Talk:A Series of Unfortunate Events: Difference between revisions

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By the way, this is a steampunk series.--☺ 01:15, Dec 15, 2004 (UTC)

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I removed the following line:

"The names of just about every character come from somewhere, like Nero, Sunny and Claus Von Bulow, and much more."

What was its intended meaning? —Rory ☺ 23:58, Dec 13, 2004 (UTC)

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General plot overview

I cut the following out of the article in the interest of cleaning it up. I haven't read the plot summary below for fear of spoilers, so if someone else could clean it up that'd be great. I'm actually in favour of omitting plot summaries from most articles, including this one, so if no-one wants to work on it that's fine too. —Rory Template:Spoilers

The series revolves around the Baudelaire siblings Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. In The Bad Beginning, they are told by Mr. Poe, a friend of the family, that their parents have been killed in a fire. They are sent to stay with a distant cousin, Count Olaf, who mistreats them and attempts to force Violet to marry him so he can steal their fortune. A kind neighbour by the name of Justice Strauss gives the children some help, but they are forced to defeat Olaf's plans primarily by their own efforts.

The series then becomes somewhat formulaic: Mr Poe, who is in charge of their care, sends them to live with a succession of ever more distant relatives, where they are inevitably tracked down and once more troubled by the wearisome Count Olaf (usually in disguise) and his retinue of henchmen. In The Reptile Room, they go to live with their Uncle Monty, who is head of a herpetological society and keeps a large collection of snakes. Sadly, he is murdered by Olaf. The Wide Window sees them sent to live by Lake Lachrymose with Aunt Josephine, who is afraid of... everything! But Count Olaf returns and murders Josephine.

Mr. Poe then sends them to The Miserable Mill - 'Lucky Smells' lumbermill - where they are sure Olaf won't reach them. But Count Olaf and two of his associates stir trouble again, and the Baudelaires get the blame. The owner of the lumbermill sends them off, and their next home is The Austere Academy - a boarding school run by a deranged principal called Nero. The Baudelaires make friends with the 'Quagmire Triplets', Isadora and Duncan (the third triplet, Quigley, is missing). However, Olaf is also eager to steal the Quagmire fortune, and the triplets are kidnapped - leaving a cryptic message, 'V.F.D.'

In The Ersatz Elevator, the Baudelaires move to Esme and Jerome Squalor's penthouse apartment. Jerome is kind but ineffectual; Esme is interested only in the latest fashions. When Olaf arrives, the Baudelaires try to rescue the Quagmires, but lose them again. Esme turns out to be evil and escapes with Count Olaf.

From this point, the series breaks away from the formula followed by the first six books as the Baudelaires set out in an attempt to find the Quagmires and find out the meaning of "V.F.D.", leading them into a gradually unfolding conspiracy, while fleeing authorities accusing them of murder.

To do:

• The Vile Village
• The Hostile Hospital
• The Carnivorous Carnival
• The Slippery Slope
• The Grim Grotto

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (movie)

This page links to that page. That page is a redirect to this page. Unbelievable! The movie surely deserves its own page. Brianjd 07:25, 2004 Dec 17 (UTC)

Yes, that's why I left the link to it when I cleaned up this page. No-one has written it yet though. Care to make a stub? —Rory ☺ 13:30, Dec 17, 2004 (UTC)

Stub begun. Nicked the cast list from IMDB and added minor details. Feel free to expand. Lee M 03:46, 19 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Nice job whoever made the movie page what it is now. LordMooCow 09:59, 3 July 2005 (GMT+10)

Trademarks

There is the secret of Olaf's tattooed ankle and the organization V.F.D.

So is Olaf a deletionist, then? 82.92.119.11 11:56, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)

I've changed the article heading "Trademarks" to "Recurring themes". Perhaps there's a yet better way to word it, but I doubt they are registered as trademarks. -- Infrogmation 20:27, 13 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Removed anonymous edits

I share the anon's enthusiasm for SoUE, but this isn't a review site - judgements like "an oustandingly good page turner" aren't appropriate here. Plot summaries of the individual books should probably go on those individual pages, preferably with a spoiler tag. --Calair 22:58, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Literary and historical references

Hi, Wikipedia newb here...I think that a list of ASUE's many literary and historical references is in order...I've referred to it over on Esmé Squalor, but there are many more (the Baudelaires themselves; the Queequeg; all those poets in Grim Grotto; Vice Principal Nero - a violinist, by the way, which makes it more significant; the Poes - Edgar and Albert; Georgina Orwell...I could go on). Let's try pursuing this, eh? Oh, and by the bye, this is a great resource, or jumping-off point, or something... -IvanP

That page is very interesting—I particularly enjoyed th'explanations of Sunny's proclamations of "Busheney!" and "Etartsigam!", which I'd entirely missed. Still, he is also lists many alternative ideas that may very well not be references. This page is a bit more concise about it, tho left me wanting more.--Signor Giuseppe 21:43, 15 July 2005 (UTC)

Guardians

I had earlier written that Uncle Monty was th'only exception the Baudelaires' long history of ineffectual guardians. Recently Hector found himself as an exception as well, but his skiddishness in the face of the village elders is basically a carbon copy of Jerome Squallor (who was afraid of confrontations, mostly with Esmé) and Charles (who didn't want to upset SIR). They all follow in the mold of Aunt Josephine who was, of course, afraid of everything. SIR and the elders themselves just weren't very nice, while Count O and Esmé themselves actively sought the Baudelaires' harm. Uncle Monty, on th'other hand, was kind and caring, and was even suspicious of Olaf's disguise, tho ultimately not for the right reasons. Still, he's th'only exception to the rule.--Signor Giuseppe 20:42, 19 July 2005 (UTC)

Task complete

I have added a page on Aunt Josephine!

Snicket's sister? Ah, inbreeding

I removed the line about "Beatrice is Snicket's sister." It had no punctuation, and since it was never mentioned in that less-than-awesome bad example of the series we call the movie, I assume it to be a subliminal message.

...she's Fiona's mom, man. --Doug teh H-Nut

I think that what we, in the trade, call vandalism. Sad, but it happens. --Celestianpower ^hab 22:02, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Yep. Subliminal vandalism, mind you. But vandalism. --Doug teh H-Nut 3:28 PM EST Monday, Sept. 19

Libraries

In at least 10 of the SOUE books (I'm in the middle of the 11th, so I wouldn't know about it), their is at least on library used by the orphans, and a list should be added to the artical. --Wack'd About Wiki 03:17, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

A Wiki of Unfortunate Events

There is now a Wikicity for all things lemony Snicket. We are currently working on very few articles and very few editors so any help would be appreciated and we hope to see you there! --Celestianpower ^hablamé 20:53, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

"strange and specific similes"

Interesting - can we have an example? TheMadBaron 15:25, 14 October 2005 (UTC)