Was It Enough? (13 SPOILERS)

[Mijahu]

Obviously, there have been many people who finished The End with a disappointed sigh, but isn't there anyone else out there who thought the information "was enough"?

I'm sure this has been discussed on and off here, but I'm new so TOUGH SH-----*AHEM*.

Well the reason I liked The End was because Handler kept alluding to the fact that nobody's story really ends, as nothing really ends. Everything keeps going and going, and it's impossible to know everything, so why bother continuing research? To the Baudelaires, the information they got while reading A Series of Unfortunate Events was enough, and I think it should be the same with the thirteen books (and accompanying material).

I would not like to see more Baudelaire books, as Snicket has said his research on their lives is finished. That being said, I would love a spin-off series featuring events either preceding or following the schism of V.F.D.

EDIT: I was also quite amused with Ishmael's stories of people and events that have no connection whatsoever to the Baudelaire case. Made me laugh a bit, thinking that somewhere out there in Snicket's world is someone that really wants those answers that Ish was giving, and we could care less about them.

[Dante]

I appreciate The End for what it was. If Handler didn't provide us with any answers, then - well, there are some we can figure out, but others might have been either disappointing or non-existent. Personally, I'm content with what we got. Even if some questions weren't thoroughly answered, they had some form of resolution or we were given plenty of dark hints.

[Hermes]

I think it is sometimes not appreciated how many questions are answered. We are told, finally and definitively, what VFD stands for; we are also told who Beatrice was, and so how Lemony's own story connects to the Baudelaires' story.

It's also not always noticed that Lemony has been leading up to this kind of conclusion for some time. TGG introduces the Great Unknown, and also has Captain Widdershins say, in connection with the Sugar Bowl, that some secrets are too terrible for young people to know. Lemony agrees with him about this, which is a clue that we will never find out what is in the Sugar Bowl. TPP has the 'at the same time other things were happening' passage, which sounds at first as if it is giving clues that fit into a big pattern, but ends 'and in another city something else happened, or so I have heard', which I think means that it is just intended to show that there are more stories, and we cannot know all of them. Later there is the 'where are they now?' passage, which shows that Lemony does not know the fates of all his characters (though I believe we can tell the fate of one character who is not explicitly mentioned) . I think it was always wrong to look for a completely tidy summing up of everything.

[falsespring]

I believe that The End was enough. TPP was on a large scale, rather epic and drastic, but TE was on a smaller scale; no real henchfolk, just Olaf himself. No searching for the sugar bowl, just trying to survive. I believe the contrast between TE and TPP was quite brilliant, and made a wonderful point that you can't know everything. There are always going to be loose ends left behind, it's simply that Handler was more honest about it.

Also, Olaf and Ish's completely irrelevant stories made me laugh too, which was a nice change from all the tears and misery these books bring me. Although, did anyone else find it odd that both the villian and the facilitator told such stories in the exact same manner? Unless it was merely a running gag, like 'my mother'.

[Dante]

Olaf and Ishmael's stories were very similarly related, although while Ishmael's story seems to be all about the Baudelaires but isn't, Olaf's story seems to be about each of the castaways (but isn't). But the book does strongly imply that Olaf's the only one who really knows Ishmael; after all, Olaf's the only one who actually calls him Ish. It's clear they have a history together, but it's impossible to know whether to believe Olaf when he denies setting the fire that destroyed Ishmael's home.

[Mijahu]

Yes, that's a strange one. Wouldn't it be interesting if there was a third side to the schism that Ish was on? I don't think Ish is really "noble enough" or villainous to be on the two apparent sides. I guess he kind of made his own side, or rather, he ran away from the schism altogether, his destination being the island, a place where everything is still. And he remains neutral, not forcing people to do things but suggesting them all the more. I think that may be able to be called a third side of the schism. Thoughts?

[t]

Ish's suggestion (about the things ending in the costal shelf after a storm) is quite good, but in my opinion, useless. He knows the islanders' secrets which (may) give him a clue that some would really choose a troublesome life.

Think the books are enough. I mean, we mustn't know about their (VFD) secrets for the fear of telling the other side of the scheme their plans and kill them and their family. I mean, some secrets should remain secrets...