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Post by Sora on Apr 6, 2009 14:16:13 GMT -5
To the 667 Re-Read's loyal followers, well done, we've finally reached Book 6 in A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator. To those new to the Re-Read, please feel free to comment on any aspects you please about this novel in the series - where we face an empty)?) elevator shaft, aqueous martinis, parsley sodas, pinstripes, a red herring, and two very frightened lost friends. Enjoy! |
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Post by Dante on Apr 7, 2009 8:25:20 GMT -5
Notes on Chapter One:
Notably, the British cover art gives away the twist that Esmé is evil. On a first read, I’m sure that you could mistake her for merely abusively selfish in the same way as Sir or Nero.
For Beatrice – When we met, my life began. Soon afterward, yours ended. This seems, of course, impossible given what we know now, which suggests that Beatrice may not have been the Baudelaire mother at the time this was written.
Also, on the frontispiece, despite the fact that Mr. Poe should appear, he doesn’t. I sometimes think Helquist deliberately avoids drawing secondary characters. And yet he goes to town on crowd scenes!
Page 3 implies that Lemony’s execution has not, in fact, been cancelled. Also on page 3 is, I think, one of Lemony’s more effective foreshadowing devices, outright quoting phrases from later in the book that will – well, let’s say make us troubled by disturbing suspense.
Dark Avenue: “Just a few blocks away from where the Baudelaire mansion had been.” And also in one of the fanciest districts in the city – does this suggest that so was the Baudelaire mansion?
Violet seems more prepared to talk back to Mr. Poe here than before, although you must bear in mind I’ve had to skip the last four rereads. And claiming that Count Olaf will never find the Baudelaires on Dark Avenue is a particularly stupid claim even for Mr. Poe, given that they are, as noted, just a few blocks from where they used to live, and will be easy to see out and about in the city.
“The children had convinced Mr. Poe to remove them from Olaf’s care” – an odd claim on Lemony’s part… not the most accurate reporting of TBB’s events.
The Quagmire sapphires – “very rare and valuable jewels.” For some reason, these always feel a bit more real to me than the “Baudelaire fortune,” but they’re also less realistic. You can’t live on sapphires. What do they do, sell one every time they’re running low on cash?
“Just when the Quagmires had learned some terrible secret about Olaf” … “one fragment of the dreadful secret they had learned. “V.F.D.!”” I think there’s a definite implication that “V.F.D.” is the dreadful secret – if “V.F.D.” can be taken as a summary of the secret, this certainly suggests to me that V.F.D. is meant to be something bad.
“a mountain peak where the Quagmires may have been spotted” – I do wonder if this could be foreshadowing of the locale where Quigley reappears.
“a high, scratchy voice” – I don’t think this is consistent with Fernald’s voice in TBB and TRR, so it’s less of a clue.
“…a man wearing a hat with a wide brim and a coat that was much too big for him. The coat sleeves hung over his hands, covering them completely, and the brim of his hat covered most of his face.” How suspicious is that! I don’t remember what it was like to read the books for the very first time, but it seems like one should really expect some twist here.
“Dark is in, huh? ... Wait until I tell my wife.” Long ago, someone claimed that this was a dirty joke, and proceeded not to explain. Any ideas? Or not, as the case may be.
Also, “the neighbourhood” seems to be responsible for deciding what’s in and what’s out, as though it’s some kind of committee. That’s just how the doorman represents it, though. I was going to say that elevators being out was convenient for hiding the ersatz elevator on the penthouse, but who’d ever use it? Conceivably it’s so positioned that anyone up there would go for the real elevator door… it could be at the end of the corridor, beyond the penthouse door, and easily cast into shade. The few people ever to visit the penthouse probably wouldn’t notice.
“I think it’s forty-eight, but it might be eighty-four” – some people have suggested this is an allusion to 1984, written 1984, but I think that’s stretching it a bit.
“It’s all uphill from here” – the funny thing is, this is touted as a positive phrase, but I’ve always heard “It’s all downhill from here” used positively – because walking downhill is easier than walking uphill. I think it’s a fairly poorly-chosen metaphor either way, but that’s not Snicket’s fault.
