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All the Wrong Questions #4
Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?
Train travel! Murder! Librarians! A Series Finale!
On all other nights, the train departs from Stain'd Station and travels to the city without stopping. But not tonight. You might ask, why is this night different from all other nights? But that's the wrong question. Instead ask, where is this all heading? And what happens at the end of the line? The final book in Lemony Snicket's bestselling series, All The Wrong Questions.
On all other nights, the train departs from Stain'd Station and travels to the city without stopping. But not tonight. You might ask, why is this night different from all other nights? But that's the wrong question. Instead ask, where is this all heading? And what happens at the end of the line? The final book in Lemony Snicket's bestselling series, All The Wrong Questions.
311 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 2015
About the author
Lemony Snicket
166 books25.5k followersLemony Snicket had an unusual education and a perplexing youth and now endures a despondent adulthood. His previous published works include the thirteen volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Composer is Dead, and 13 Words. His new series is All The Wrong Questions.
For A Series of Unfortunate Events:
www.lemonysnicket.com
For All The Wrong Questions:
www.lemonysnicketlibrary.com
For A Series of Unfortunate Events:
www.lemonysnicket.com
For All The Wrong Questions:
www.lemonysnicketlibrary.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 678 reviews
May 13, 2018
The last volume in the All the Wrong Questions quartet answers many questions but leaves others dangling; one should expect nothing less from Snicket.
This volume brings the conflict between young Lemony and his associates and the masked menace Hangfire to a head. We finally learn the connection between the mysterious, apparently random occurrences in Stain'd-by-the-Sea that have dogged and puzzled our hero for the first three books. This train ride has a lot of twists
While it ends about a decade (if not longer) before A Series of Unfortunate Events begins, a few characters who will become prominent in that are present or at least mentioned here.
Content advisory: Someone is murdered, but we don't see the killing and the corpse is not described in any graphic detail. A girl fakes her death, and a man gets swallowed by a monster. As with most Snicket books, the only truly worrisome element is the portrayal of adults as either evil or incompetent, and this is leavened by at least a few intelligent ones. Should be fine for any reader over ten years old.
Recommended.
This volume brings the conflict between young Lemony and his associates and the masked menace Hangfire to a head. We finally learn the connection between the mysterious, apparently random occurrences in Stain'd-by-the-Sea that have dogged and puzzled our hero for the first three books. This train ride has a lot of twists
While it ends about a decade (if not longer) before A Series of Unfortunate Events begins, a few characters who will become prominent in that are present or at least mentioned here.
Content advisory: Someone is murdered, but we don't see the killing and the corpse is not described in any graphic detail. A girl fakes her death, and a man gets swallowed by a monster. As with most Snicket books, the only truly worrisome element is the portrayal of adults as either evil or incompetent, and this is leavened by at least a few intelligent ones. Should be fine for any reader over ten years old.
Recommended.
November 3, 2017
This is a double-dealing, clever, action-packed The Maltese Falcon-Murder on the Orient Express-inspired, but wholly-Snicket (those who have read A Series of Unfortunate Events will chuckle at what he says he might outgrow) conclusion to the mysterious goings-on in Stain'd-by-the-Sea.
While I missed some of the elements that I liked most in the previous volumes -- the book 'tips' given to the cabdriver brothers and that one quotable pearl of wisdom, though the musing thoughtfulness is still present -- as usual, I learned something new from Snicket: Do you know what Giacomo Casanova, Marcel Duchamp and Beverly Cleary have in common? (See the spoiler in my comment below to find out.)
While I missed some of the elements that I liked most in the previous volumes -- the book 'tips' given to the cabdriver brothers and that one quotable pearl of wisdom, though the musing thoughtfulness is still present -- as usual, I learned something new from Snicket: Do you know what Giacomo Casanova, Marcel Duchamp and Beverly Cleary have in common? (See the spoiler in my comment below to find out.)
