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Post by veryferociousdrama on Apr 21, 2019 13:10:02 GMT -5
Ooh, something a bit different this week! Have fun!
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Post by Foxy on Apr 22, 2019 9:31:04 GMT -5
I just wanted to say that in my commonplace book, all the text is color coded to match the spine of the book, and the UA is purple in honor of "The Luckiest Kids in the World."
LEMONY SNICKET: THE UNAUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY
I love all the funny things on the copyright page.
Introduction: cryptic -> enigmatic -> mysterious -> arcane -> abstruse -> cryptic Daniel Handler -> publisher -> doorman -> elderly woman -> a stranger -> Is the doorman in the publisher’s letter Hooky? (x) Who is Julie Battberg? (xv) Is this entire thing just a farce? (xv)
Chapter One: Why was Mr. Snicket’s death published in the newspaper? Because it is an unreliable newspaper, and someone called the newspaper and told them things that weren’t necessarily true. Who took this? [photograph of a baby] V.F.D.
Places: two shops in the photograph of the coffin? (4) Café Kafka (5) Hazy Harbor (7) Valorous Farms Dairy (11) Robber Road (11)
Snicket Dictionary: innuendo: people who call up newspapers and tell them things that aren’t necessarily true (5)
Characters: Dr. Charley Patton, adjunct professor, folk song department, Scriabin Institute for Accuracy in Music (8) Cheesemakers (11) Jacob Snicket (11) Lemony’s father Snicket’s mother (17): conducted an investigation at a mill Snicket’s siblings (17): Jacques insisted he got to finish his tea
References: The Daily Punctilio The Little Snicket Lad Row, Row, Row Your Boat Old McDonald had a Farm
Personal notes: Snicket wrote a letter to Professor Patton shortly before he was to be married to Beatrice. (8) Who wrote in the margins of the letter? (11, 16, 21)
Chapter Two: Why has Mr. Snicket dedicated his life to the Baudelaire case? Because he was in love with their mother. Is this letter authentic? [calligraphy R] I think so. It has the official seal of Winnipeg at the end of the letter.
Places: Orion Observatory (25) Veblen Hall (30) Prufrock Prep (30)
Characters: The Duchess of Winnipeg, or someone posing as the Duchess of Winnipeg (R): gives an annual lecture at the Orion Observatory (25) Baron van de Wetering (26) Beatrice (26)
References: Charlotte’s Web (27) Green Mansions (27) Ivan Lachrymose: Lake Explorer (27)
Personal Notes: The Duchess or her impersonator mentions a heap of drapes awaiting a trial. Is this the trial in TPP? (27)
Chapter 3: Why does Count Olaf have a tattoo of an eye on his ankle? Because he was a member of V.F.D. Why has this building been abandoned? Because someone gave up the secret location of V.F.D.
Places: Examination Hall (37) Sculpture Garden (37) Prufrock Preparatory School (41) 1485 Columbia Road (44) Brick building with scraggly hedges (44) Building with two round towers in a foggy neighborhood (44) Versailles Post Office (44) Rival post office (44) underground tunnels beneath a lamp post(44) Underground headquarter beneath an abandoned shack in the northwest region of the Finite Forest (44)
Characters: J (33): Jacques Snicket L (33) M (33) R (33): Vice Chancellor, 9 years old R (33) M (33) L (33): Lemony Snicket K (33): Kit Snicket D (33): Daniel Handler? S (33): did a report on lack of sleep at Prufrock Preparatory School… Transcriber (33): also J: Old enough to drink brandy. Dr. Sebald (36) Neophytes: R, L, K, B, J, E, G (37) G (38): Geraldine Julien E: Esme (45) O: Olaf, who wants to be called “T” (45)
References: Werewolves in the Rain (36) The Daily Punctilio (37)
Personal Notes: R forgot crucial information regarding the exact location of the automobiles we use to store necessary files to convey messages because she was up all night helping to move the headquarters. (41) Sugarbowl! (41) The rest of the conversation was hidden in Aunt Josephine’s copy of Ivan Lachrymose, Lake Explorer, which was under her bed. (47)
Chapter Four: Where are the Quagmire triplets now? In the Great Unknown Who is the tallest person in the photograph? Whoever is hiding in the snowman
Places: Swarthy Swamp (57)
Characters: Dr. Gustav Sebald (55): film director Dr. Montgomery (57): never learned the Sebald code Cheesemakers: Snicket’s second to last hope that the tale of the Baudelaire orphans would be told to the general public (58) Sally Sebald (66) Quagmires? (70)
References: Zombies in the Snow (57) Ghosts in the Desert (66) Goblins in the Garden(66) Mummies in the Jungle (66) Vampires in the Retirement Community (66) Lions in the Mountains (66) Leeches in the Lake (66) Werewolves in the Rain (66) Surgeons in the Theatre (66) Gorillas in the Fog (66) Bats in the Train Station (66) Ants in the Fruit Salad (66) Hypnotists in the Office (66) Big Foot in the Mall (66) Alligators in the Sewer (66) Realtors in the Cave (66): Snicket had to have had fun making these titles up The Littlest Elf (66): WHAT?
Personal Notes: Snicket was supposed to meet with Dr. Sebald, but he is dead because of Count Olaf. Grossly enough, he is at the Swarthy Swamp… (56) I really do love eating prunes. (56) There was a hidden message for Uncle Monty, but he never got it. (65) Is the Quagmire home burned down yet? I know they were at Prufrock Prep for a while, but this could be a clue that one of the parents really is still alive. Was Young Rolf played by Count Olaf? (67) Was Gustav really young? (71)
Chapter Five: Who is Beatrice? The Baudelaires’ mother (also the woman pictured) Why was this actress replaced after only three performances? Because Count Olaf took over the play.
Places: Financial District (75) Library of Records, Heimlich Hospital (75) Dr. Montgomery’s library (75) Finite Forest, Paltryville (75) Fountain of Victorious Finance (76) Nancarrow Theatre (77) Ned H. Rirger Theater (77) Veritable French Diner (78): 141 Dark Avenue Vineyard of Fragrant Drapes (84)
Characters: Inspector Austin (77): character in a play taxi driver (77): other character in a play Shirley T. Siniot-Pecér (77): Count Olaf Linda Rhaldeen (77): wrote The World Is Quiet Here Al Funcoot (78) Count Olaf’s theater troupe (78) Esmé (79): maiden name smudged in program Eleanora Poe (80): Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Punctilio Geraldine Julienne (80) The Duchess (83) K (83) Jerome Squalor (88)
References: The Case of the Vegetarian Murderer (77) Look Out for That Axe! (77) Cats (77) The World Is Quiet Here (77) The Most Handsome Man in the World (78) Why, I Believe I’ve Become Even More Handsome! (78) One Last Warning to Those Who Try to Stand in My Way (78)
Personal Notes: Oh my goodness. So all those newspapers stacked along the street in Paltryville were the archives of the Daily Punctilio! (75) That’s completely ridiculous. Who wrote this letter to the Dairy? Beatrice? Beatrice II? Who would be trying to clear Snicket’s name after the Library of Records was already burned down? (76) What is the real reason he was dismissed from his job at the newspaper by Eleanora Poe??? (81) Now the Duchess says she will never forget the Sebald code or the location of the secret jeep. (83) The parallels of the letters to Snicket and Jerome are interesting. (88) Why did R have those letters? (88)
Chapter Six: What is V.F.D.? Volunteer Fire Department Why did this ship leave three hours ahead of schedule? Because V.F.D. decided circumstances required leaving early.