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Post by Hermes on Apr 7, 2009 9:29:25 GMT -5
Notes on Chapter One: Notably, the British cover art gives away the twist that Esmé is evil. On a first read, I’m sure that you could mistake her for merely abusively selfish in the same way as Sir or Nero. I'm interested to hear you say this, because I think I first read this book out of order, so I knew Esme's real significance from the beginning. I have always wondered whether she could be mistaken for a merely uncaring guardian on the lines of Sir or Nero - it seems she can. But the masked ball passage puts this in doubt, irrespective of whether she is the Baudelaires' mother; it shows there must have been at least fifteen years between her separation from Lemony and her death. Well, the Baudelaires do seem to find Dark Avenue rather alien. Presumably they lived in a wealthy district, but not quite comparable with the one where the Squalors lived. Yes, they must have had other investments as well - but I guess it was the sapphires which made their estate so valuable it was worth going to great lengths to steal it. I agree. And yet VFD presumably stands for Volunteer Fire Department. So is he at this point thinking of them specifically as people who start fires? Clearly by the time we reach TVV he has conceived the idea of a good side of VFD. Later, certainly, it seems that in-ness is decided on a more global scale, with the King of Arizona being one of the authorities. The actual stuff about the elevator, is, I think, the most confusing thing in the book. One might well think that whether the normal elevator - the one that stops at every floor - is in or out has nothing to do with the ersatz elevator; but the Baudelaires seem to think it has. I'll have to think more. |
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Post by cwm on Apr 7, 2009 10:34:26 GMT -5
Chapter One
Could the 'mountain sighting' of the Quagmires be a red herring to distract attention from the fact that the Quagmires are very nearby?
Mrs. Poe is apparently interested in current tastes, since Mr. Poe makes a note to tell her that 'dark is in'. This is the only sliver of characterisation we have about her. Handler clearly didn't think it was worth bringing her back either, since the only appropiate time for her return - The Penultimate Peril - does not see her put in an appearance.
"It's all uphill from here" - if 'downhill' is meant to be a positive phrase, perhaps the doorman is noting that things will not get better from here, making a joke at the Baudelaires' expense?
Chapter Two
"But then, swooping out of the sky-" Eagles or V.F.D. trained birds of some description?
What was going to happen if orphans did become out before Olaf was able to snatch the Baudelaires? It doesn't seem like Esme has any influence over what's in or out.
Jerome refers to Mr. Poe as just 'Poe'. Seems rude for him.
The size of the penthouse is greatly exaggerated, since it is said to have 71 bedrooms.
Esme's maiden name is never stated, and she continues to use the name 'Squalor'.
Chapter Three
The In Boutique will come up a few times more in the series. Whether or not the costumes Esme has are recent purchases are not clear; it's not stated if she's a wanted criminal.
Sunny was born in the Pincus Hospital. Whether or not Violet and Klaus were is not stated.
Fashion is taken to the point of ridiculousness. What exactly are the parameters for defining a 'tool'? That could apply to just about anything useful.
Violet's mother loved auctions. This is never built upon.
Sunny is apparently able to tell that Olaf is there without being able to see.
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Post by Dante on Apr 7, 2009 10:48:47 GMT -5
Could the 'mountain sighting' of the Quagmires be a red herring to distract attention from the fact that the Quagmires are very nearby? I should think so, yes. This is synced up with an allusion to an incident in TWW, is it not? Seen a woman I have loved snatched up by an enormous eagle and taken to its high mountain nest... end of Chapter... Nine or so? (Eight.) I wonder if it's meant to be "Geniveve." But she's certainly a stickler for accuracy. Maybe she considers marriage to Jerome a symbol of status. Chapter Two: “When they reached the nineteenth floor, they heard a woman say “Let them eat cake” in a voice with a strange accent” – a strangely obvious allusion there – that is to say, it stands out a little too much… anyway, it’s on the face of it an allusion to Marie Antoinette, let them eat cake, etc., and thus is associated with the opulence and ignorance of the real world among the wealthy classes – appropriate for 667 Dark Avenue. (We won’t go into how she didn’t say it, and how it was brioche rather than cake.) Is it me, or does the treatment of the family of the Baudelaire orphans always seem rather… well, they aren’t aloof, they’re not presented as being immune to breaches of decorum. I always appreciate these segments as they seem like a real family, even the embarrassing parts. “two pairs of sliding