Why "The End" was such a dissapointment

[Kount Kelsey]

I loved the end nothing nothing nothing disapointed me !!!! you need a new word over perfect to describe this book

[Lunatic Fire Eyes]

Hate to say it, but I was fairly dissapointed with TE. After reading "The Penultimate Peril", I was really pumped for a new book, and for the conclusion to the series. I didnt really get one, and I had some mixed feelings after reading the book that I had eagerly waited for. It wasnt bad, just not quite what I was hoping for. [Like The 7th Harry Potter book...].

[Mijahu]

Jan 30, 2009 17:30:16 GMT -5 murakami said:

Have to admit that I loved 'The End' I only read it today, and heard rumours of dissapoinment, so perhaps I approached it with low expectations, but I think it was possibly my favourite book of the series. It had a lot more depth than I was expecting, with all the exploration of secrets and religion. It felt very carefully crafted. I liked the fact that the sugar bowl proved to be unimportant, as if all the fighting had been for nothing. I loved how morally ambiguous it had become by the last chapter. Still can't believe that these books are meant for 8-12 year olds! I'm 21, and havnt found much adult ficion as layered as this.

I wholeheartedly agree.

[masterviolet456]

I actually agree as well and agree with the maturity of the series.

[Felix -Subject to Change]

I'm sorry if this doesn't matter terribly to add, but I, like others here, did not find it a disappointment. It left some loose ends hanging, but the fun in asoue is the need to fill in the blanks, theorize, make assumptions and generally find your own answers.

The threads left for us to cling to are all we have to continue this series that has ended and leave more reality to the story than telling us that all the problems were solved not even a third into the eldest's life (assuming she lives to her forties or fifties).

I haven't read the entire thread and thus don't know if this has been touched upon, but I might also metion that if it had more of a happy ending than this ambiguous one, it would contradict everything Snicket has told us from page one.

[charlie000snicket]

i think that book 12 would be a very nice book 13 than book 13 bacause it seems that handler just put all there mysteries in these books and it seemed like lazyness that he didnt explain.....i sppose it was a good book over all tho

[-Pepsi.]

I was expecting The End to not be that great because what everyone says, but I disagree. I was actually, oddly, disappointed with The Penultimate Peril. I thought the end (Meaning the end of TPP not the book "The End") was disappointing because I didn't find the Baudelaire's reasons to burn down the hotel that good. Burning down a hotel to make a signal, and to escape is not very good reasons to do so. Maybe my expectations were to high for TPP and low for The End, but I'm not sure. I thought The End and Chapter 14 were a great ending to the series.

[Hermes]

Pepsi - I agree; TPP is a fascinating book in many ways (I love Dewey/Kit, for instance, and the hotel itself is a brilliant idea) but it was disappointing. I think the problem is that in TPP he was trying to tie up threads from the rest of the series, and not doing it that well, while in The End he was striking out in a new direction.

As for the burning of the hotel - I can actually think of a better reason - it stopped the release of the Medusoid Mycelium, which would have been harder to escape from than burning. But that's not what Sunny says; she says it's a signal, and that has always struck me as odd.

[Dante]

Apr 24, 2009 9:32:50 GMT -5 Hermes said:

As for the burning of the hotel - I can actually think of a better reason - it stopped the release of the Medusoid Mycelium, which would have been harder to escape from than burning. But that's not what Sunny says; she says it's a signal, and that has always struck me as odd.

Just checked Chapter Thirteen of TPP, and I think you can make it work that Sunny also intended to stop Olaf from getting to the Medusoid Mycelium, as well as providing time to warn people about the fire in the basement.

[Hermes]

Apr 24, 2009 9:52:44 GMT -5 Dante said:

Just checked Chapter Thirteen of TPP, and I think you can make it work that Sunny also intended to stop Olaf from getting to the Medusoid Mycelium, as well as providing time to warn people about the fire in the basement.

That was certainly her intention with the 'Preludio' plan, but was it also her intention in starting the fire? It could have been, but I don't think she says so. (Of course, the signal saves lives as well, but surely this could have been achieved in a more economical way.)

[kougermasters]

I have to say that I HATE loose ends....