Places: Daedelus Dock (93) Lake Lachrymose (97) Anxious Clown (97)
Characters: Man on the Black Rapids Deck (94) E (94): Esmé on her honeymoon with Jerome? Sailors: (these are all authors) Gantos (Jack) Eager (Edward) Kerr (Philip) Whelan (Gloria) Cleary (Beverly) Snyder (there are a lot of Snyders. Laurel, perhaps?) Sones (Sonya) Seibold (J. otto) Walsch (Vivian) Selznick (Brian) Creech (Sharon) Danziger (Paula) Konigsburg (E.L.) Lowry (Lois) Scieszka (Jon) (is this a nod to Jacqueline in the NETFLIX series?) Griffin (I don’t know, there are a number of them) Snicket (Lemony) Dahl (Roald) Woodson (Jacqueline) Bellairs (John) Kalman (Maria) Peck (Richard) Jacques (96): seems to be in the Gorgronian Grotto D (97): Daniel Handler? K (97): Kit B (97): Beatrice – in the photograph on 105? H (98): Hector J (110): Disguised as Captain S.
Personal Notes: Lemony was working at the Daily Punctilio while he was still an apprentice. (96) Photographs of false family members (102): maybe the taxi driver in TRR was somebody in V.F.D. Yep, p. 107 explains this further. p. 104 is ridiculous What did Hooky use charcoal for? (doorman’s disguise, 106) If you follow the instructions, there is no way to avoid going through the places you are no supposed to go through on the Prospero. (111)
CHAPTER SEVEN: Why is there a secret passageway between the Baudelaire mansion and 667 Dark Avenue? There is a V.F.D. headquarters above the penthouse. What has stained this man’s jacket? black ink
Places: Lucky Smells Lumbermill
Characters: Volunteer (117): my guess is Jacques or Lemony Detective Smith (118) Detective Jones (118) Detective Smithjones (118) Esmé (119) Al Funcoot (119) Geraldine Julienne (119)
Personal Notes: Geraldine Julienne told Esmé that Jerome had bought the penthouse, and Esmé must have known about the secret passageway. I think Esmé started the fire to get even with Beatrice for stealing the sugarbowl. (120)
CHAPTER EIGHT: Why isn’t Mr. Poe as helpful as he ought to be? Because his sister, Eleanora, prints bad advice in her newspaper, and he goes along with all of it. Why do these children have nothing better to do than sit outside and stare glumly at the camera? because there are no teachers around to teach them
Places: Prufrock Preparatory School (129) Rarely Ridden Road (132)
Characters: Vice Principal Nero (129) Mr. and Mrs. Spats (129) Ms. K (129) Mr. Remora (129): finally decided to retire Eleanora Poe (129) Geraldine Julienne (129) two replacement orphans (130): came after the Baudelaires. Who are these children??? Mrs. Bass (130): still works at the school, is a bank robber Al Funcoot (132) Count Omar (132) Arthur (134): Mr. Poe, Eleanora’s brother You know who (139): Maybe a third sibling?
References: The Daily Punctilio (129) Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (131) Matilda (131) Ivan Lachrymose, Lake Explorer (131) Grimm’s Fairy Tales ((131) Green Mansions (131) The Coded Poetry of Edgar Allen Poe (131) I Lost Something at the Movies (131) Nine Stories ((131) The History of Lucky Smells Lumbermill (131) A Series of Unfortunate Events(131) Charlotte’s Web ((131) Little House in the Big Woods (131)
Personal Notes: I think some of this stuff doesn’t add up simply because TPP wasn’t written yet, and Handler didn’t know he was going to include a lot of the side characters back into the series. I would like to think Ms. K is Kit. Rarely Ridden Road telephone poles chopped down – possibly coincides with Baudelaire phone call made from Caligari Carnival (132) Did someone tape over the rest of the meeting? (134) But this is not the copy of Ivan Lachrymose: Lake Explorer which was under Josephine’s bed, because this tape happens after her house had already fallen into Lake Lachrymose. Does Eleanora ever get rescued from the basement? (141) Who is the woman in the picture? I don’t think she’s Ms. K.; the kids are looking at the camera because there are no teachers to teach them. (142)
CHAPTER NINE: Why is Lemony Snicket on the run? Everyone thinks he is guilty of Count Olaf’s crimes. What has happened to the reptiles in Dr. Montgomery’s collection? Count Olaf tricked Bruce into giving him all but one. The owners of the Prospero helped free the Incredibly Deadly Viper.
Places: Library (146) Prufrock Preparatory School Library (154) Valorous Farms Dairy (156)
Characters: Duchess (144) Genius (145): Count Olaf? GG – letter writer (153) Couple who own the Prospero (155)
References: The Reptile Room (147)
Personal Notes: The person writing the letter overheard someone complaining about how inconvenient it is to drown someone, but this cannot have been Count Olaf and Gustav because TRR was already written, and the letter-writer had read it. (152) The letter writer also possibly witnessed Viper talking to crickets, maybe telling them to chirp in the winter, thus justifying something the Duchess wrote in one of her letters. (152) This entire letter is quite funny. (153) I don’t understand why this note is so similar to page 146 (154) The couple recognized the talking cow as one of Olaf’s associates. (156)
CHAPTER TEN: How many associates does Count Olaf have? At least 25, possibly more than 41 What can be hidden in a book? crucial documents
Characters: bald man with a very long nose (161) two women who had bright white powder all over their faces (161) a man with very long and skinny arms (161) a person who was extremely fat, and who looked like neither a man nor a woman (161) an assortment of people the children could not see (161) Ivan Lachrymose (162) Ramona Quimby (163) Esme Squalor Hal (176) Babs (176)
References: The Bad Beginning (161) Ivan Lachrymose: Lake Explorer (162) by Vincent Francis Doyle Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (163) I Lost Something at the Movies (165) The Reptile Room (166) The Mamba du Mal: A Snake That Will Never Kill Me (167) The Three Languages (168) Little House in the Big Woods (169) Nine Stories – For Esmé, with Love and Squalor (169) The Bells (170) Edgar Allen Poe The History of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill (170) Carmelita’s Autobiography (171) Charlotte’s Web (172) Green Mansions (173) The Littlest Elf (174)
Snicket Dictionary: Commonplace book: place where I have collected passages from some of the most important books I have read (159)
Personal Notes: Mamba was killed?!? (164) Maybe the Baudelaires were related to Sir, and they got a family discount to build their house out of Lucky Smells green lumber? I doubt Sir would give a family discount… he pays his cousins in coupons. (170) The alternate first lines for the series are hilarious. How did Babs know they went into the Baudelaire file? (176)
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Are the Baudelaire parents really dead? Yes Why do so many things end in fire? because of cows
Places: Remains of Quagmire mansion (1820183) Valorous Farms Dairy (184)
Characters: Brett Helquist (182) Detective Smith (184) Meredith Heuer (185)
Personal Notes: Helquist was at the Quagmire mansion, not the Baudelaire mansion. (182-183)
CHAPTER TWELVE: Is there anything a concerned citizen can do if he or she wants to help the Baudelaires? No If there’s nothing out there, what made that noise? V.F.D. members waiting to kidnap you
Character: Kit Snicket (192)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Who is Lemony Snicket? a strange man ________________________?