elevator doors” – as opposed to one pair on the ground floor… I sometimes wonder if there’s an intentional ambiguity in the use of “pairs” throughout, as a “pair” of elevator doors could also imply two elevators; similarly, I think that in referring to “the elevator” or “the elevator system” some people might take that as referring to multiple elevators if they exist… Also, in the first lobby visit, the elevator doors aren’t actually described, just mentioned by the doorman. As such, assuming you didn’t forget the details and read over it in the first place, you might think the number of elevators remains consistent. Personally, I think I’d have been cynical enough to put it down to a mistake on the author’s part… were it not for, you know, the title and cover art. “a tall man” – characters like Jerome get so little description. But then again, he and Charles and Hector are pretty much exactly the same character. I’d draw ‘em looking alike, I think. “We hiked up Mount Fraught with some friends—gosh, it must have been twenty years ago.” TBL has a mountain-climbing expedition taking place when Lemony appears to be in his teens; does this set an age for characters like the Baudelaire parents and so on? I think someone’s suggested that there may have been multiple such trips, as some of the characters seem like they should be more in their forties. In addition, Jerome, we can be pretty sure, is not a member of V.F.D… although I’ve liked to speculate he might have been an early Snow Scout. “I wanted to adopt you from the moment I heard about the fire. But unfortunately, it was impossible.” “Orphans were out then.” Now, I forget the details, but I’m pretty sure this clashes with the U.A. and throws up problems regarding the timing of the Squalor marriage and their moving into the penthouse. Not that it would’ve been a problem… back in TBB, the Baudelaires were only allowed to stay with relatives, and so it remained for several more books, so Jerome wouldn’t have been able to adopt them anyway. Ah, here we go. “[Esmé] was the one who insisted on having the elevator removed.” Oh, I so wish I could erase all knowledge of TEE from my mind and read it as if it were the first time, and see if I could put the pieces together. I just can’t remember what I originally thought of TEE; it was so many years ago. Esmé Gigi Geniveve Squalor – I think this is an unconventional spelling of “Geniveve”? And why the middle names at all, I wonder? Anyone any thoughts on what these might signify? “I told the doorman not to let anyone in the building who looked even vaguely like that despicable man.” This is a pretty shoddy defence mechanism, and shouldn’t the doorman be calling the police instead? On the other hand, sad to say it, but it’s better than Prufrock Prep. and its advanced computer. “That dreadful man is supposed to be up on some mountain, anyway” – I think this is Esmé deliberately trying to lull the Baudelaires and Jerome into a false sense of security. “Well, if they find [the Quagmires] soon… maybe we’ll adopt them, too. Five orphans! I’ll be the innest person in town!” You know, if Olaf had a bit more cunning, he’d have let the Quagmires go, the Squalors would’ve adopted them – according to TSS, Esmé is managing the Quagmire estate anyway! – and Olaf would have all five wealthy orphans safe and sound where he can keep an eye on them until he can come up with a foolproof plot to steal their fortune. “The couches had pillows embroidered with silver. The chairs were all painted with gold paint. And the tables were made from wood chopped away from some of the most expensive trees in the world.” Esmé’s rich on her own – but Jerome bought the penthouse. What on Earth is his job? He doesn’t seem to have one. As such, are we supposed to believe he inherited it? And if so, it strikes me that he should’ve been a target for V.F.D. recruitment… perhaps his parents refused to let him be taken. But this is all idle speculation. “The Baudelaires could see… the parts of town where their friends had lived” – it’d be nice to see these old friends sometime, don’t you think? I wonder what they’re like, and how they’d react to the Baudelaires’ new situation. Someone should tear themselves away from the incest to write that fanfic. |
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Post by Hermes on Apr 7, 2009 13:14:28 GMT -5
