OFFICIAL BOOK TWELVE DICUSSION THREAD.

[Sugary Snicket]

Daaaaang..... The timeline on that site.... That's..... deep.

[SF]

Ok, so Dante PMed me asking if I could type out the "Dear Reader" on the back of the box set of Gloom Looms, so here it is:

"Dear Reader,

When three books are crowded together, in a small box, and shrouded in sturdy plastic wrapping, it can mean only one of two things. It can mean that the books contain sensitive secrets and possible evidence of an alarming conspiracy. Or, it can mean that the books are not enjoyable at all and shouldn't be opened or read by anyone under any circumstances, unless of course a member of a secret organization is specifically directed to do so and equipped with a special plastic-wrap cutter and a small crowbar for that purpose.

Either way, this box probably isn't the best choice for you. It contains three recent installments from my exhaustive research into the lives of the doomed Baudelaire orphans: THE SLIPPERY SLOPE, THE GRIM GROTTO, and THE PENULTIMATE PERIL. These books contain a great many calamities, including abandoned condiments, cigarette smoking, a shocking revelation, a ridiculous laugh, a luxury hotel, another shocing revelation, and Phil. If you are a happy and well-adjusted individual, then it would be a terrible shame to ruin it now by reading about such things. If you aren't a happy and well-adjusted individual, it's still not too late to become one by putting this box down.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket"

Enjoy!

[Dante]

Thanks, SnicketFace.

Abandoned condiments: The coded items in the fridge in the Valley of Four Drafts.
Cigarette smoking: Esmé's disgusting habit of smoking Verdant Flammable Devices in TSS.
A shocking revelation: That Quigley is still alive.
A ridiculous laugh: Needs no explanation, but I'll do so anyway - Olaf and Esmé's villainous laughter in TGG.
A luxury hotel: Also needs no explanation etc. - it's the Hotel Denouement.
Another shocking revelation: Any number of things. The other High Court judges are the man with the beard and the woman with the hair?
Phil: Phil.

And I love the last line. "If you aren't a happy and well-adjusted individual, it's still not too late to become one by putting this box down."

[jman]

Antenora, I was just wonderin. The Canadian version of TUA is boring (no flipside)

[Antenora]

Thanks for the Gloom Looms back cover letter, Snicketface. It's quite funny.

And "cigarette smoking" could also refer to the mysterious man in Chapter 10 of TPP; that was the first thing I thought of. Could be either, or both.

[Dear Dairy]

For all you naysayers who don't like the title "The Penultimate Peril" because it breaks the established pattern (negative-connotation adjective plus place name):

Peril is[/b] a place name in a sense. It is possible to be in peril.

[Sora]

Actually it isn't. To be in peril is 'to be in a state of danger or mishap.'. It's a state of being not a physical place. It can only be used as an adjective for a physical place, as if the title was The Perilous Plane.

Also, What pattern? Is Window a place? I don't think so. Peril can also be a 'thing' as such, so It's just as reasonable as a title like the Ersatz Elevator

[PJ]

Beginning isn't a place either.

[lauren]

I would say it is more of a setting pattern, windows can be part of a setting and beginnings and perils are also settings
A setting can include time, place and state

[Antenora]

A beginning isn't a setting in the sense of a place, but it's a setting in time, as you can say "In the beginning..." and such. The same goes for "end".

[Dante]

TMM through TGG follow a pattern of "The [negative adjective] [location]." The first and penultimate books have time-placement (or chronology) titles. The second two books have a pattern of "The [something from the setting]." I no longer regard TPP as pattern-breaking, as it fitted in quite well (however, if the last book didn't have a chronology title, then I would change this view).

[PJ]

ffwf said:

TMM through TGG follow a pattern of "The [negative adjective] [location]." The first and penultimate books have time-placement (or chronology) titles. The second two books have a pattern of "The [something from the setting]." I no longer regard TPP as pattern-breaking, as it fitted in quite well (however, if the last book didn't have a chronology title, then I would change this view).

Oh, it will. The last book will have a chronology-thing in it. I'm almost certain.

[lauren]

tocuna said:

A beginning isn't a setting in the sense of a place, but it's a setting in time, as you can say "In the beginning..." and such. The same goes for "end".

Yes...sorry I don't know wether you are challenging or reinforcing my arguement but I will restate that a setting is a general term which can be applied to place, time and state

[darkrader]

Hi this is a little off topic but what excatly do we know about this Mysterious Duchess R.

I was just Thinking that she could be the one in the back of the taxi and that mysterious lady who was in the cavern in books 11 just wanted to know what you guys thought about this.

Also it could be Fioans mother. I just wanted to point out the Snicket says That Widdershins was wrong to think she died in a martine accident. Knowing Snicket that could mean she's not dead. Also it probably would have taken someone important or close to Widdershins to pull him away from the Queeg or however its spelled. ( I don't have a book with me.

[Jacques the Environmentalist]

Hmm, interesting. Kit may have met with him during book 12, wish we had more info about that...
Duchess R.. I'd thought of that, but I'd leaned toward whoever Madam diLustro is... Or they may even be the same person.