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Lemony Snicket's books

Nik's post got me wanting to talk about A Series of Unfortunate Events.  Did anybody read the full series?  Did you like them?  What did you think about the ending?  Did it leave too many loose ends, or did you think there were enough clues throughout the series to piece everything together anyway?

ETA:  Fair warning -- this might be a P&R.  I have a few errands to do, but I won't be gone long.

Re: Lemony Snicket's books

  • Wrkn925Wrkn925 member
    2500 Comments 5 Love Its
    edited December 2011
    I watched the movie, that's it.

    I bet the books would be good.
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  • Elle1036Elle1036 member
    5000 Comments Fifth Anniversary 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    The movie was ok.  I though it was well done, but it was pretty liberal with the plot, and it was made before the series was even completed, though (in my opinion at least) it cleared up a few things that the books never did, not directly at least.

    The book series was fantastic.  It's got a really quirky, unusual humor, but you learn to love it.
  • edited December 2011
    I didn't read the books either, but I saw the movie. Usually when I read books, I hate the movies, and I don't think I would finish a book if I already knew the ending.
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  • Elle1036Elle1036 member
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    edited December 2011
    So I had to open up my old myspace to find this...  (Who knew that even still existed?!) but this is a blog post I wrote in October 2006.  It gives a feel for the tone of the books.  It's long, though, so don't feel obligated to read.

    ---------------------------------------------

    For those of you who either haven't read any of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" or who have tried to read it and thought them too elementary then put them down, I wanted to share a passage from the latest and last installment, book the 13th.  This book series is perhaps one of the most unique and original that I have ever read.  No offense, Harry,  you're still my leading man... but these books are written with a quirky humor to which not even the genius of J.K. Rowling can compare.  So, without further adieu, here we go.  (Don't worry, it doesn't spoil any of the plot).

     

    "The phrase 'in the dark,' as I'm sure you know, can refer not only to one's shadowy surroundings but also to the shadowy secrets of which one might be unaware.  Every day, the sun goes down over all these secrets, and so everyone is in the dark in one way or another.  If you are sunbathing in a park, for instance, but you do not know that a locked cabinet is buried fifty feet beneath your blanket, then you are in the dark even though you are not actually in the dark, whereas if you are on a midnight hike, knowing full well that several ballerinas are following close behind you, then you are not in the dark even if you are in fact in the dark.  Of course, it is quite possible to be in the dark in the dark, as well as to be not in the dark not in the dark, but there are so many secrets in the world that it is likely that you are always in the dark about one thing or another, whether you are in the dark in the dark, or in the dark not in the dark, although the sun can go down so quickly that you may be in the dark about being in the dark, only to look around and find yourself no longer in the dark about being in the dark in the dark, but in the dark in the dark nonetheless, not only because of the dark, but because of the ballerinas in the dark, who are not in the dark about the dark, but also not in the dark about the locked cabinet, and you may be in the dark about the ballerinas digging up the locked cabinet in the dark, even though you are no longer in the dark about being in the dark, and so you are in fact in the dark about being in the dark, even though you are not in the dark about being in the dark, and so you may fall into the hole the ballerinas have dug, which is dark, in the dark, and in the park."

  • Beads921Beads921 member
    1000 Comments Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    I think I attempted to read the books, but I wasn't all that interested and never made it past the first one (kinda like Harry Potter...never made it past the first one of those, either). The movie was OK, but I didn't love it either. I was fairly young when I tried to read them, so it's not that I found it too elementary, I'm just not really into that type of story.

    My sister, on the other hand, loved it all. Every second of it (books [she owns the complete boxed set], and movies). Not sure what she thought of the ending or anything though.
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  • bethsmilesbethsmiles member
    10000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011
    I enjoyed that series. His writing style was pretty unique and reading those books when you are younger definitely gives you a vocabulary boost. They weren't my favorites but I would recommend them to kids but I don't know many adults that I think would enjoy them, if they hadn't read them already.

    I thought the movie sucked.


  • peekaboo2011peekaboo2011 member
    Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 250 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    I loved the books!  I never saw the movie though.

    I think my favorite was The Unauthorized Autobiography.  And now I want to read them all again :)
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  • Elle1036Elle1036 member
    5000 Comments Fifth Anniversary 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_lemony-snickets-books?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:3347cf3d-8b37-4bb6-a0c3-4799eae5d5cdPost:a2bef1e1-d9a4-4c28-90c2-e5cc8b87942d">Re: Lemony Snicket's books</a>:
    [QUOTE]I think I attempted to read the books, but I wasn't all that interested and never made it past the first one (kinda like Harry Potter...never made it past the first one of those, either). The movie was OK, but I didn't love it either. I was fairly young when I tried to read them, so it's<strong> not that I found it too elementary</strong>, I'm just not really into that type of story. My sister, on the other hand, loved it all. Every second of it (books [she owns the complete boxed set], and movies). Not sure what she thought of the ending or anything though.
    Posted by Beads921[/QUOTE]

    I've heard a lot of people say that the series is "elementary" (I know that's not what you're saying, Beads, you just made me think of this) and I kind of understand.  The books are definitely written in such as way that kids can understand and enjoy them, but there's also a lot of subtle adult humor that kids would miss or wouldn't get.  Kinda like Shrek.

    Also, Beth, you mentioned the vocabulary.  Did you find that the little vocab. lessons got more and more ridiculous as the series progressed?  I can't remember any specific examples (it's been 5 years since I read the last book) but I remember that "definitions" became more and more like inside jokes that you had to have read the series to understand.
  • edited December 2011
    I have not seen the movie or read the books so I really have no idea what they are about.
  • edited December 2011
    I love the books.  I read them all.  I liked the movie and thought that they did a good job.  I think that the book is excellent for building vocabulary (I'm a teacher so I think that way).  I learned a few words from the books.  
  • bethsmilesbethsmiles member
    10000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_lemony-snickets-books?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:3347cf3d-8b37-4bb6-a0c3-4799eae5d5cdPost:0ee5877e-0039-400c-a0ac-578bc5eb71f7">Re: Lemony Snicket's books</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Lemony Snicket's books : I've heard a lot of people say that the series is "elementary" (I know that's not what you're saying, Beads, you just made me think of this) and I kind of understand.  The books are definitely written in such as way that kids can understand and enjoy them, but there's also a lot of subtle adult humor that kids would miss or wouldn't get.  Kinda like Shrek. Also, Beth, you mentioned the vocabulary.  Did you find that the little vocab. lessons got more and more ridiculous as the series progressed?  I can't remember any specific examples (it's been 5 years since I read the last book) but I remember that "definitions" became more and more like inside jokes that you had to have read the series to understand.
    Posted by Elle1036[/QUOTE]

    Honestly, its been so long since I read them I can't really remember but I don't recall the vocab. lessons getting ridiculous. Definitely the words started to play into the plot more though. I personally think that the series went on too long and I started to get bored with them about half way through.

    I think they seem elementary because the characters (IMO) are very static and undeveloped and the plot is pretty predictable throughout the series. I would never recommend these books to one of my friends but I would recommend them to my cousins or younger children that I know who are still in elementary or junior high school.

    I think its interesting that so many of you like the movie. I remember being so disappointed when I left the theater, I thought they did everything wrong. I'm also not a fan of Jim Carrey so I could be biased.


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