What was going to happen if orphans did become out before Olaf was able to snatch the Baudelaires? It doesn't seem like Esme has any influence over what's in or out. Well, as I think I've said before, I'm not convinced he's planning a grab anyway (since with Esme as their guardian he has them where he wants them). His main target is the Quagmires, and he only starts plotting against the Baudelaires again when they discover his plot with the Quagmires. But if orphans became out, I guess Esme could just transfer guardianship to Gunther, quite openly (with Jerome sitting there and saying 'Yes, darling, I quite see that that's necessary'). I took it to be the old-fashioned English custom (by which, for instance, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson called one another simply 'Holmes' and 'Watson'). This is synced up with an allusion to an incident in TWW, is it not? Seen a woman I have loved snatched up by an enormous eagle and taken to its high mountain nest... end of Chapter... Nine or so? (Eight.) Yes; I think it's the first clue Beatrice is the Baudelaires' mother. (Though by itself it's not a very strong clue; even if it's the same incident, they could still have been two different people.) If we allow five years between their leaving school and Violet's birth - for the engagement to Lemony, the breakup, and the subsequent engagement and marriage to Bertrand - Lemony will now be thirty-eight, and his contemporaries similar ages. This doesn't seem unreasonable to me. It's very hard to date the Squalor marriage in the UA. But certainly there is some evidence it happened very recently, after the events of TMM (since Jacques is apparently investigating these events when he writes to warn Jerome). In any case it's hard to make TUA fit what we read here; Jerome says in chapter 2 that they only moved into the penthouse a few weeks ago, but the way he discusses In Auctions suggests to me that they have been married for some time; while in the UA Jerome owned the penthouse before he married Esme, and that was her motive for marrying him. Jerome may be a relative. He doesn't have to be a close relative - in the next book Mr Poe tries to get a 91st cousin to adopt them. Yes, it's normally 'Genevieve'. (Though of course if this is a surname it's not too surprising it's spelt oddly) All true, but actually it's hard to make the bit about Esme managing their estate fit in here; the fact that Mr Poe takes over their case when he becomes VPICOOA implies that Mulctuary Money Management are their financial advisers. Aren't we told somewhere about their friends losing contact? Incest? OK, some thoughts of my own, chapters 1-3. 'The author's execution has been cancelled'; but, as it turns out, it hasn't. Lemony's life is changing for the worse. In chapter 5 he is on the run, and is hiding in a typewriter factory; but by chapter 6 he is back in prison (and still managing to write despite being handcuffed). Oh look, the apartment building is called after this site! No, wait. Actually, there is a long-standing joke about '667, the neighbour of the beast'. Large trees are going to be an ongoing theme in the series - we meet one in the Village of Fowl Devotees, and another on the Island. One may wonder, though, how these trees were grown, given that dark has only been in for a couple of weeks. Sunny has rather more meaningful utterances in this book: 'akrofil' (acrophilia, love of heights), 'Armani' (for Jerome's ties), 'Glaucus' (a Greek god who was in love with Scylla). Also I feel 'Zelestin' should mean something, but I can't make out what. |
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Post by Dante on Apr 7, 2009 14:15:37 GMT -5
Aren't we told somewhere about their friends losing contact? Way back in TBB, they fell by the wayside, but I feel it's an unexplored avenue that could prove interesting. And of course we get an actual name for one of these friends later in the book. Time was, a significant proportion of aSoUE fanfic was Violet/Klaus incest. It's probably an unfair characterisation now, though. Dug out of the earth somewhere else, trucked into the city, planted, and then callously cut down the moment they aren't necessary? It strikes me as a very "super-rich" thing to do. |
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Post by katekor on Apr 7, 2009 14:53:52 GMT -5
It's very hard to date the Squalor marriage in the UA. But certainly there is some evidence it happened very recently, after the events of TMM (since Jacques is apparently investigating these events when he writes to warn Jerome). In any case it's hard to make TUA fit what we read here; Jerome says in chapter 2 that they only moved into the penthouse a few weeks ago, but the way he discusses In Auctions suggests to me that they have been married for some time; while in the UA Jerome owned the penthouse before he married Esme, and that was her motive for marrying him. I don't have the UA and haven't read it in ages, but does it just say that she married him because he owned it? Because he could very well have owned the penthouse for a while, and they just haven't moved in until recently. And Dante I too was puzzled about the "it's all uphill from here" phrase because too me that's always meant that things are going to get harder because walking uphill is harder. |
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Post by Very Funky Disco on Apr 7, 2009 16:38:25 GMT -5
According to AU, it seems as if Jerome's marriage to Esme could either be before Violet is born or during the events of the series. After all, that seems to occur not long after the VFD meeting transcript - as well as Lemony Snicket being fired from The Daily Punctilio, which seemed to have occurred prior to Beatrice's break-up with him.