December 11, 2018
11/13/2013: I'm sad to read this is the final novel in the series, because it means it's already halfway through! :'-(
REVIEW :
The ending of this series is bittersweet one. The world goes on, even when bad things happen; that can be a very happy thought, or a very depressing one. Oftentimes, it's both to every person, at some point in their lives.
The thing I like about Lemony Snicket's books is that they paint people in shades of gray. Heroes don't always save everyone or keep everyone from getting hurt (whether it's physical or emotional pain), and they aren't always liked for doing the right thing, either. Conversely, villans aren't just born bad or psychotic. Sometimes kind people make misguided attempts at making things better, and just make things worse; they don't do bad things "just because," but rather, because they don't know any other way. It doesn't make their bad acts any better, but it gives context to just why people do the things they do.
REVIEW :
The ending of this series is bittersweet one. The world goes on, even when bad things happen; that can be a very happy thought, or a very depressing one. Oftentimes, it's both to every person, at some point in their lives.
The thing I like about Lemony Snicket's books is that they paint people in shades of gray. Heroes don't always save everyone or keep everyone from getting hurt (whether it's physical or emotional pain), and they aren't always liked for doing the right thing, either. Conversely, villans aren't just born bad or psychotic. Sometimes kind people make misguided attempts at making things better, and just make things worse; they don't do bad things "just because," but rather, because they don't know any other way. It doesn't make their bad acts any better, but it gives context to just why people do the things they do.
October 21, 2015
Finally, the end of this long awaited series! And I don't say that in a bad way. Not at all. I just didn't want to have to wait another year for the next book, because of how good the Lemony Snicket books are!
That being said, despite it being a good book, it wasn't AS good as the rest of the books in the series. It seemed to lack a little bit in plot and storyline. I felt it lacked greatly in character interactions - although a huge part of this series was based on those great, unique character interactions from the town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea. There were also so many twists and turns in a book that, to be honest, wasn't too lengthy or deep. This book, although consisting of 13 chapters as per the usual, was smaller than the rest of the books in the series. As such, the events seemed rushed and the ending came too soon and was not satisfying enough.
The events of this book in its entirety takes place on a train that is leaving the town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea. Lemony Snicket sneaks onto this train to try and find out what is going on. Why are there some people in disguise? Why did S. Theodora Markson need to be on this train? Who is being held prisoner? Who was murdered on the train? Who murdered them? So many questions but not enough answers. The questions DO get answered, just not thoroughly enough in my opinion.
So much time spent on trying to capture Hangfire and discovering his true identity, only for the whole big revelation to happen really quickly. And honestly, by the time they did figure out his identity, I had already correctly guessed who he was. Ellington got on my nerves big time, and I was done with her annoying antics that I couldn't care less what happened to her. I was really sad to see Snicket's ending. He did not deserve to be vilified like that. I am also really curious to find out more about Kit's story.
All in all, a good book, just wasn't the best conclusion to the series. I'm not looking for a happy ending, but I did expect more.
That being said, despite it being a good book, it wasn't AS good as the rest of the books in the series. It seemed to lack a little bit in plot and storyline. I felt it lacked greatly in character interactions - although a huge part of this series was based on those great, unique character interactions from the town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea. There were also so many twists and turns in a book that, to be honest, wasn't too lengthy or deep. This book, although consisting of 13 chapters as per the usual, was smaller than the rest of the books in the series. As such, the events seemed rushed and the ending came too soon and was not satisfying enough.
The events of this book in its entirety takes place on a train that is leaving the town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea. Lemony Snicket sneaks onto this train to try and find out what is going on. Why are there some people in disguise? Why did S. Theodora Markson need to be on this train? Who is being held prisoner? Who was murdered on the train? Who murdered them? So many questions but not enough answers. The questions DO get answered, just not thoroughly enough in my opinion.