Personal Notes: Mysterious floor above the penthouse (201)
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Post by Carrie E. Abelabudite on Apr 22, 2019 9:47:10 GMT -5
General Notes
This is an incredibly confusing book, which can make it very frustrating to read, yet at the same time I find it absolutely fascinating. It gives us more background information about VFD than any other Lemony Snicket book, but it also forces us to puzzle out an extremely contradictory timeline. Unlike other plot inconsistencies in the series, which seem to crop up as a result of Handler changing his mind as the story progressed, these seem to be intentional. While there are times I feel like I would prefer to get extra exposition in a more straightforward way, for the most part, I like getting to play detective here.
The best cover for the book is definitely The Pony Party, though the Egmont edition probably looks better on the shelf next to other books, since it has the same general design. I don't have a copy of the HarperCollins edition, so I can't say for sure, but I would imagine it might look a little incongruous since it would be the only one with a dust jacket. Still, maybe that's not really noticeable. The eBook cover is just the other side of the HarperCollins cover, which is boring.
Both the Egmont and eBook editions, despite not displaying The Pony Party on the front, still have 'Wouldn't you rather read about ponies?' written on the copyright page.
Does The Pony Party exist in-universe? I think it probably does; maybe it contains coded information like The Littlest Elf.
Introduction
The idea of Daniel Handler constantly being asked the 'difficult' question of '"Will you please get out of my way?"' (ix) reminds me of a very Snicket-like children's book I once read that contained a 'readers guide' with questions for a discussion group, the first one being "Who chose this book?" and the second one being "Can I hit them in the stomach?"
I like the chain of 'cryptic' meaning 'enigmatic', 'enigmatic' meaning 'mysterious', and so on.
Okay, let's see if I can follow the narrators: the introduction is by Daniel Handler, 'the official representative of Lemony Snicket in all legal, literary and social matters,' (ix) The second narrator is one of the publishers from whichever company is publishing ASOUE in-universe.
The description of the doorman would probably make first-time readers think of the hook-handed man, though it becomes increasingly apparent that they can't be the same person.
The third narrator is the doorman. That he's writing to the dairy makes it seem like he is Lemony, though I think there's some conflicting evidence in this regard, and Lemony probably can't be working as a doorman at a publishing company if he's on the run from the law, though I suppose he could be living under an assumed name. Regardless of who the doorman is, he must know the Snicket family very well - maybe he's impersonating one of the Snicket siblings.
'Today was a very cold and bitter day, as cold and bitter as a cup of hot chocolate, if the cup of hot chocolate had vinegar added to it and were placed in a refrigerator for several hours.' (xii) I unironically love this description.
The woman tells the doorman the story about how she got the papers, which was told to her by a stranger.
The description of VFD here seems sort of like any other exclusive club. That's really not a sense we get at any other point in the series.
Also, where is this clubhouse? It seems like all the VFD headquarters/Safe Places should have been burnt down by now. Assuming this introduction is being written a while after the events of ASOUE, I guess it's possible VFD have rebuilt, to a degree.
Now I think of it, it's odd this stranger was able to come to the dinner, not being a member, never mind that he was invited to stay for the meeting. Maybe VFD are desperate to recruit at this point.
'It is well known that one of the easiest ways to avoid the attention of one's enemies is to concoct a long, false tale about how something was passed to you by a mysterious stranger, or how you received a letter out of the blue, or a message hidden in a handshake and written in illegible writing.' (xv) Even in-universe, Daniel Handler probably made up this whole story so as not to have to explain the actual reason why he had this info.
The gentleman not of the stranger's acquaintance is the one who may or may not be the nephew of Julie Blattberg. Interesting that he has a key-and-box set similar to what Lemony describes in TEE. Maybe such devices are common among VFD members.
I think it's the person at the publishing company who wants to take a brandy break. Although the next line makes it sound like it's the gentleman.
'I will not give you any sort of introduction to this autobiography at all' (xvii) - is this Daniel Handler again?
If I were to seriously analyse the 'canonicity' of this introduction, I'd say in-universe DH made it up, yet probably based it on somewhat-true events he was aware had happened.
Contents
What is 'the Baudelaire file'? Presumably just a file of Lemony's research that probably eventually became ASOUE, but it's interesting because the Snicket file is also referred to as the Baudelaire file at least once.
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Post by Dante on Apr 22, 2019 12:19:21 GMT -5
The best cover for the book is definitely The Pony Party, though the Egmont edition probably looks better on the shelf next to other books, since it has the same general design. That depends on your choice of Egmont editions; the first Egmont edition of the U.A. looked like this - and yes, that is a separate paper seal which you have to slide off or break, with the cover opening down the middle: Which would be a really cool gimmick if it hadn't meant missing out on the equally cool gimmicks of The Pony Party and the HarperCollins U.A.'s true cover. Remember this writing style for later.
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Post by Foxy on Apr 23, 2019 10:40:37 GMT -5
That Egmont cover is pretty cool! Is there another one?
Has anyone ever cataloged the entire index? (I started and got through "B", which was already a page and took me at least an hour. At that point, I decided I should probably be using my time more productively.)