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Post by Hermes on Apr 7, 2009 16:47:02 GMT -5
I don't have the UA and haven't read it in ages, but does it just say that she married him because he owned it? Because he could very well have owned the penthouse for a while, and they just haven't moved in until recently. Yes, that makes a lot of sense - he could have owned the penthouse, but lived in a bachelor pad somewhere else. According to AU, it seems as if Jerome's marriage to Esme could either be before Violet is born or during the events of the series. After all, that seems to occur not long after the VFD meeting transcript - as well as Lemony Snicket being fired from The Daily Punctilio, which seemed to have occurred prior to Beatrice's break-up with him. Yes; there's reasons for thinking it happened very shortly after Lemony was fired, and other reasons for thinking it happened during the series. Very hard to follow, the UA. OK, some more thoughts, chapters 4-6. Cafe Salmonella is just scene-setting here; later we're going to discover it has some connection with VFD, apparently with the bad side. Perhaps they use it as a centre for exchanging messages, rather as the good side do with the Anxious Clown. The bit about xenophobia is an important passage for people who want to know where the work is set. I think the natural reading of Jerome's remarks is that they are not in Europe, Asia or North America. It's true he actually says 'a country in...' or 'a number of countries in...' which leaves it a bit vague, but if they were in, say, North America, it would surely be more natural to say 'a number of other countries in...'. The moral I draw from this is not that they are in Australia, but that they are everywhere and nowhere (though I still think that, because of the author's background, it's a nowhere that has more in common with and more to do with North America than with other places). On the way back from Cafe Salmonella they pass the beach where they heard of their parent's deaths. I had supposed this was a long way out of town. (Or is the taxi driver taking a roundabout route to increase his fare? Jerome wouldn't argue, of course.) It's a mystery why Esme gave the doorman the instruction not to let Jerome and the orphans in until Gunther had left, if she knew - as presumably she did - that he was going to leave by a secret exit. It's even more mysterious when you consider that the doorman - i.e. Fernald - also knew this. 'Every problem has a solution. At least that's what a close associate of mine says.' One suspects that the associate is Count Olaf - is he on record as saying this? |
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Post by Very Funky Disco on Apr 7, 2009 16:53:05 GMT -5
In the timeline that I came up with, I figured that Jerome married Esme just a couple years before the Baudelaire mansion fire. It sort of takes the middle, but I can definitely see it as being closer to the events of the series.
There's also something that I've noticed about this books, and some of the other earlier books. The Baudelaires are too well-mannered to talk back to an adult, even if the adult may actually be in the wrong. This certainly is a great contrast to their morally dubious actions in the latter half of the series.
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Post by cwm on Apr 8, 2009 8:57:50 GMT -5
I've managed to lose my copy. Comments on the rest of the book will follow probably Friday.
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Post by Dante on Apr 8, 2009 9:14:44 GMT -5
Chapters Three to Five.
I’ve just remembered one time I reread the entire book one morning solely to disprove an inaccurate claim about a certain line which was supposedly in the book. Fun times. And by “fun,” I mean “tedious.”
“they sorely missed the familiar surroundings of their hometown” – not that we see much of these familiar surroundings, or have heard of them before, or will again.
Consider this: If the penthouse apartment is so big, then so must be every other apartment in 667 Dark Avenue. (And if we accept the U.A.’s claim of a “floor above the penthouse,” and link it up with various other pieces of evidence, then the aforementioned floor would certainly be big enough to be used as a V.F.D. meeting-place and outpost.)
“They knew she went off to work every day and returned in the evenings” – I wonder how much of that “work” time is actually spent with Olaf?
“I know Mr. Poe is doing all he can, but maybe we can put our heads together and come up with something else” – I wonder what, exactly? Poster campaign, asking people to look out for both the Quagmires and Olaf? Searching areas where Olaf is known to have been active? Of course, neither of these suggestions would’ve worked…
“Your mother used to love [auctions]! I remember one time—” Aww, why did this passage have to be cut off? Well, probably because the information therein would have revealed more clues to the reader about the Baudelaire mother’s identity and her connections to the wider plot, but it would still be interesting.
“I was thinking that this year, perhaps we should give the money to another good cause.” The wording here implies Jerome and Esmé have worked together on previous years’ In Auctions, whereas there’s evidence to suggest that they didn’t get married until very recently, and didn’t know each other beforehand. I think you don’t have to read it this way, though, although certainly it leans.
“But we just moved in a few weeks ago” – aha. An almost definite dating of when Jerome and Esmé moved into the penthouse. However, has it been suggested yet that they might’ve been married but spent time away from the penthouse before moving in? I think this would fulfil Esmé’s probable objective of keeping Jerome and V.F.D. allies away from the penthouse tunnel. It may also resolve other timeline difficulties regarding Jerome wanting to adopt the Baudelaires and the length of time previous books took.
