(Book~Part II~Spoilers~Extras)A Series of Unfortunate Events

[Ivy]

Trivial Fact You Wish You Hadn't Read About the Author
Lemony Snicket is a pseudonym ~a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name~ used by author Daniel Handler.

You Wish You Hadn't Started, Interesting Re-Occuring Themes and Concepts in the Dreadful Series1.) There are Thirteen Books. (That's in the obvious)
2.) There are a 'questionable' Thirteen Chapters in each Book.
3.) In the beginning of every Book, the Baudelaire Orpahs are in a new predicament in a new location with a new 'Gaurdian' ~ who just happens to have a 'literary' name.
4.) The 'Books' critical events are usually revealed in the title.
5.) Lemony Snicket often explains words and analogies in excruciating~painfully~agonizing detail.
6.) Even though the 'Books' are completely absurd, Lemony Snicket maintains that the story of the Baudelaire's lives are true and that it is his "solemn duty" to record it.
7.) Snicket often describes a character, who has previously been introduced in earlier 'Books', first and does not reveal the name of the character until they have been thoroughly described.
8.) Mr. Poe ~ the mucus*hacking Bank Manager who's in charge of the Baudelaire Orphan's Estate ~ undoubtly receives his name from the Insanely-Depressed Poet ~ Edgar Allen Poe. For further proof as to where Mr. Poe's name gets its basis, is shown in the name of his eldest son, Edgar.
9.) Most, rather all, the inhabitants on the 'Island' in the final installment of the Unfortunate Series' recieve their name from William Shakespeare's "The Tempest".
10.) Atleast one page in every 'Book' of the Unfortunate Series is dedicated to Beatrice, the supposibly dead beloved of Lemony Snicket, who married another, and died before the Unfortunate Tragedies Began to Befall Upon the Lives of Three Not-So-Expecting Children.
11.) Before the 'Editorial's Page' at the end of every book there is a 'hidden clue' in the form of a picture, which foreshadows what the Baudelaires are to face in the next installment of the 'Series'.
12.) The Orphan's trademark 'skills' are always worked into the story~line by Author Lemony Snicket ~ Violet always has a reason to tie her hair back and create a 'Nobel Prize Worthy' invention ~ Klaus always manages to find a library, new or out~dated, to do research and expand his vass knowledge on every subject imaginable ~ And we can't forget Sunny, who in the 'Earlier Books of the Series' will find a way in which her 'Biting' craft can be used ~ And then in the 'Later Books of the Series' develops 'Culinary' skills and manages to take the disgustingest food and make it esquisete'.
13.) Snicket takes everyday phrases, such as, "I Wasn't Born Yesterday", and creates a little dark~comedic atmosphere by reversing its meaning and creating a totally humorous smart-ass remark ~ For Example ~ "Unless I am wrong, in which case welcome to the world, little baby, and congratulating on learning to read so early in life.

The Truest and Cruelest Quotable Ever Written
In the earlier 'Books', Sunny Baudelaire is only able to speak in unrecognizable gibberish. For example, when she's expressing her dislike for Olaf, she mumbles, "Busheney", which translates to, "You're an evil man with no concern whatsoever for other people!"

The Arguing Continues, What Genre Should The Unfortunate Series Be Listed Under?
Children's Fiction because it is mainly for a 'Younger' audience? Gothic Literature because of the never~ending misery and the 'Dark' humour that is present throughout the 'Books'? What about Absurdist Fiction ~ A 'Genre' that centers on the behavior of the absurd characters, situations, or subjects ~ due to the strange characters, the quirky writing style, improbable storylines, and 'Black' comedy? Wouldn't you agree 'Steampunk' is an excellent choice mainly because it involves anachronistic ~ an error in chronology ~ settings and technology? Do you think it could be 'Classified' under another 'Category', or do you think the controvery should end? It was meant entirely to be a 'Series' for the 'Younger Audience', what's so complicated about that?