[liquidladylemony]

May 23, 2007 11:41:49 GMT -5 ferder said:

ffwf said:

The Beatrice Letters I would expect to only exist for this generation - I don't think it'll be reprinted again and again for as long as the main series will be. The same applies to the U.A. (although it's being rereleased in the U.K. in September),

That would be too bad if the UA wasn't reprinted regularly. I think it's one of the best and most important books in the series (even if it is a companion book). It was wonderful to have a whole book dedicated to all the delicouse and hilarious behind-the-scenes Snicket/VFD/Beatrice stories that Snicket is always aluding to in the regular series.
I really wonder what it would be like for readers to read through the whole series and not read the UA. I guess they would just figure out the VFD mystery at the same rate as the Baudes instead of getting the enormuse head-start that the read of us got.
Too bad the cover for the new UK one is so bad. It probably shouldn't be covered with picks of the Baudes considering it's not even about them.

Some ppl refused to believe that Beatrice was the Baudaliars' mother. Although I think that Handler really does have a "Beatrice" that left him so he made up his
little make believe world for the world to see
but, it doesn't matter now since all the books
are finished but I don't agree with Book 13
being the worst/dissapointment b/c
Book 11-The Grim Grotto seemed as if he had
other things on his mind and he really wasn't
paying attention to what he was writing but
still...anyway if you think that Handler did a
terrible job then why don't you go and write
a whole different ending on the forum(I dnt
mean to be rude but some ppl critisize for no
reason) I would enjoy reading what book u
want us to all see...I'm serious I do really
want to see what you had in mind...yes I agree it was kinda dry but still...it was good & long enough
for me.

[MikeT]

I've been mulling this over for three years now, and so I reappear to give my two cents.

I adored A Series of Unfortunate Events, I really, really did. I started reading the books in 2002, back when I was 11 and I was truly captivated by the books. I remember going to Florida in 2003, and being SO ecstatic I could buy The Hostile Hospital and The Carnivorous Carnival before they had even arrived in the UK. I had fallen in love with the mystery of the series, and I signed up to 667 that summer.

I spent months and months (although I think I took breaks a lot) discussing the secrets of the series with people here, and I remember specifically a fantastic build up to The Penultimate Peril with TheNamelessNovel.com and all the little tidbits we were getting day by day in the runup to the series. It was a really great time of my life.

I was active during the build up to The End, and after flicking through some of my posts yesterday, I realised that I stopped posting here the week The End was released. I vanished from the site in 2006: two and a half years ago.

Although at the time I enjoyed the thirteenth book; I admit to crying through the last chapter (although I feel they were more "end of an era" type tears, over plot-related tears) I think deep down I was strongly disappointed with the anti-resolution that was presented to us. My best friend who I had told about the series during The Grim Grotto and I turned him into a fanatic, was STRONGLY disappointed with The End but I really couldn't see his point. I maintained at the time that to release all of the secrets would defy the series, and I still believe that to a certain degree.

But something inside of me must have stirred to be inactive here for such a long time. I haven't returned to the books since I finished The End. I haven't flicked through them, I haven't re-read them. I must admit, I feel a little bit saddened by their abrupt end; the painstaking (albeit fantastic) hours spent theorising and analysing, guessing and solving the mystery of the Baudelaires far outweighs anything I have done since (except for perhaps the hours I spend currently thinking about Lost).

This is where I u-turn. I regret The End and I was disappointed. I can't lie. I do, however, adore Dante's eloquent ideas about the series being like a single installment. It does bring the series to a somewhat literary conclusion, but probably doesn't please fans. However, I don't truly believe that I am mourning the end of the series because of the last book, and it's unresolved plot ties. I believe I'm mourning the series because I had such a brilliant time along the way.

I think I'm generally a fan of theorising and mystery. I spent years theorising about Harry Potter, and I spend my time at the present discussing Lost. But I know from experience, that once the mystery is unravelled, it's no fun anymore. Lost is currently the best show on television, and I adore it with all my heart. It will have it's place in history.. but whether or not I'll return to the show after May 2010 is anybody's guess. I read Harry Potter more because it was a big part of my life, and any attempt to connect back with Snicket's work, in my opinion, would only be because of a sense of overwhelming teenage nostalgia on my part.

But somehow, I think discussion will always go on. Loose ends will always remain like an incomplete Devil's Tongue in the realm of this series, and I think Handler probably wanted us to continue discussing the books. We'll debate the sugar bowl, VFD, and all the mysteries for years to come as this thread lays witness (created in 2007, it still is active to this day).

I'm aware I've strayed largely off-topic, but I honestly don't think the issue truly is the final book, it's more of a problem coming to terms with the fact that many hours of time invested in the series either never paid off, or is no longer required.

I look back on the series with great fondness, and I do believe - or maybe I hope - that perhaps, just perhaps, Handler wanted us to have these feelings all along.

[Dante]

Beautiful, MikeT - an inspired speech.

[liquidladylemony]

it was beautiful...much better than mine...[grr...]