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Post by Carrie E. Abelabudite on Apr 23, 2019 11:38:11 GMT -5
That Egmont cover is pretty cool! Is there another one? Yes, the one I have looks like this: I wanted to go through it to make notes, but I didn't have the time or energy. Why Was Mr Snicet's Death Published In The Newspaper?/Who Took This
When is Lemony's obituary being published? It must be after at least some of the ASOUE books have been written, but not necessarily all of them. Based on the number of people who seem to think he his dead, this can't be the only, or even the first, such report. 'This period of professional contentment - and allegedly, unrequited love - ended when news broke of his involvement with V.F.D. and the accompanying scandal was reported in these very pages.' (p3) This is a very different version of events than we see reported anywhere else. Given it's a The Daily Punctilio article, that's not necessarily surprising, I guess. For example, I think everything else we see suggests that Beatrice really did love Lemony, despite breaking off their engagement. There's also no other hint that it was the reporting of Lemony's involvement with VFD that catalysed this. Maybe the article is referring to reports it published of his purported involvement with the villainous side of the schism. I said in the TRR thread that I didn't think Café Kafka was mentioned again, but clearly, I was wrong. ' The Daily Punctilio has never been a reliable newspaper: not when I worked there as part of an undercover assignment, not when that terrible reporter began to write about the Baudelaire case,' (p5) When Lemony was working there, it seems like it was densely populated by VFD members, so if the articles were inaccurate, it was probably to serve their agendas. His mention of Geraldine Julienne suggests it's been some time since most of the events of ASOUE, but not so long that he's finished researching the case - maybe, say, around the time the Baudelaires are leaving the Island? It was a clever idea for Handler to make us think about who took certain photos. I feel like books often advance their plots by having characters find photographs, and those characters never think to ask that question because all the meaningful evidence is within the photo itself. Who took the photo enclosed at the bottom of the note? Presumably Lemony, unless it's a fake. Why does Lemony still have the letter he wrote to Professor Patton? Did he just never send it? Who wrote 'Drat' (p11) and why are they so annoyed about Lemony not revealing the name of the cheesemakers? 'I often have to deliver secret information, which I sometimes hide in a letter beginning "Dear Dairy."' (p11) This seems extremely inefficient. Surely anyone would be capable of accessing this information. 'I was carried out of the kitchen by my ankles, as is the custom, so I was facing downward and could not see the sky, and the windows of the car were tinted, so absolutely everything looked grey to me as I was driven away from home.' (p13) This really is an incredibly dark passage. The idea of VFD members 'watching' baby Lemony is also very sinister. 'My mother asked ["Who took this?"] when she returned home that fateful day and found waiting for her not three young children but one worried husband and two half-full cups of tea.' (p15) This suggests that the Snicket parents didn't know that their children would be taken, which is at odds with other things we find out about the recruitment process. Maybe Mrs Snicket just didn't know they were going to be recruited that day and her husband was 'worried' because he thought she would be angry that it happened while she was out. 'If I can't find it, I will paste a photograph of someone else of more or less the same age.' (p16) Proof that Lemony's photos can't be trusted. The 'long black car' (p17) seems very similar to Olaf's. Maybe his is a VFD standard-issue he stole at some point. '[My mother] always wished that she had delayed her investigation one more day,' (p18) Evidence that Lemony's parents were also VFD members. Lemony seems sort of keen to defend VFD here, making sure Dr Patton understands he wasn't a toddler when he was recruited and he was allowed to come home sometimes. The definition of 'coda' is interesting, since it implies Lemony personally has heard these words quoted to him and found them confusing. It's likely those who did the 'recruiting' would have said this to him as he was driven away. 'The tune appears to be a well-known hymn of a naval disaster.' (p20) This is widely interpreted to be Row, Row, Row Your Boat, though I'm not sure that is the tune signified by the notes. Is the second picture really of Lemony? Personally, I think it's more likely he was recruited to VFD as a toddler, but he doesn't want to admit it because then he'd have to admit just how flawed of an organisation even the 'noble' side of VFD is. Why Has Mr Snicket Dedicated His Life To The Baudelaire Case?/Is This Letter Authentic?
'I am so sorry that I was unable to prevent, or at least delay, your capture at my masked ball that evening, and I have been worried sick all these years that you were dead,' (p25) This sounds like it's been a few years at least since the Masked Ball, but I guess it doesn't have to be read this way. Also, in TAA it was the palace guards capturing Lemony, whereas now we see R would have wanted to protect him (even if the letter wasn't written by her, the writer clearly thinks that R and Lemony are good friends and this is something she'd write). It makes sense to assume then, as I said in the TAA thread, that the 'palace guards' were really working for someone else. The reference to the pain in R and Lemony's ankles is the first confirmation that the tattoo was once seen as a mark of being in VFD. 'Beatrice, of course, is far past complaining about lost possessions - the very reason, I am certain that you have dedicated your life to researching the lives of those three poor children.' (p26) Answers the title of the chapter. This is a big clue to Beatrice's identity. Also, it seems a little callous for R - if indeed it is R - to be bringing this up here. More on that later. '[Gone are] the cloth napkins with the crease of Winnipeg embroidered on one side and the underground map of the city embroidered on the other.' (p27) We later find out that's not really what they looked like, but it's interesting because Lemony also seems to have such a map, and so might Olaf, per TBB. 'How content that young woman looks, don't you think? How content, and yet how flammable.' (p28) Again, seems downright cruel for a so-called friend of Lemony's. Lemony is clearly researching TEE when he receives the letter. So, did R really write the letter? I think the obvious answer is that she didn't - maybe too obvious. I like the Snicket Sleuth's theory, that R was captured by Olaf (or another villain) who made her write a letter to Lemony for some nefarious purpose. If she had been forced to insert certain lines, that would explain 'how content, and yet how flammable.' The theory also suggests that she got the details of the Jeep and the napkin wrong to tip Lemony off so he wouldn't fall for the bait - which clearly ended up working. The mention of the crickets could mean 'enemies are nearby', referring to whomever has captured her - presumably the same person who burnt down her mansion.
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Post by Foxy on Apr 24, 2019 14:16:52 GMT -5
Who wrote 'Drat' (p11) and why are they so annoyed about Lemony not revealing the name of the cheesemakers? Maybe this has to do with the chapter later with the guy who disguises himself as a cow.