~~~
Olaf’s use of a monocle in his disguise doesn’t seem like it would hide his single eyebrow at all. But then again, it seems like he didn’t bother in TWW, either. The illustration at the front of the book seems to show that Gunther shaved the centre of his brow, anyway, but due to the way Helquist’s shaded his eyebrows then it’s unclear.
When Olaf’s eyes grow shiny, apparently from hearing that the Baudelaires are orphans, the real reason is presumably because Esmé has just walked in.
“How can we be sure this man is really who he says he is? The children do seem quite alarmed. Perhaps we should—” Sigh. Jerome really would be a great guardian if only he weren’t married to Esmé. Or if only he wasn’t such a pushover.
Jerome seems more excited and alive than at any other time when he’s sliding down the banister. Maybe because he’s somewhere Esmé isn’t. Their marriage doesn’t seem very happy, and the U.A. reveals that they got married after only one evening together. Esmé probably bullied him into it, and he’s trying to play his part because he feels he should.
~~~
“located near the docks of the city” – so the city itself is definitely on the coast. I’m not quite sure I’ve remembered this information at other times, but it squares with, say, TPP, and the apparent short distance to Briny Beach in this book (which we’ll get to later).
“On the way, the taxicab passed the beach where the Baudelaires had first heard the terrible news about the fire” – this seems inconsistent with other presentations of Briny Beach; illustrations, such as in the U.A. and TGG, usually show it as lying outside the city, whereas for the taxicab to pass Briny Beach after leaving the Fish District and going to Dark Avenue suggests that it’s not just in the city but quite inner-city.
“…the doorman asked, as he opened the door of the taxi with a hand still hidden in the sleeve of his coat.” It’s like the absolute reverse of all the “right hand” highlighting in TBB.
“Nobody is supposed to enter the penthouse apartment until the guest leaves the building” – I know some of you have been talking about this. Perhaps Fernald, and indeed Esmé, aren’t yet aware or have forgotten that Olaf is using the old ersatz elevator space? It seems odd that they wouldn’t have discussed it, but Olaf often seems to prefer working alone, and he and Esmé presumably weren’t spending all their time discussing fashion / wicked plots.
“the idea that Gunther had spent so much time in the Squalor penthouse” – and also, from earlier, “the thought of Gunther spending the evening alone with their guardian.” We can probably assume that the Baudelaires may have been drawing on previous experience for some of their worst fears here – that Olaf may have been threatening Esmé to get what he wants, as he did with Aunt Josephine in TWW, or perhaps setting some kind of trap.
“”Maybe you should stop by and purchase something for the lobby.” “Maybe I will,” the doorman said, smiling oddly at the children. “Maybe I will.”” I wonder if Jerome actually gave Fernald the idea here for how to smuggle the Quagmires out of the In Auction? But it seems he and Olaf and Esmé had probably already cooked this up – indeed, perhaps it’s the whole reason that ocean decorations are in, to justify him buying the fish statue. Also, “smiling oddly” probably gives some of the game away to a first-time reader.
“leaning against the two sets of sliding elevator doors” – the narration carefully avoided mentioning the number of elevator doors in the lobby, or on previous floors, in this chapter. I’m still wondering about whether you’d pick it all up… and again, you might, given the title of the book.
Oh, speaking of the title, some have noted that it deviates from the usual pattern of “[negative adjective] [noun],” but quite a few of the books do overall, really – TRR, TSS, TPP and The End. Unless you take “ersatz” as being negative. Which I suppose you could.
““Did he take an elevator when he left?” Klaus said. Esmé’s eyes widened, and she opened and shut her mouth several times without saying anything, as if she were experiencing the element of surprise.” Esmé: Momentarily terrified that Klaus has uncovered the plot already, or coming to a realisation that Gunther of course must have left via the ersatz elevator? Remember, with this reading we’re also trying to “fix” TEE. Hmm… if Olaf both came and left by the Ersatz Elevator, another possible solution is that Fernald literally doesn’t know that Gunther is Olaf’s latest disguise, but this seems unlikely. Might want to leave the option open, though.