Who In Their Right State of Mind Would Give An 'Award' To A Story That Began With Misery and Ended With Woe?
Colorado Children's Book Award ~ "Book the First ~ The Bad Beginning"
Nevada Young Readers Award ~ "Book the First ~ The Bad Beginning"
Nene Award ~ "Book the First ~ The Bad Beginning"
IRA/CBC Children's Choice Awards ~ Won Three Times ~ Book the Third ~ "The Wide Window", Book the Seventh ~ "The Vile Village", and Book the Eighth ~ "The Hostile Hospital"
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award ~ Book the Twelfth ~ "The Penultimate Peril"
2006 Quill Book Award ~ Book the Twelfth ~ "Penultimate Peril"
Book Sense 76 Pick ~ Book the Sixth - The Ersatz Elevator

Some People's Screws Are A Little Too Loose ~ 'Complaining' About Every Little Detail They Can Get Their Hand's On ~ It's Already An Awful 'Series', Why Make It Dreadfully~Awful?
Un~Needed Complaint Number One ~ School Districts are trying to put a 'BAN' on any 'Book' by Daniel Handler 'alias' Lemony Snicket, especially underlying the 'Unfortunate Event Series' due to their 'Dark Nature' and have already been successful at making them 'Disappear' from teacher's bookshelves and the school's libraries.
Un~Needed Complaint Number Two ~ Parents and 'Crazies' alone were outraged at the suggested mentionings of 'incest' in the 'First Book ~ The Bad Beginning',referring to Olaf's attempt to marry his distant niece, Violet, although his motivation was not sexual in nature, but rather an attempt to gain her inheritance.
Un~Needed Complaint Number Three ~ So, Snicket used the word 'Damn' in the Second Book ~ The Reptile Room, causing a huge uproar and protest by 'Overly Protective and Paranoid' parents. Handler was perplexed at the un~justly remarks he recieved, commenting about the outcry in an interview, going on to lecture in excruciating detail on how children should avoid such foul language, since only a villain, like Olaf, would say such a 'vile' thing!"
Un~Needed Complaint Number Four ~ The storytelling is repititive, with all the 'Books' beginning the same ~ The Baudelaire's arriving at a new home, with a new 'Strangely~Odd~And~Different' Relative, and having to escape Olaf's clutches once more ~ and all the 'Books' ending the same ~ The Baudelaire's again have a huge black cloud hovering over them as they sit and wallow in their despair. Leaving you with more questions then you recieve answers, and the Orphan's off to 'Temporarily' stay with a relative they've never met, knowing that all will un~ravel with the untimely appearance of a certain Count!
Un~Needed Complaint Number Five ~ "Yes, there's more! Remember, society today lives off crushing the happiness and dreams of other's, just so they can get their three minutes in the spotlight!" Anyways, the heartless people of the 'Media' say that Snicket never properly ended the 'Series', stating that the real meaning of the 'Books' were lost early on in the 'Series' and that he left a lot of mysteries unsolved and a puzzle that is missing a single piece. Everytime an answer was found, it put in motion a 'Series of Events' that left you with three more questions needing answering, it's a cycle he never stopped, not even in the 'Final Chapter of the Final Book'.

Tragic Events Coax Children Into Reading The Woeful Tale of the Baudelaire Orphans
Children turned to these 'Books' as a way expression. The 'Books' were an excellent way for children to 'Cope' with a loss, which sales records proved when they dramatically increased after the September 11th attacks in 2001.