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Post by Carrie E. Abelabudite on Apr 24, 2019 14:54:44 GMT -5
The Duchess or her impersonator mentions a heap of drapes awaiting a trial. Is this the trial in TPP? (27) I don't think Handler was thinking that far ahead - presumably it was just meant to be a trial for the arsonist of the Winnipeg palace. It would have been clever to bring back the drapes as evidence in TPP, but I don't think they're mentioned again. Having this question as a chapter title is somewhat strange because the book was written when the location of the Quagmires wasn't a mystery, or at least not a particularly interesting one. Olaf was an adult when the Baudelaires saw Zombies in the Snow, and he probably wouldn't have starred in a movie intending to warn Monty about his treachery. On the other hand, though, I think Olaf mentions starting his acting career at school when he met up with a director, which could fit in with the idea of him acting in Sebald films. I've seen it suggested that all the Sebald films were made a long time ago, and new scenes are dubbed in to facilitate different coded messages. The evidence against this is the reference to the snowman in the script and Sally Sebald's letter. Maybe Sebald or one of his allies constructed another one, but it seems a very roundabout way to try and unite the survivor of the fire with the Baudelaires. Also, it's said Gustav left it up after 'filming the movie' (p70). Maybe Sally means he left it up after redubbing the necessary scenes. I've also heard a suggestion that Young Rolf was played by Omeros, the islander from TE, although I don't know if there's any evidence for this.I'm sure it wasn't what Handler was intending when he wrote TMM, but it's a very clever retcon. I thought it was probably Kit, though there may be some issues with that. I get the impression that it's really only the Snicket family who communicate with the Dairy.IIRC, this contradicts what we hear in ATWQ. 'Apprenticeships' seem to be very loosely defined within VFD. I guess this is more in reference to the doorman in the introduction, who writes his 'diary' in charcoal when he runs out of ink.I think it's more likely that whoever was recording had to stop after being chastised by Eleanora. Considering that there was a telegraph machine in there, you'd think she'd eventually have been able to communicate with someone who could get her out, but maybe not, especially if everyone was ignoring their telegrams after having read the article about their being dangerous in TDP. Assuming that an edition of each book was published just a few days after the events it was describing had happened, it's possible the toad could have been imitating what it had heard Olaf saying. However, since the drowning happened before the events of TRR, at which point none of Monty's collection would have been on the loose, it must be a specimen other than the one Monty had.
Why Does Count Olaf Have A Tattoo Of An Eye On His Ankle?/Why Has This Building Been Abandoned?
Which volunteers are present at the meeting? 'D' must be Daniel Handler, one of the 'L's must be Lemony, and one of the 'J's must be Jacques. 'K' is probably Kit, even if (probably) Jacques' speech implies that they first met at 1485 Columbia Road. As the Snicket Sleuth points out, they could be pretending not to know each other for disguise purposes, as Kit and Lemony do in ?4. I'm not sure why they would need to do that at a VFD meeting, but nonetheless, I think it makes the most sense to say that 'K' is Kit. One of the 'R's is presumably the Duchess of Winnipeg - it makes sense if she is the one who says that 'someone might, for example, forget crucial information regarding the exact location of the automobiles we use to store necessary files and convey messages,' (p41) - if she knows Lemony heard her say this, it makes sense that she would add these deliberately incorrect details to her letter to tell him something was wrong. It probably makes the most sense to say the other 'J' is Josephine and one of the 'M's is Monty. Yes, this implies they know what Olaf looks like, but I think you can read TRR and TWW with this in mind. I think the second R, the one who's nine, is often cast as Ramona Quimby. The second 'L' is sometimes assumed to be Laura Ingalls Wilder, but another option could be Larry the waiter. 'S' might be Sally Sebald, and I think the second 'M' is often assumed to be Matilda Wormwood. I think this is the first mention of VFD's motto. R's description of VFD's MO on recruitment is really very creepy. It gives the reader a good idea of VFD's aims, though. When does this meeting take place? I'd say it's after Lemony and Beatrice broke up, but before the events of ASOUE by a few years. The way the characters talk about moving to different headquarters is confusing, because TSS makes it sound like there's only one VFD headquarters in the Valley of Four Drafts. I guess that's the organisation-wide HQ, while the ones described here are for the city/one chapter of the organisation only. 'From then on we decided to go undergoround, beginning with the network of tunnels we had to dig beneath that lamppost,' (p44) This makes it sound like the underground tunnels are a relatively recent invention, which I think might be contradicted elsewhere. I saw in I believe the thread from the 2009 reread that Daniel Handler has confirmed that the object Olaf is brandishing here is a lighter. Before that I thought it was the Medusoid Mycelium, but that doesn't make any sense, so I'm glad there was an actual answer to this. Who took all of these photos? It's hard to say who's writing the notes here. Some of them must have been written by Lemony, while others of them couldn't have been. Is the 'J' this letter is addressed to Jacques? That would suggest he was at one point the head of the recruitment process. Of course, it could also be someone else. I know that the 'what city is he in' question is a joke playing off the fact that the Golden Gate Bridge is obviously visible in the background, but also, surely the letter writer must have been in the city in order to take the photos? Where Are The Quagmire Triplets Now?/ Who Is The Tallest Person In This Photograph?
Presumably Lemony is writing this letter to the dairy just after the plot of TRR has taken place. If Sebald really were trapped and needed help, surely it wouldn't be the most efficient course of action to direct a film with a hidden message stating this need. Nevertheless, that's how VFD members seem to operate. 'now I am convinced that Dr Montgomery never learned the Sebald Code' (p57) - It makes sense for Lemony, not knowing of Monty's death, to think this, but it's easy to make a case for Monty knowing the code but having been killed before he could act on it. So, the Dairy is the second-to-last hope of the tale of the Baudelaires being told? If there are multiple editions of ASOUE, it's possible that the first one was distributed by them, although the idea of them being the second-to-last suggests that Lemony has already tried other avenues. The pencilled note on this letter is very ominous. Has someone stolen Lemony's notes? The subtitles of Lemony's autobiography give some insight into VFD. Now we know he was accused of burning buildings down, even though that's not exactly what his TDP obituary implied. Who are the 'three people, two of whom are male' (p60)? Lemony, Bertrand and Beatrice? Lemony, Beatrice and Olaf? If Lemony is writing not long after the events of TRR, all the Snicket siblings would still be alive, but he might not know this. Quigley never mentions hiding in a snowman. This presumably reflects changed plans - I don't think Handler ever really intended to bring Beatrice or Bertand back - but to be reconciled with what we know of the story, we'll have to say this refers to a different survivor of a different fire. I like the Snicket Sleuth's theory that Beatrice survived the Baudelaire fire but was killed when the Winnipeg palace burnt down not long after. Unlikely to be what Handler intended, but it's a neat fix. The picture of presumably the Quagmires seems like it's meant to foreshadow Quigley's eventual return.
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Post by Foxy on Apr 25, 2019 20:23:55 GMT -5
I never knew about the other J, M, L, and R. That was super interesting!
Aren't they all really young at the meeting? I'm not sure Lemony and Beatrice could be broken up yet.