So much time spent on trying to capture Hangfire and discovering his true identity, only for the whole big revelation to happen really quickly. And honestly, by the time they did figure out his identity, I had already correctly guessed who he was. Ellington got on my nerves big time, and I was done with her annoying antics that I couldn't care less what happened to her. I was really sad to see Snicket's ending. He did not deserve to be vilified like that. I am also really curious to find out more about Kit's story.
All in all, a good book, just wasn't the best conclusion to the series. I'm not looking for a happy ending, but I did expect more.
May 1, 2016
(Read entirely while sitting in a post office waiting to renew my passport.)
This is definitely the most exciting and suspenseful book in the series. As well it should be, since this is also the last book. And it was going along great, until the final reveal of Hangfire's plot. I have to say, I was a bit underwhelmed. It didn't quite live up to my expectations. That said, the author redeems quite a bit of that by introducing a morally ambiguous ending, and leaving just enough questions unanswered. And there are more bridges to A Series of Unfortunate Events than all the other books combined. So despite a slightly disappointing villainous plot, I still liked it better than all of the other books in the series, though not quite so much as the best of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
This is definitely the most exciting and suspenseful book in the series. As well it should be, since this is also the last book. And it was going along great, until the final reveal of Hangfire's plot. I have to say, I was a bit underwhelmed. It didn't quite live up to my expectations. That said, the author redeems quite a bit of that by introducing a morally ambiguous ending, and leaving just enough questions unanswered. And there are more bridges to A Series of Unfortunate Events than all the other books combined. So despite a slightly disappointing villainous plot, I still liked it better than all of the other books in the series, though not quite so much as the best of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
January 13, 2019
So many people to think about, Snicket, and still you are all alone.
- - - -
“What are you doing here?”
“Recuperating,” I told her. “I was hanging on the outside of this train.”
“You ever hear of buying a ticket?”
“It’s an unexpected journey,” I said. “How did you manage to pull me up here?”
“You don’t lug around a typewriter for years without getting a few muscles,” she said."
- - - -
"But the truth is like a doorknob. You can stumble around in the dark, and when you finally grasp it, you may end up someplace terrifying."
- - - -
"The world is full of disappointment.”
- - - -
It's not like Lemony Snicket if he didn't leave us with a final book in a series without all the right answers to all the wrong questions. When I started book 1, I had no idea I would love the series but here we are now, at the end of book 4, the final book, and I'm still thinking of the right way, the right word, to describe the brilliance of it. It's so cleverly written, although I'm pretty sure it's too clever to be kids' material.
My favourite characters were all of them, including the villains, because they all played their parts perfectly and finally Hangfire was revealed. With Lemony, nothing was as it seemed. Did he know what's going on? Was he just pretending? Was he really wrong? Or was he just executing the plans poorly? So many questions. But we won't be getting the answers. Frustrating! But also brilliant!
Final Verdict: I love it.
If only we could get another series with some answers and more questions, I'd be ecstatic.
- - - -
“What are you doing here?”
“Recuperating,” I told her. “I was hanging on the outside of this train.”
“You ever hear of buying a ticket?”
“It’s an unexpected journey,” I said. “How did you manage to pull me up here?”
“You don’t lug around a typewriter for years without getting a few muscles,” she said."
- - - -
"But the truth is like a doorknob. You can stumble around in the dark, and when you finally grasp it, you may end up someplace terrifying."
- - - -
"The world is full of disappointment.”
- - - -
It's not like Lemony Snicket if he didn't leave us with a final book in a series without all the right answers to all the wrong questions. When I started book 1, I had no idea I would love the series but here we are now, at the end of book 4, the final book, and I'm still thinking of the right way, the right word, to describe the brilliance of it. It's so cleverly written, although I'm pretty sure it's too clever to be kids' material.
My favourite characters were all of them, including the villains, because they all played their parts perfectly and finally Hangfire was revealed. With Lemony, nothing was as it seemed. Did he know what's going on? Was he just pretending? Was he really wrong? Or was he just executing the plans poorly? So many questions. But we won't be getting the answers. Frustrating! But also brilliant!
Final Verdict: I love it.
