Dividing point?

[SadOccasion]

Which book do yo uthink divides the books between the beggining books and the chronicles of the Baudelaire's experiences with the mysterious VFD?

Some make arguments for 5, other 6 or 7, and some even 8 or 9 (If you make an argument past Book #9, I suggest careful rereading)! So what's your opinion?

(In case you were wondering, my vote is 7, although I suppose 8 could make sense, too...)

[Jacques the Environmentalist]

5. That's where VFD first came in, after that they were primarily focused on it and it slowly grew to dominate the books. The only thing with book 7 is it marked the point where they left the guardian system and struck out on their own, but VFD was certainly introduced in book 5.

[SadOccasion]

Yes, but besides the passageway, nothing remotely VFD-esque entered EE. I think the appearance of Jacques REALLY marked the sort of transition of hte series from its predictable, formulaic plots to somethign bigger. But again, Hostile Hospital only had one V.F.D. related thign ni it as well (the Snicket file), so I can see an rgument for 8 as well.

Sorry. I'm not trying to sway you from your opinion, just justify mine.

[Dante]

Hard to say. Books 5, 6 and 7 seemed split partly between the usual formula of the early books, and partly between revealing information about V.F.D. and its secrets. The revelation that V.F.D. was an organisation in Book 7, and the introduction of Lemony's brother, definitely marked the process as complete by then, I think. So perhaps it's more of a spectrum of change than a single book point. (I've actually heard the same argument applied to the timing of the schism, which I originally thought this thread would be about.)

[Deleted]

do you mean the first of the vfd books or the last of the simple books, 5 is the last of the simple books and 7 is the beginning of the VFD books and 6 is just there.

[Jacques the Environmentalist]

5 is a turning point either way you look at it because now the baudelaires have moved from self preservation to helping their friends. They also know that there's a secret involving VFD and try to research in in ee, notably jumping to conclusions when they see VFD in the in auction catalogue. VFD was introduced in book 5 and they started going after its secret even if they didn't know exactly what it was until vv.

[Nicky]

I put TAA because that is where VFD was first mentioned. But ,then again it could also be TEE because we actually learn a bit about VFD in it.

[smileyman457]

Defintley book 6. Book 5 only sets it up a little, but book 6 kicks it into gear.

[Deleted]

now that I think about it 7 is the turning point. It is the book that started the 'continuous' story. One book leads immeadiately into the other. VFD was introduced in 5 and a little more stuff in 6. But it gets into vfd in 7.

[klaus12]

7. I originally put 5, but then I read this, so this time I put 7.

[queequegcaptain]

i put 5, it starts all their troubles with VFD. Without 5 they would have never gotten involved.

[R.]

Definitely book 6. It was a major change in tone and much more exciting than the previous books.

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

I agree with Roxy222 on this. TAA is a proto-vfd book. On the other hand, TEE is a book about VFD. Children want to know what VFD means. And there is a secret tunnel and a clear reference to the fact that Lemony was part of a secret organization, which owned items from that organization. There is a clear expansion of the concepts in TEE, in addition to a background time line being formed in Jerome's statement that the children's mother was with him 20 years earlier.