he has lost. He's caught by the night watchman."
- Referring to Corduroy, by Don Freeman.
"I found a ticket booth where a woman sat behind a window, reading a book I didn't like ... I pointed at the book. 'Give me a ticket or I'll give away the ending.'
'You wouldn't dare,' Polly Partial snarled. 'Now scram. There's no ticket for you here.'
'They find him guilty,' I said. 'The lawyer does his best at the trial, but the town finds Tom guilty just the same.'" (pp. 26, 32)
- Referring to To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Lemony gives away the ending again on page 66.
"'Is there room for one more passenger on that train?'
'The Thistle of the Valley?'
'Is that what the train is called?'
'Yes.'" (p.28)
- A lily-of-the-valley is a sweet but poisonous plant. It is often used for medicinal purposes in combination with holy thistle, which is a bitter but arguably edible plant. Both names have a religious connotation, particularly in Solomon 2:1, which reads: "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys" (King James Bible). Note that this quote mentions the Sharon plain, which is the northern half of the coastal plain of Israel; its name also strongly recalls the character of Sharon Haines.
"'Have you read a book called The Turn of the Screw?' I asked.
Pip pointed his thumb at the hood of the taxi. 'We get enough hardware in our ordinary lives,' he said.
'It's not about hardware,' I told him. 'It's about a babysitter and some ghosts. It's difficult but it's spooky, and speaking of which, stop here, will you?'" (pp. 47-48)
- Referring, of course, to The Turn Of The Screw, by Henry James.
"Look, everybody has a turn, Snicket. Giacomo Casanova had a turn. Marcel Duchamp had a turn. Beverly Cleary had a turn. People have done difficult things for more or less noble reasons. Your turn now." (p. 54)
- Giacomo Casanova was a famous adventurer in the 18th century, Marcel Duchamp was a Dadaist artist in the 20th century, and Beverly Cleary is a children's author. It is later explained on pp. 130-131 that they are mentioned here because of their lesser known careers as librarians.
"'The news is that I lost my ticket,' I said, 'but Ms. Mallahan can vouch for me.'
'But this is just a business card,' the woman said.
'You can get anything printed on a card like this,' the man said. 'It's the easiest disguise in the world.'" (p. 72)
- Possibly a nod to Count Olaf's "Captain Sham" disguise in The Wide Window, which includes a fake business card: "Business cards, of course, are not proof of anything. Anyone can go to a print shop and have cards made that say anything they like. The king of Denmark can order business cards that say he sells golf balls. Your dentist can order business cards that say she is your grandmother. In order to escape from the castle of an enemy of mine, I once had cards printed that said I was an admiral in the French navy. Just because something is typed—whether it is typed on a business card or typed in a newspaper or book—this does not mean that it is true."
"'Jake has started naming his sandwiches,' she told me. 'This is the Highsmith ...'" (p. 78)
- The sandwich is named after Patricia Highsmith, a 20th century author known for her black humor-tinged psychological thrillers. In this case, she is most likely mentioned for her novel Strangers On A Train, in which murder(s) happen(s) on a train.
"Jake rubbed at both his eyes with both his fists. 'I wouldn't know who Eleanor Estes was if it weren't for Qwerty,' he said. 'I wouldn't know Lowry. I wouldn't know Snyder ...'" (p. 146)
Eleanor Estes, Lois Lowry, and Zilpha Keatley Snyder are all children's authors who Daniel Handler has praised in the past. Estes was also a librarian.
"'Kenneth Grahame,' she told me.
'He's not the only noble author,' I said. 'There's Dahl.'
'Sendak,' Moxie said, and all my associates chimed in.
'Konigsburg.'
'Brown.'
'Gorey.'
'Grimm,' I said." (p. 156)
- Once again referring to some of Daniel Handler's favorite children's authors: Roald Dahl, Maurice Sendak, E.L. Konigsburg, Marc Brown, Edward Gorey, and the Brothers Grimm.