If only we could get another series with some answers and more questions, I'd be ecstatic.
October 22, 2015
BOOK COVER 
PLOT
Train travel! Murder! Librarians! A Series Finale!
On all other nights, the train departs from Stain’d Station and travels to the city without stopping. But not tonight. You might ask, why is this night different from all other nights? But that’s the wrong question. Instead ask, where is this all heading? And what happens at the end of the line? The final book in Lemony Snicket’s bestselling series, All The Wrong Questions.
Can Lemony Snicket finally discover all the right answers?
There was a town, and there was a train, and there was a murder. Apprentice investigator Lemony Snicket was on the train, and he thought that if he solved the murder he could save the town.
He was almost thirteen and he was wrong. He was wrong about all of it. He should have asked the question “Is it more beastly to be a murderer or to let one go free?” Instead, he asked the wrong question – four wrong questions, more or less. This is the account of the last…
PLOT
Train travel! Murder! Librarians! A Series Finale!
On all other nights, the train departs from Stain’d Station and travels to the city without stopping. But not tonight. You might ask, why is this night different from all other nights? But that’s the wrong question. Instead ask, where is this all heading? And what happens at the end of the line? The final book in Lemony Snicket’s bestselling series, All The Wrong Questions.
Can Lemony Snicket finally discover all the right answers?
There was a town, and there was a train, and there was a murder. Apprentice investigator Lemony Snicket was on the train, and he thought that if he solved the murder he could save the town.
He was almost thirteen and he was wrong. He was wrong about all of it. He should have asked the question “Is it more beastly to be a murderer or to let one go free?” Instead, he asked the wrong question – four wrong questions, more or less. This is the account of the last…
Want to read
December 2, 2014ohmygosh i am going to start working against the vfd and burn down tons of libraries if lemony snicket doesnt write a (surprise!) fifth book in this series!!! (entitled "but wait!" or "do you smell smoke" or "who struck that match" or "RUN!" or "ohmygosh the fire is getting to me" or "i am going to get burnt alive right now" or "HELP!!!")
PS: I was only serious abt the second and third titles. and i am TOTALLY kidding about burning down libraries
PS: I was only serious abt the second and third titles. and i am TOTALLY kidding about burning down libraries
October 3, 2015
When I opened this book for the first time, I was hoping Daniel Handler planned on continuing writing novels in the neo-noir style. Now I hope he never writes a novel again. Although Why Is This Night is not the monumental failure that some of his other novels have been, all the potential built up throughout the series is utterly squandered. In addition to failing to serve the series as a whole, the novel lacks the satisfying mystery and character development the previous three novels had in abundance. Once a person is three out of four novels into a series, it's a given they'll read the final installment. Handler seems to be well aware of this fact with this haphazard conclusion. Though this novel, too, has a few resonant scenes, overall the emotional arc feels rushed and incomplete, and the novel's final turn is utterly nonsensical. Why is this night different from all other nights? Because I had to read this shitty novel instead of a good one.
October 26, 2015
The biggest surprise in this was not the big reveal, it was realizing all along that Snicket knew who Hangfire was from the very beginning. He only hoped that he was wrong in his suspicion.
I loved the unraveling of the mystery surrounding Stain'd-by-the-Sea. I was impatient for everything and the release of every installment was far apart enough that by the time read the next one, I have forgotten every clue that was shown.
There were still unanswered questions (as usual) at the end of the book but what really bothered me were:
Why would you sink a dying town even lower when you're just as distressed as everyone else with everything that has happened?
Why would you even want power over such a town?
Why avenge the wrecked environment by making the world a wild and lawless place?
And lastly,
What kind of parents left their children in a dying town and be too scared to go back for them??
4 stars
I loved the unraveling of the mystery surrounding Stain'd-by-the-Sea. I was impatient for everything and the release of every installment was far apart enough that by the time read the next one, I have forgotten every clue that was shown.
