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Post by lsandthebooks on Sept 17, 2019 20:00:35 GMT -5
Looking at the cover of Book 12...it's strange how sinister everyone looks. It's like the author is hinting that the kids are in an especially hostile environment, that's more sinister than the other books.
What if VFD wanted to put the kids on trial from the very beginning? After all, the Daily Puntilio reported that the kids were murderers. And how could anyone prove that they weren't?
I think VFD made sure that the kids wouldn't run away from the hotel, by making them act as flaneurs. The sugarbowl plan was made to distract the kids, not Olaf...
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Post by Foxy on Sept 18, 2019 7:01:51 GMT -5
I don't think you can count on Mr. Helquist's illustrates, no matter how fantastic they are, to add additional clues to the story. From what I have been led to believe, there is very little actual contact from the author to the illustrator.
Maybe the bad side of the schism would want the children on trial, because they know they have the court packed with justices who are on their side.
I don't think V.F.D. was bad and wanted bad things to happen to the children. I think the plan is as innocent, if not misguided, as it seems in TPP.
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Post by Dante on Sept 18, 2019 7:10:07 GMT -5
It is true that part of the plan was for the Baudelaires' names to be cleared, so it's possible they were intended to be on trial in some respect; but I don't think the plan was for them to be the main event alongside Olaf.
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Post by lsandthebooks on Sept 18, 2019 7:55:59 GMT -5
I don't think you can count on Mr. Helquist's illustrates, no matter how fantastic they are, to add additional clues to the story. From what I have been led to believe, there is very little actual contact from the author to the illustrator. Maybe the bad side of the schism would want the children on trial, because they know they have the court packed with justices who are on their side. I don't think V.F.D. was bad and wanted bad things to happen to the children. I think the plan is as innocent, if not misguided, as it seems in TPP. I think his illustrations have some clues. For example, if you look at the illustration on the first page of Chapter 2 you'll see Kit Snicket and the Baudelaire kids having their picnic. It's pretty clear that Kit matches the blonde woman on the cover. And both Kit and the woman, have the 2 crisscrossed pencils in their hair. Plus, there's the illustration that's right before page 1 of the book. It shows the man with the pipe (the same one that's on the cover, the man with the tall hat), and he's holding the Daily Punctilio.
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Post by Dante on Sept 19, 2019 3:50:56 GMT -5
I've addressed this specific example in your other thread on the subject, but Foxy is correct to say that the illustrations diverge from the textual descriptions with considerable frequency. With that said, your interpretation of the cover is not wrong. Helquist understood the atmosphere of the book very well, at least, when he depicted the Baudelaires in the centre of a crowd of unknown and suspicious figures, potentially sinister and hostile.
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