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Post by Carrie E. Abelabudite on Apr 25, 2019 21:52:51 GMT -5
Aren't they all really young at the meeting? I'm not sure Lemony and Beatrice could be broken up yet. Well, one of the 'J's, at least, is old enough to drink brandy. The reason I think they must have broken up is because it seems like Geraldine Julienne didn't start the Secret Organisations You Should Know About column until after Lemony got fired from The Daily Puncitilio.Who Is Beatrice?/Why Was This Actress Replaced After Only Three Performances?It seems like the cheesemakers are the ones compiling all these documents. Lemony is pretty snarky as a theatrical critic. What is VFD's plan here? Presumably Beatrice, as an actress in The World Is Quiet Here, is meant to give out coded messages. Lemony, in the audience as a theatrical critic, is meant to receive this and... what? Disseminate the message through code in his newspaper columns? Report back to the VFD HQ? Something along these lines, probably. I guess Olaf and co. have got wind as to what's going on, and have tried to sabotage VFD's efforts. Is the 'sinister-looking person' (p78) meant to be anyone in particular? Here we see that Lemony and Beatrice actually got engaged, and Beatrice must have broken off the relationship at this point rather than earlier as it might be more intuitive to assume. Whistling Mozart's Fourteenth Symphony is another clue to who Beatrice is. Clearly Esme and Olaf do have an in at TDP, though 'noble' VFD also wanted Lemony to be fired. It must have been soon - maybe even directly - after this point that Olaf started setting fires and blaming them on Lemony. What was Lemony going to write in the column that got cut off? That Eleanora was influenced by Olaf, or by Jacques? The line 'it is impossible for me to write to Mr Snicket' (p83) is underlined, which could be seen as more evidence R didn't write the earlier letter, as could her saying she would never forget the location of the Jeep. However, it is unclear when this was written relative to the earlier letter, and the point of that seems to be to let Lemony know something is wrong. It's interesting that both of the Vineyard letters refer to sugar bowl s, plural. Also interesting is that they apparently cannot even provide the normal kind that actually contains sugar for a wedding reception. Now we find out that Jerome and Esme got married after only one evening. Esme really must have pressured Jerome into the marriage. What Is VFD?/Why Did This Ship Leave Three Hours Ahead Of Schedule?Is '"I do not intend to swim"' (p94) a quote from something? It seems really familiar to me. I almost want to say it's something one of the passengers on the Titanic was quoted as saying, but Google isn't bringing anything up. And is 'E' significant, or are we to assume it's Esme saying this? 'currently I am under sixty feet of water, rather than under normal circumstances.' (p96) I've heard this used as evidence that Jacques was working on the Queequeg when he wrote this letter, but I don't see how that could be the case. Jacques can't have worked there until after Fiona's mother died/left. Considering Fiona was only about sixteen at the time of TGG, and her mother died when she was old enough to be expected to clean her room (i.e. she can't have been a baby, as she would have been at the oldest when this letter was written), Jacques must have been working on a different submarine. I really love the way TUA gives new significance to so many small and seemingly irrelevant details from the early books, like 'I didn't realise this was a sad occasion'. The chaos caused by Lemony's review seems like it was, at one point, meant to be the schism, but we later find out this isn't the case. It must have been a sub-schism, and one that really divided the organisation. Reading this for the first time in publication order, the disguise kit must be shocking - to realise Olaf got all his disguises from a kit that's also been issued to Lemony and Jacques. Handler does go a little bit overboard with this. For example, Dr Orwell wasn't disguising herself as an optometrist - she was an optometrist. And although the 'operagoer' disguise fits Poe's look, I don't think he can be a VFD member. This kit - and the book in general - sort of imply that everything and everyone is part of VFD, in a way that doesn't quite fit what we know from the main series. Interesting that a sugar bowl is an optional material, and seen as something that would help with a disguise. I think this, along with the mention of 'sugar bowls' in the Vineyard of Fragrant Drapes/Grapes, proves that VFD uses multiple sugar bowls, even if there's only one that the characters are trying to find in the later books. Is 'B' in photo A Beatrice? I think the photo Lemony has of her in the TBB Netlix episode is a version of this picture altered to look blurrier, if I'm remembering right. Evidence against this being her is, according to Jacques, Beatrice shouldn't have received a full version of the disguise kit by the time he's giving this to Lemony. Still, I guess she could have participated in writing it. Does Olaf or another character ever use a medium-length beige coat in the series? I don't think the 'J' who gave Lemony the Prospero tickets was anyone we know. I've heard it suggested that he is Jacob, Lemony's father, but in that case it's weird he's calling Lemony 'Sir'. He could just be trying to be formal in case the letter is intercepted, but I tend to think that the Snicket parents would have died before this point. Reading this chapter, we now understand why Lemony's obituary got published in TDP. It's easy to see how, using these different types of tickets, Monty could have escaped Olaf with the children.
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Post by Dante on Apr 26, 2019 2:18:09 GMT -5
The events at the end of the transcript in Chapter Three were widely interpreted at the time as documentary evidence of the moment of the schism; I think there's a good chance they were indeed intended as such, though later this would change. Handler is indeed on record as saying that the object O. was brandishing was intended to be a match or a lighter.
The vast majority of the photographs in the U.A. are, as I understand it, archive photography dredged up to be reused in this project (although the pictures at the end of Chapter Three I strongly suspect are Daniel Handler's baby photos). I'd wager that quite a few touches to the narrative exist purely to justify the use of some photograph Mr. Handler found fitting, such as the photo of the "sinister-looking person" mentioned above in Chapter Five. I remember reading long ago that the U.A. started life as a much smaller project, more like a short pamphlet, but Handler and his collaborators kept on adding material to it.
One thing to note is that both THH and the U.A. have clues indicating that Beatrice is the Baudelaire mother in the same context as a "Ned H. Rirger" reference (above, the cracker-whistling takes place at the Ned H. Rirger Theater); at the time, some fans took this as indicating that the "Beatrice Baudelaire" interpretation was a red herring, and I strongly suspect that Handler himself wanted to keep his options open.
The useless medium-length beige coat I would imagine is a joke, since it's actually one of the most unassuming and inconspicuous entries in the whole disguise kit.
Some people interpret the Prospero's J., disguised as Captain S., as evidence that there was a "real Julio Sham," but I think it more indicates that V.F.D. had established pseudonyms for each disguise.
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Post by Carrie E. Abelabudite on Apr 26, 2019 10:10:55 GMT -5
Why Is There A Secret Passageway Between the Baudelaire Mansion And 667 Dark Avenue?/What Has Stained This Man's Jacket?
If the incident at Lucky Smells referred to in these articles is indeed the death of Dr Orwell, then the 'official' version is actually right, since Olaf didn't murder her.
'As you know, the editor-in-chief of The Daily Puncitilio just fired our dramatic critic,' (p119) This makes it sound like Jerome and Esme got married not long after Lemony and Beatrice were supposed to, a good fifteen or so years before the events of ASOUE. That is supported by some things in TEE and this book, and not others. I guess we could say that Geraldine is exaggerating/over simplifying when she says Lemony was 'just' fired.
Clearly the Vertiable French Diner is some kind of VFD hangout, but non-members such as Jerome apparently can also go there. I wonder what the significance of the 'sugar bowl' on the menu is - presumably the diner has many of them, if they serve one to each customer with each meal. This fits in with a theory I've seen that, in general, VFD members use sugar bowls as containers for recording devices in order to spy on each other or people who aren't members. That doesn't necessarily mean, though, that that's what the sugar bowl contains.