There were still unanswered questions (as usual) at the end of the book but what really bothered me were:
Why would you sink a dying town even lower when you're just as distressed as everyone else with everything that has happened?
Why would you even want power over such a town?
Why avenge the wrecked environment by making the world a wild and lawless place?
And lastly,
What kind of parents left their children in a dying town and be too scared to go back for them??
4 stars
November 18, 2018
چرا من یادم رفت برای این کتای، بازبینی بنویسم؟ احتمالاً چون هنوز نگارش فارسیش توی گودریدز وچود نداشت و موکولش کردم به بعد از افزودنش و جفت این کارها رو با هم فراموش کردم.
خب در این کتاب بالاخره داستان به پایان میرسه و رازها از هم باز میشن. نمیتونم بگم بهترین و قانعکنندهترین پایان رو داشت. هر چی باشه بلارت که نیست… ولی قابل قبول بود و خوب تونست مجموعهای در آغاز فکر میکردم به هیچجا نمیرسه رو ببنده.
پاسخم به این که در کل، خوندن این مجموعه رو پیشنهاد میکنم یا نه، مثبته.
خب در این کتاب بالاخره داستان به پایان میرسه و رازها از هم باز میشن. نمیتونم بگم بهترین و قانعکنندهترین پایان رو داشت. هر چی باشه بلارت که نیست… ولی قابل قبول بود و خوب تونست مجموعهای در آغاز فکر میکردم به هیچجا نمیرسه رو ببنده.
پاسخم به این که در کل، خوندن این مجموعه رو پیشنهاد میکنم یا نه، مثبته.
June 28, 2019
A great ending to a series that is so! much! fun!
I started reading these after I caught Snicket Fever (genu-wine medical condition) watching the Netflix series (I enjoyed the film version years ago but it didn't make me want to read the books as much). I didn't want to just repeat the same story I'd just watched on telly, so I decided to read this prequel series instead... and I'm so glad I did. I didn't stop grinning from start to finish and this final part was absolutely brilliant!
I don't want to give anything away but Snicket states several times throughout the series to various people that he's not the person they think he is and BOY does THAT ever pay off at the end! I loved it.
I am now going to dive straight into the Series of Unfortunate Events books, because I can't resist.
P.S. The spot illustrations by Seth are absolutely gorgeous. I love his stuff.
I started reading these after I caught Snicket Fever (genu-wine medical condition) watching the Netflix series (I enjoyed the film version years ago but it didn't make me want to read the books as much). I didn't want to just repeat the same story I'd just watched on telly, so I decided to read this prequel series instead... and I'm so glad I did. I didn't stop grinning from start to finish and this final part was absolutely brilliant!
I don't want to give anything away but Snicket states several times throughout the series to various people that he's not the person they think he is and BOY does THAT ever pay off at the end! I loved it.
I am now going to dive straight into the Series of Unfortunate Events books, because I can't resist.
P.S. The spot illustrations by Seth are absolutely gorgeous. I love his stuff.
June 25, 2016
Just as with A Series of Unfortunate Events, the ending of this series wasn't bright and shiny, an expression which here means: although the main villain was defeated, not every character in the book got what they deserved. This is one of the reasons that make Snicket's stories so good: just like in real life you don't always get answers to all your questions, just like in real life justice doesn't always prevail.
It seemed that Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights was one of the darkest Snicket's books because of him killing off a good, smart, decent and helpful character. This was really unexpected, but one can call a number of things that in Lemony Snicket stories. You never know what's around the corner: a creepy Bombinating Beast or a witty sub-librarian. You never know who your true friend and associate is and who is a villain full of treacherous schemes.
It is always difficult to review Snicket's books, especially without major spoilers, but I am once again grateful for a week of page-turning exhilarating reading experience. I am sure, S. Theodora Markson, Moxie Mallahan, Ellington Feint, Dashieill Querty, Jake Hix, Prosper Lost and even Hangfire himself will be missed dearly.
Looking forward to more Snicket series and hope that we won't have to wait long for them.