Do I Have To Read The Opinion of Someone Who's A Nobody and Doesn't Really Matter?
'The Series of Unfortunate Events' was the beginning of a new dawn of books. Children of all ages ~ Preteen to Teen ~ to Young Adults and even the scattered few of 'Old People' grew highly interested in the adapting tale of the Baudelaire Orphan's. It's a mean of escape, you get lost in one of these 'Books' and caught up in the misery, woe, and tragedy that befalls Violet, Sunny, and Klaus ~ and before you know it, you've drifted from reality and all the horror and mayhem it holds. The Author's style of writing is unique and one day will be copied by hundreds of up and coming writers'. I mean, when you see a book, you look at the cover ~ They say don't judge it by its cover, but you do anyways ~ and the illustrations on the covers of the 'Series' is one that hasn't been seen anywhere else. The colors, the detail, the balance, and time put into each illustration can be a hard concept to create. And once your through glancing at the cover and title, you flip it over to give it a read, judge whether you might be interested in forking out some hard earned cash. Now, what is the first thing you notice on the back of the 'Book'? That it's specifically addressed to you, the [i]'Reader', how often do you get that from glancing at something? Well, it's sparked your interest by directly reaching out to you, the 'Reader', and now you decide to further your inspection. What you read paralyzes you, it triggers a response in your brain covered with cob~webs, something that the 'Youth of Today and Tomorrow' are slowly losing concept of, your creative thinking and your imagination. What you take in and grasp from these pages no~one else can invision. Only you think the way you think, only you feel the way you feel, and only you picture the words into a certain image. You can describe that image to fifty different people, and each one of those individuals will see something different. So, you read the entire summary that's printed on the back, well, you decide to dig a little more before paying 10 dollars for a book with only 163 pages, the last one containing only a picture. You flip open 'The Bad Beginning' and notice that the book is dedicated to someone, which isn't abnormal. However, what it says is...

"To Beatrice---
darling, dearest, dead."

Well that's not something you see everyday! You can expect little love 'Shoutouts' or 'Special-Thanks', but to read something sincere and loving, and then be taken aback by the complete 180 just makes you have to pick your jaw up off the floor, "Dead"? Now Snicket's got your full and un~divided attention, you turn to Chapter One eagerly, reading and taking in the first sentence and skimming over the first page at an unimaginable speed:[/i]

"If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle" ~*You skip a little further down the page*~ "Most everything that happened to them ~Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire~ was rife with misfortune, misery, and despair. I'm sorry to tell you this, but that is how the story goes."
~~~Lemony Snicket, 'Chapter One, Page One,' "The Bad Beginning"

No one could possible imagine the pain and guilt and emotional chaos that comes with losing a 'Parent' let alone a 'Loved One'. But to lose both, along with your home and your most valued and treasured possessions that held a deep, and special meaning that only you can feel, can be nerve-racking. And that's putting it mild. How would you feel to wake up one morning, have everything at the edge of your fingertips, all your dreams within your grasp, and then a person you learn to despise approaches you and brings you the devestating news that you'll never get to hug, kiss, or say, "I love you" ~ or vise-versa ~ to somone that you love dearly. People live off each other's weaknesses. They'll lift you up just to be the one to knock you back down again. They'll use your love and compassion for others to manipulate situations and make them the 'Golden Opportunity' they've been waiting for. So let me ask you this, how can people watch "Saw" while choking down a Whopper or a Large Pepporroni Pizza? Quote: "Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the 'worst evil imaginable'. He is the only 'Creation of God' that 'Tortures and Murders' his fellow 'Brothers and Sisters' for the pure pleasure and joy he recieves from taking a life. But, the amusement in itself is the real reason behind such actions." So what's the answer? We've become so accustomed to the violence we hear and see everyday. Murders and Rapes and Robberies are becoming a thing of the future, it's something you expect to hear as your flip through the Morning or Late-Evening News. So when Author Daniel Handler created the 'Persona' Lemony Snicket and thought up the 'Books' that would later be apart of "The Series of Unfortunate Events", he knew, just by observation ~ Reading the Newspaper, Turning on the News, or Just the Recent Releases at Blockbuster ~ that these 'Books' would go on to become Bestsellers and an escape for all those who dream of a better life ~ The one that exist only in their imagination ~ and of a world that we control, a place where we can become anyone~anything, and we open up that 'Book' of tragedy, and we drift off to a place, as far away from reality and all its chaotic mayhem, and run~away from what we call home. Only to return when the last page is read...