Jacques' letter proves Jerome isn't a VFD member.
'For years this organization has behaved in ways that were as noble as they were secret, but recently this organization has experienced a schism, a word which here means "a member suddenly behaving in a greedy and violent manner and thus dividing the organization into two arguing groups." This member I am speaking of - I will just call him O, [...] has recently done a great deal of vicious, unfair, and impolite acts' (p123) - This really doesn't match up with what we eventually learn about VFD and the schism, but we can say that Jacques is over simplifying in order to explain himself to Jerome. VFD has experienced a schism somewhat recently, which isn't the same as the schism that happened when Jacques was a child. Also, I think this is the first in-text mention of schisms.
'I, acting as a volunteer, arrived at the lumbermill before any detectives did, and I saw at once that the death was no accident.' (p123) Except it was. So, Jacques is lying to Jerome here, but why? Just to drum in how bad Olaf is? He could have done that by referring to a crime Olaf actually had committed, but maybe he didn't want Jerome to figure out who 'O' was in case it put him in danger, and explaining, for example, the way he killed Monty or Josephine would make it too obvious?
The idea that Jacques has found a couplet and is hiding in a village makes it seem like he is writing this letter right before he dies, but of course Jerome would already have been married by this point. However, since Esme has been hindering communication between Jerome and Jacques, it's quite possible he never got the letter from Jerome we see here, and his letter to Jerome was actually written later. This means, then, that Esme and Jerome can have got married earlier, and Jacques just didn't know about it. Presumably they can't have been married for years, but we could say, for example, that they got married not long before the Baudelaire fire. Throwing even more confusion into the timeline is the idea that Olaf is going by 'S'. Since Jacques had been in Paltryville, he would have seen that Olaf had been disguising himself as Shirley, but if he's writing the letter from the Village of Fowl Devotees, Olaf's latest disguise is Detective Dupin. Maybe Jacques just didn't know about the more recent disguises.
'I will give this letter to the doorman to make sure that it will get to you.' (p125) This line can be seen as evidence Jacques never got this letter, which means he might well have written his letter to Jerome on the previous page a few months later.
Why Isn't Mr Poe As Helpful As He Ought To BE?/Why Do These Children Have Nothing Better To Do Than Sit Outside And Stare Glumly At The Camera?
It's weird that Kit would be known as 'Ms K' and not 'Ms S'.
How could you hold two children by the ankles at the same time? I guess you'd have to hold each of them by one ankle, which seems like a very uncomfortable way to be dragged across a lawn.
The reading list proves that at least some version of some of the ASOUE books were published while she was still teaching at Prufrock.
'Last night I could not sleep' (p134) - Who is I? Lemony? The publisher?
Clearly the waiter is barking up the wrong tree here. I wonder who he was supposed to be contacting?
The tape is proof that VFD members like to spy on people by recording them, although whoever was recording the Poe's can't have hidden their device in a sugar bowl, if Eleanora were able to see it.
Who is You-Know-Who?
I think the obvious thing to assume, if reading this book for the first time without having read the later ones, is that 'Ms K' is Beatrice.
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Post by Dante on Apr 26, 2019 11:12:47 GMT -5
If the incident at Lucky Smells referred to in these articles is indeed the death of Dr Orwell, then the 'official' version is actually right, since Olaf didn't murder her. This has been much discussed over the years, and the best explanation that's been offered is that it's Foreman Firstein. TMM only says that he "stopped showing up", i.e. was murdered like Gustav, Ms. Tench, and the previous V.F.D. chief of police; and so it's perfectly possible for his body to have been found later. I have also proposed in the past, though, that Jacques Snicket's reporting was not necessarily completely honourable in his actions towards the other side of the schism, and that this article may be evidence that he was willing to bend the truth if it meant bringing Olaf to justice; but I don't think the final state of the series benefits from that reading of events. I strongly suspect that Handler was contemplating something like this as the canon sugar bowl solution for a period. It's only really TPP that retcons the timing of the schism; it's interesting in that regard that the very first mention of the schism is clearly a much more recent event. Hence the necessity of the multi-schism theory (along the same lines as the multi-sugar-bowl theory, really). I'll come back to this point. Incidentally, I have always regarded these two children as being the ones from page 70, and possibly also this early draft of the movie (where they are noticeably in the company of a pregnant volunteer!). Maybe it's part of the Introduction, still, like page 193. One of the most intriguing outstanding questions in the series, since there's nothing else previous (or post) to indicate Mr. Poe as having any mysterious allegiances. At this point, I'm not certain that Handler knew, either; another plot hook he laid down without being sure he would take it up, I think. I don't know about that; page 83 and 97 already clearly establish that K is an important character to Lemony personally, more than just being another one of the many anonymous initials in the book, and a third Snicket sibling, a sister, is indicated from even earlier in the text. The index will eventually seal the deal. Organised Snicket fandom didn't really begin until around the time of TCC, and I didn't start following 667 until between TSS and TGG; so it's hard to establish what people thought in the immediate aftermath of the U.A. But as far back as I can remember, the fandom was pretty clear about the referent of all the Ks in the book - which is exactly why Ms. K. is so called. The real debate was over what the K. would turn out to be short for, though after TSS there was much argument that she might also be the Baudelaire mother. (Some people really didn't want it to be Beatrice.)
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Post by Foxy on Apr 27, 2019 8:59:26 GMT -5
Are we positive Dr. Orwell really was an optometrist and not pretending to be one? Everyone calls her a doctor, but it could have been a disguise, maybe.
I think you know who was a third Poe sibling, since siblings in the series tend to come in threes.
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Post by veryferociousdrama on Apr 28, 2019 1:21:57 GMT -5
Notes on the whole book.
I believe that Daniel Handler is an in-universe Volunteer, and a close friend of Lemony, as I believe they were both at Heimlich Hospital during THH. However, he also seems unaware of VFD goings-on, so I presume he's retired, but willing to assist Lemony, to help find justice for the Baudelaires, and maybe also to track down remaining Volunteers. He may have very recently re-joined at the time of writing.
I find it hard to believe that Beatrice and other Volunteers believed the obituary. But I suppose there was no way of disproving the article, so what can you do?
I believe The Little Snicket Lad was written by somebody who was aware of VFD, but wanted the public to think wrongly of them, IE Count Olaf. If Olaf has written plays, then him writing songs isn't out of the question, but there's a chance he may have had help. He presumably got the information from Kit when they were dating. Another reason for doing this is because he's aware that Lemony is on the lamb, and if he had a famous name, it would be harder.