It seemed that Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights was one of the darkest Snicket's books because of him killing off a good, smart, decent and helpful character. This was really unexpected, but one can call a number of things that in Lemony Snicket stories. You never know what's around the corner: a creepy Bombinating Beast or a witty sub-librarian. You never know who your true friend and associate is and who is a villain full of treacherous schemes.
It is always difficult to review Snicket's books, especially without major spoilers, but I am once again grateful for a week of page-turning exhilarating reading experience. I am sure, S. Theodora Markson, Moxie Mallahan, Ellington Feint, Dashieill Querty, Jake Hix, Prosper Lost and even Hangfire himself will be missed dearly.
Looking forward to more Snicket series and hope that we won't have to wait long for them.
August 4, 2021
The problem with Lemony Snicket is you're never satisfied. There is such depth to the world, so much mystery effusing and permeating the text, that you always want to know more, more! I desperately want to re-read A Series of Unfortunate Events now. And then I want to wait a year or two, and then I want another new series. Because I want this world forever until either I, or Snicket, should die.
---
The melancholy in this book Is Real. *suffers emotions* Everything is So Intense. And the ending really helps make sense of why Snicket as the author of ASOUE has an undercurrent of regret and is a step out of sync with the other members of VFD and even why (maybe) things with Beatrice didn't work out.
---
I always read this book too quickly *because emotions*
---
The melancholy in this book Is Real. *suffers emotions* Everything is So Intense. And the ending really helps make sense of why Snicket as the author of ASOUE has an undercurrent of regret and is a step out of sync with the other members of VFD and even why (maybe) things with Beatrice didn't work out.
---
I always read this book too quickly *because emotions*
December 28, 2021
Five stars for so many excellent sentences + multiple mentions of Beverly Cleary and at least one of E.L. Konigsburg; two stars for ridiculousness (even though it's clearly meant that way, I just couldn't get past some of it). Four stars for an ending that was at least vaguely satisfying (in contrast with the stupid, stupid ending of A Series of Unfortunate Events).
3.666666......... stars, rounded up.
3.666666......... stars, rounded up.
April 6, 2020
به نظرم خیلی بیشتر از چیزی که نوشته های لمونی اسنیکت باید تلخ باشند، تلخ بود.
August 6, 2016
I can't be the only person who saw the title of this book and immediately thought PASSOVER, right? This book has nothing to do with Passover (not that I'm surprised).
This book marks a pretty big change of pace for the series. It's not that serious things weren't going on in the first three books, it's that in this one, there are Consequences with a capital C. Looking back, I should have expected this - A Series of Unfortunate Events certainly became darker as it went along - but the shift was so abrupt that I was rather unsettled. And on top of that, just when it looks like things might actually be wrapping up, this series goes from All the Wrong Questions to All the Unanswered Questions. I'm not surprised that this book ended with a bit of mystery, but I didn't expect to feel so unsatisfied.
This book marks a pretty big change of pace for the series. It's not that serious things weren't going on in the first three books, it's that in this one, there are Consequences with a capital C. Looking back, I should have expected this - A Series of Unfortunate Events certainly became darker as it went along - but the shift was so abrupt that I was rather unsettled. And on top of that, just when it looks like things might actually be wrapping up, this series goes from All the Wrong Questions to All the Unanswered Questions. I'm not surprised that this book ended with a bit of mystery, but I didn't expect to feel so unsatisfied.
December 4, 2016
Page 281. That is all.
November 12, 2023
من وظیفهای دارم که حاشیهای برای این کتاب بنویسم. شما دوست عزیز، نه تنها چنین وظیفهای را ندارید، بلکه من عاجزانه از شما خواهش میکنم که حتی فکر خواندن این نوشتۀ شوم را نکنید. باور کنید آنچه که من اکنون میخواهم بنویسم، به قدری اندوهناک است که انگشتهایم به دشواری از من پیروی میکنند و جرئت تایپ این چنین کلماتی را ندارند.