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Post by Hermes on Apr 8, 2009 9:57:17 GMT -5
.Consider this: If the penthouse apartment is so big, then so must be every other apartment in 667 Dark Avenue. True. It would make sense, of coursee, to have more than one apartment per floor, but it's clear that they don't. This looks very plausible; there would still be a problem, though, with the things in TUA which seem to date the marriage at the same time as Jacques' investigation of the events of TMM. (Sometimes I wonder if TUA is a forgery - though obviously it gets some things right.) Also TWW. In any case, 'ersatz' sounds quite negative to me. OK: chapters 7-9. I think it's very nice that Esme, in listing things that are in, actually says 'very fancy doilies', but the Baudelaires don't hear her. (The girls are listening at doors, and Klaus is deep in thought.) Ben sounds the sort of friend a young inventor should have. It's a pity they lost touch with him. Does his name have any significance? Ben Franklin, perhaps. And now we have to think about elevators. Oh dear. I can see all sorts of problems here. a. How is the fact that the normal elevator is out of use relevant? The second elevator could continue to work, or not work, irrespecitve of that. Yet Klaus seems to think it's significant. b. Why does the ersatz elevator have an up button, although it's on the top floor? c. The most puzzling thing of all; why remove the elevator? Sure, an empty elevator shaft is like a hallway, and a hallway can lead to a hiding place. But an elevator itself can also lead to a hiding place, and can enable you to get there more quickly. We hear about the Female Finnish Pirates again. This is long before BBRE, so there's no suggestion we are going to meet them; but why do they recur? So, can we make sense of Olaf's plan with the Quagmires? The basic idea, with them as with the Baudelaires, is to keep them under his control till they come of age, then force them to get hold of the fortune (in their case the sapphires) and hand it over. With the Quagmires, unlike the Baudelaires, he has for some reason no hope of getting legal guardianship, so he has to keep them secret. (This is odd if Esme is their financial adviser; but nothing we've heard so far suggests this.) The police had presumably not been alerted when they were smuggled into town, but now are on the lookout, which is why he has to resort to an elaborate plot involving the auction to get them out. (In fact, of course, his plot does not work as planned, because he is exposed before the auction is over; he gets away with the Quagmires, but is not immediately able to smuggle them out of town). Does that work? Cooking may not be Violet's forte, but her lack of experience is slightly exaggerated; she has made pasta puttanesca. Oh, by the way; we were earlier discussing Esme's maiden name. This doesn't solve the mystery, but I think it's interesting that in 'For Esme with Love and Squalor', Esme has a brother called Charles. Someone might want to do something with that. |
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Post by Dante on Apr 8, 2009 11:27:51 GMT -5
Also TWW. In any case, 'ersatz' sounds quite negative to me. Good point; I forgot TWW. But I'd say that "ersatz" is really only contextually negative. No idea, but you can see why I'm interested in the friends, can't you? There's material there that... isn't used to its fullest. Nary so much as a "What would our friends think of us now?" I don't think even the Quagmires get that. a. I see what you mean. "I don't think the elevator has been shut down because it's out. I think it's where Gunther is hiding." But of course, it's not... TEE was, according to an ancient guest blog post by Handler, overdue for its deadline, so perhaps it was somewhat rushed. Perhaps this is an un-excised line from a plotline where there was only one elevator and a secret basement or something? But that's wild speculation. Let's take "the elevator" to mean "the elevator system," potentially meaning both elevators. Anyway, if the regular elevator is shut down, that should prevent the Baudelaires (or Jerome) from accidentally trying to use the ersatz elevator, and discovering its secret. b. To get to the floor above the penthouse, of course! I think the ersatz elevator was once a real elevator. c. Conceivably the "ersatz" elevator could have been taken out to prevent the Baudelaire parents from escaping the fire through the Baudelaire-667 passageway - they'd have been quite trapped underground. Perhaps he had planned for them to appear anyway, and this is just to make sure we keep them in mind so they don't just spring from nowhere when they show up? Which they don't. Alternatively, it's just being consistent with the descriptions. Klaus wouldn't have heard the narration from TBB that explains it. I'm hoping to cover this myself when I get to the relevant chapters, but that sounds relatively solid considering what you have to work with. I still think the auction part is pretty barmy, though. TEE's plot often seems like it's set up solely to be unravelled in a narratively satisfactory fashion, rather than to make sense in existing. I don't think there's anything that stops them from being related; the characters aren't ever mentioned in the same context in the series. It could happen. The most likely time for a reference to this, though, TPP, saw nothing... but nobody's stopping this from being true in fanfic. If Esmé was as bossy a child as she is an adult, then perhaps slaving under her prepared Charles for an adult life slaving under Sir. As it were. |
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