The dairy sounds like it's run by Volunteers, and that the Snicket parents were doing more than their original claim. An interesting point is that Jacques and Kit are older, and would have been alive by this point, but Lemony was recruited first. Did VFD believe he showed more form of promise? Did Lemony ever see his parents again? I have no idea. The owners of the dairy seem to be alive.
In TEE, Lemony talks about a puzzle box his grandfather gave him. I've always presumed it was Chas, but I suppose it could have been his non-Snicket grandfather. Because of his parents being active Volunteers, there's a chance that in case of their deaths, they wanted their children induced early, but to be placed with separate relatives until they were old enough to start their apprenticeships, so Lemony lived with Chas until ATWQ.
It seems that Lemony doesn't know whether or not R is still alive. If he last saw her when dropping her at the Hotel in TPP, then she could have died in the fire. So this is some time after, and presumably R died or went back to Winnipeg. I expect that the authorities mean the Sinister Duo.
This is clearly when Lemony is investigating TEE. By interviewing caterers, that makes it sound like waiters from Cafe Salmonella. Lemony may have trying to figure which side of the Schism they were on.
The group photo looks like some form of VFD meeting, maybe the one we read about later? It looks like Kit and R have been friends since childhood. They look around the same age. The girl in the other one is clearly Beatrice. To have a photo taken of her at an early age must be from an observer. Is the chapel supposed to be the Cathedrel of the Alleged Virgin?
So the Volunteers in attendance at the meeting include, in my opinion: Monty, Miranda, Lemony, Larry, Daniel Handler, R, Ramona Quimby, Kit, Sally, and Jacques. But one problem with this is that Jacques seems to know Lemony, but not Kit. I think the neophytes include Bertrand, Josephine, Ernest and Gregor. The other G, O and E are clearly Geraldine, Olaf and Esme. I'd say this took a few years after ATWQ.
The diary entry seems to be set during the Baudelaires' time with Monty. I imagine that Lemony wanted to meet with Gustav, in accordance to my theory with TRR, to negoiate the trip to Peru. Presumably Gustav was on his way when Olaf killed him.
When Zombies in the Snow is made is unclear is it that Gustav made a whole bunch of films to be played when similar situations are occuring. I doubt the survivor they talk about is Beatrice, so probably just a VFD alert about some other survivor, whom Lemony was curious about.
So some time after TMM, when Lemony was investigating Paltryville. I imagine this to be quite recent after Dr. Orwell's death, if Sally has only heard about it through Lemony's letter. Whilst I do think Lemony is writing the books at least ten years before the series, I imagine he started collecting information during the series. The information for Zombies in the Snow is pretty vague and random, so I imagine Gustav destroyed information pretty systematically to stop it falling into the wrong hands.
So the actor of Young Rolf is clearly Count Olaf. The fact that Sally doesn't seem to know much about him makes it seem she's pretty distant on the Baudelaire case. I think the girl is most likely either Esme or Beatrice, but the other person? Looks like a male, I think it's Mr. Poe. Not Banker Poe, but Stage Name Poe mentioned in TE, whom I believe is somebody completely different.
The other picture looks like the Quagmire triplets, if two were sent to Prufrock Prep. That raises a question, because Gustav's death must have happened before the Quagmire fire. My guess is that Jacques was investigating two cases at the same time, also looked at these papers, but accidentally left the Quagmire photo in them.
So Olaf's been using his Shirley disguise for some time? Presumably from the VFD disguise kit.
The fact that Esme wanted sugar bowls hint to me that Lemony and Beatrice hid it in the Vineyard. Esme planned to marry Jerome just before the Baudelaire fire, and noticed Beatrice had re-located it, and started the Baudelaire fire as an act of revenge.
The article about the Prospero hints to me that it was written just after Olaf's escape in TRR. While he and Fernald were doing what they were doing, I imagine the rest of his henchpeople trying to steal it. If Captain Sam (I know that's not his confirmed name, but I like it) is a Volunteer, he would need to be indisposed. However, I believe he figured out what was going on and the ship left early to protect himself.
It seems that Jacques is organizing Lemony's escape. If this is after his bad reviews of Funcoot, it seems that this is a result of some feud between the two, leading for Olaf to somehow stitch Lemony up. Is this the last time Lemony hears from Jacques? I think so.
I've figured out a conflict to my theory that Esme married Jerome just before the Baudelaire fire, and got to Dark Avenue to make sure Beatrice couldn't escape. But if this is happening at the same time as Jacques' investigation, that's a bit of a plot hole. Unless Jacques investigated two separate accidents at Lucky Smells, one just after the Baudelaire fire. The Detectives sound like Villains.
How do Jerome and Jacques know each other? If Jerome knew Beatrice, which I suspected was at some sort of Snow Scout thing, then Jacques could have been there too. Jerome is rich, like many Volunteers seem to be, I think the three were being observed at the same time, and Jerome wasn't picked.
When does Ms K's time at the school take place? I read a theory that this is some time after the series, but I think it's much easier to place it during TEE. Of course Ms K is Kit, who's trying to recruit Volunteers, and went to an old VFD haunt, Prufrock. Due to a lack of staff at the school, Prufrock is forced to close after TSS, which is when Mrs. Bass makes her bank robbery.
Quite a few of these books have some sort of connection to VFD. Why is Sir's book there? If like in the Netflix series, there was a fire at Lucky Smells, Kit may think that reading about it will encourage students to sign up. As for A Series of Unfortunate Events, is it possible that Lemony had some sort of copy of the book from the Island? Sounds weird, I know.
Is Mrs. Poe a Villain? What with Rarely Ridden Road and Prufrock, she's not doing anyone any favours. I don't think she's in VFD, but she is villainous. I think Esme and Geraldine just use her for her position more than anything else - she's easily manipulated like her brother. I dread to think what happened in the basement, but I think it ends in her either being burnt or starving to death.
It seems like Lemony is trying to complete a list of Count Olaf's associates. How does the Esme Squalor Fan Club count? Could there be some of the actors involved in The Marvellous Marriage? I expect Olaf though them safe enough to keep hold of the Mumba du Mal.
The fact that the Quagmire and dairy fires are filed together looks like Lemony's trying to imply they were started around the same time by the same people. Brett Helquiest seems like he'd be a good Volunteer, though I think he definitely is one.
Why is Lemony putting VFD recruitment info into the book? If this is after THH, I thought he'd given up hope on VFD by now.
It seems like whoever did the tree doesn't like O or A, but likes B and E. The fact that A's whereabouts are unknown implies she could be alive, when was this drawn? Presumably the nine cousins are: Gregor, Hector, Ike, Jacques, Kit, Lemony, Miranda, N (?), Olivia.
I presume the photos of London are from Lemony's trip to the Herpetological Society. Evidently he didn't like it.
I find the last page the most cryptic. I like to think it had important info on, but somebody destroyed it.
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