برای ما که غمگینیم، برای ما که دیوانهوار اندوهباریم، برای ما که هماره در پریشانی و حیرانی سر میکنیم، ما که رنج میکشیم، ما که تمام عمر به دنبال جوابهایی هستیم که سوالشان را نمیدانیم، ما که اشکهامان را شعر و آواز میکنیم، ما که به دنبال رازهاییم، ما که هستیم، ما که ماندیم. برای ما که در خشم می درخشیم و در خون میخروشیم، آری ما، برای ما لذت بخش بود در کودکی خواندن گزارشهایی که باور کنیم سازمانی سری هست. سازمانی رویایی که کتابخوانترین داوطلبها در آن، آتشها را فرو مینشانند. گرمای آفتاب در مسیر مدرسه تا خانه را تحمل میکردم تا جلد دیگری از ماجراهای بچههای بدشانس را بخوانم. کتابها را چندتا به چندتا در کیفمان جا میکردیم تا به هم قرضشان بدهیم. تئوریها را باهم به اشتراک میگذاشتیم، در کاغذپارهها کد مینوشتیم و به تماشا مینشستیم چه کسی میتواند بهتر از دیگران ما را قانع کند که واقعا دست نوشتهای زیر خاکی را یافته. مدرکی که وجود وی.اف.دی را ثابت میکرد. عطش دیدن چهرۀ لمونی اسنیکت، دانستن اینکه بئاتریس کیست، کنت الاف چیست. بلاهت افراد بالغ را، اینکه چرا سختترین مسئولیتها بر دوش کودکان است. تا آنکه خودمان بالغ شدیم و از یاد بردیم. تنها زمان لازم بود تا ما هم شبیه آدمهای بالغ مجموعه کتاب ماجراهای بچههای بدشانس بشویم، به حماقت آقای پو، ترسویی عمه ژوزفین، شرارت کنت الاف، مستبدی ایشماعیل و یا غمزدگی لمونی اسنیکت. چه کسی میتوانست پیشبینی کند بعد از گذر ده سال، باز هم به این دنیا پرت شوم، نه اینکه در این سالها هرگز از آن جدا بودهام، بلکه به این معنی که دیگر این مجموعه در کنار من نبود، بلکه در خود من بود، یا من غرق در دنیای آن. همانند کودکی، همانند همان پسربچۀ 13 ساله که بالای تمام برگههای تمام دفترهایش، علامت وی.اف.دی را میکشید.
چیزی در درون من نعره زد، چیزی در درون من جوشید، تا یادم بیاندازد هنوز از همان دوران گذر نکردیم. تا یادم بیاندازد هنوز هم عطش این را دارم که در دنیایی از راز غوطهور شوم، رازهایی که هرگز قرار نیست حلشان کنم.
و من امیدوارم، شاید روزگاری، شاید سالها بعد، این دنیای غمآلود سراسر راز، ادامه پیدا کند. شاید گذشته را بدانیم، از دایی مونتگومری و کیت اسنیکت بیشتر بخوانیم. شاید روزی حقیقت انشعاب را بفهمیم و شاید کشف کنیم که چرا بئاتریس، چرا آن محبوب مرده، لمونی را لایق ندانست.
تا آن روز، خدانگهدار لمونی اسنیکت، تا آن روز یادتان نرود که:
اینجا جهان آرام است.
