Hi. I finished it approximately thirty minutes ago.
First: Swans, glad to see you back! I hope that other old members (Efogoto!) will pop back in soon. (Also, if you don't ask Handler when you see him in Texas about the family tree, I will when I see him in Vancouver. Okay?)
My book came with a goody bag, thanks to my lovely book store (thanks to them, I've recieved promos for every book since TSS). The goodies include: The End Is Near "original home iron-on transfer," four Official Library of Lemony Snicket seal stickers, "I survived Lemony Snicket" pencil, a mad libs-style LS to BB#2 letter, which may or may not go with this "write your own Beatrice letter" contest card.
Anyone else receive goodies?
Also, minor discussion (with some spoilers) located
in Cleolinda's LJ.The End was just...wow. I took notes while reading it, so I'll go through those.
I totally called the original name of the boat on page 18. Thought I'd mention it for bragging rights.
Seriously, Friday is the best name Handler could have thought of for her character. Straight out of Robinson Crusoe. Additionally, I love the names of the islanders; I laughed out loud when I learned Ishmael's name, and the "Call me Ish" thing (pages 49, 55). I don't know where all the islanders' names came from, but here are some that I noticed, and liked.
Robinson: Robinson Crusoe, obviously.
Ferdinand: Perhaps Archduke Ferdinand? (Or, at a stretch, Ferdinand de Saussure?)
Calypso: A nymph who ensnares Odysseus on his journey home in
The Odyssey (which I am currently reading). She makes Odysseus stay on her island for nine years before she lets him continue his journey homeward.
Dr. Kurtz: Likely from Joseph Conrad's
Heart of Darkness, which I own but haven't read. (Can someone expound this?)
Jonah Bellamy (and Sadie): I thought this was another age-old Jonah + whale allusion, but I can't find anything to contradict this as of yet.
Finn: Likely Huckleberry Finn.
Ariel: I can only imagine Ariel of the Little Mermaid.
So, what about the others? Alonso, Sherman, Erewhon, Weyden, Oremos, Byam, Willa, Mr. Pitcairn, Ms. Marlow, Prof. Fletcher, Madame Nordoff, Rabbi Bligh, Larsen, etc?
On page 65, Friday says her father was devoured by a manatee. However, later in the book (p. 224) it's revealed that that was a lie. So I'm speculating that Fiona's mother is still alive, of course, and that the manatee-eating story is a standard one which is passed around through VFD or something. Or, Mr. Caliban is Fiona's father or Widdershins or something.
Also, there seems to be characters named for every day of the week. Friday, Thursday, Monday...
Page 200: "...running a hand along a pile of broken white wood that looked like it had once been part of a gazebo."
Vineyard of Fragrant Gr/Drapes' wedding gazebo?
Caliban:
A character from Shakespeare's The Tempest, a deformed monster who is the slave of Prospero. Olivia's surname seems to be Caliban (pg. 209)
Star anise tea, which Violet has a taste for, can apparently be dangerous:
American Botanical Council Clarifies Safety Issue on Star Anise Tea Anise is, by the way, one of the flavourings of
absinthePage 215: Now, this was interesting. One of Ishmael's former students had only one eyebrow, and one ear, as a result of an accident in her grandfather's laboratory. Now turn to page 48 of TWW:
"Why, my mother in law had not only one eyebrow, but only one ear." Josephine said this, so it's Ike's mother.
Pg. 251: I'm confused about the adoption of the owner of a schooner, "as a baby adopted by his orphaned children also bore the same name." This also helps explain someone else's confusion about the surname of the young Beatrice mentioned a few pages back, somehow.
Poe had a stage name? (page 252) This made me laugh. I can't even imagine him acting.
Page 258: Rootbeer floats + thumbtacks?
I also loved Quigley/Duncan allegedly calling Violet's name. Handler is poking at the fanfictions.
My note says: "Isn't the Great Unknown a euphemism for death?" for page 307. However, I don't believe that the Quagmires and crew were necessarily eaten or destroyed. Or rescued either. I liked how neatly and ambiguously Handler tied up that subplot. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to see the Quagmires, etc. again (however, I wasn't a big fan of them in the first place, so I can't say I'm entirely heartbroken.)
Olaf had a true love? After reading page 316, it could likely be Kit. My exact note for Kit/Olaf (Kolaf? Olkit? Kilaf?) is "WTF" which, I think, sums it up nicely.
I rather like the idea, in retrospect.
Page 317: Handler neatly confirms, once and for all, that VFD stands for Volunteer Fire Department. Because some people still needed that confirmation.
So, about Violet going to be named Lemony: I think that Mrs. Baudelaire either thought that Lemony was dead (as so many people did) or that she knew that he was alive, but was dead to her because of...never being able to see her again or something.
(And there was a dragonfly mask from the masquerade in the arboretum. Not that this has anything to do to with the above statement.)
I liked the flock of wild sheep, and how they were trained to drag a sleigh (or what was it called in one AuthorTracker? sledge?). I especially liked how they lollygagged when it was required that they go faster, and Ishmael would only not force them to go more quickly.
Overall, I liked the book. I am a little disappointed that we didn't get any straight answers (but really, when do we ever?) but everything was wrapped up very nicely. I mean, the Baudelaires adopting another orphan and living on the island? A nice idea.
I thought the whole island-community thing was well done. I thought...I'm not sure what I thought, really. But it wasn't bad. I thought the secret space under the tree was a little cliché, though. And, I liked the A Series of Unfortunate Events book; I never really imagined that the Baudelaire parents would have lived there. I'm rambling. Summary: I liked it.
The fourteenth chapter was intriguing.
And Beatrice = Baudmom is confirmed once and for all.
I'll perhaps be more coherent tomorrow.