برای ما که غمگینیم، برای ما که دیوانهوار اندوهباریم، برای ما که هماره در پریشانی و حیرانی سر میکنیم، ما که رنج میکشیم، ما که تمام عمر به دنبال جوابهایی هستیم که سوالشان را نمیدانیم، ما که اشکهامان را شعر و آواز میکنیم، ما که به دنبال رازهاییم، ما که هستیم، ما که ماندیم. برای ما که در خشم می درخشیم و در خون میخروشیم، آری ما، برای ما لذت بخش بود در کودکی خواندن گزارشهایی که باور کنیم سازمانی سری هست. سازمانی رویایی که کتابخوانترین داوطلبها در آن، آتشها را فرو مینشانند. گرمای آفتاب در مسیر مدرسه تا خانه را تحمل میکردم تا جلد دیگری از ماجراهای بچههای بدشانس را بخوانم. کتابها را چندتا به چندتا در کیفمان جا میکردیم تا به هم قرضشان بدهیم. تئوریها را باهم به اشتراک میگذاشتیم، در کاغذپارهها کد مینوشتیم و به تماشا مینشستیم چه کسی میتواند بهتر از دیگران ما را قانع کند که واقعا دست نوشتهای زیر خاکی را یافته. مدرکی که وجود وی.اف.دی را ثابت میکرد. عطش دیدن چهرۀ لمونی اسنیکت، دانستن اینکه بئاتریس کیست، کنت الاف چیست. بلاهت افراد بالغ را، اینکه چرا سختترین مسئولیتها بر دوش کودکان است. تا آنکه خودمان بالغ شدیم و از یاد بردیم. تنها زمان لازم بود تا ما هم شبیه آدمهای بالغ مجموعه کتاب ماجراهای بچههای بدشانس بشویم، به حماقت آقای پو، ترسویی عمه ژوزفین، شرارت کنت الاف، مستبدی ایشماعیل و یا غمزدگی لمونی اسنیکت. چه کسی میتوانست پیشبینی کند بعد از گذر ده سال، باز هم به این دنیا پرت شوم، نه اینکه در این سالها هرگز از آن جدا بودهام، بلکه به این معنی که دیگر این مجموعه در کنار من نبود، بلکه در خود من بود، یا من غرق در دنیای آن. همانند کودکی، همانند همان پسربچۀ 13 ساله که بالای تمام برگههای تمام دفترهایش، علامت وی.اف.دی را میکشید.
چیزی در درون من نعره زد، چیزی در درون من جوشید، تا یادم بیاندازد هنوز از همان دوران گذر نکردیم. تا یادم بیاندازد هنوز هم عطش این را دارم که در دنیایی از راز غوطهور شوم، رازهایی که هرگز قرار نیست حلشان کنم.
و من امیدوارم، شاید روزگاری، شاید سالها بعد، این دنیای غمآلود سراسر راز، ادامه پیدا کند. شاید گذشته را بدانیم، از دایی مونتگومری و کیت اسنیکت بیشتر بخوانیم. شاید روزی حقیقت انشعاب را بفهمیم و شاید کشف کنیم که چرا بئاتریس، چرا آن محبوب مرده، لمونی را لایق ندانست.
تا آن روز، خدانگهدار لمونی اسنیکت، تا آن روز یادتان نرود که:
اینجا جهان آرام است.
September 30, 2022
the lscu (lemony snicket cinematic universe) really doesn’t get enough credit
February 1, 2024
But the truth is like a doorknob. You can stumble around in the dark, and when you finally grasp it, you may end up someplace terrifying.
The week before Christmas last year I took the train to Edinburgh and back, and on the latter of those journeys I finished this book. Isn't that so very fitting? But when I say that NOTHING could stand between me and finishing this book, I MEAN it. We had to change trains and move our luggage and I would not let this book leave my grasp for a second, even as I scrambled away to find a restroom. Bloody hell.
Besides being completely thrilling, fast-paced and actually dangerous , I was so surprised to find that it actually ended so satisfyingly. Well, at least *more* satisfyingly than I originally thought it'd be. Also the HELLO??? This is in the vein of how The Penultimate Peril was set up but it's just so much more high-octane and unsettling. The ad hoc branch of V.F.D. is trying their best but they're still an invincible army rather than a victorious one. Ellington Feint goes THROUGH it. The entirety of the last two chapters feels like a slap in the face — but the really good kind that opens your eyes, though that is not usually a common reaction to such a violent outburst.
Lemony's writing in this one is just TOP. NOTCH. Countless times I was just blown away by how hard some of his observations hit me, this one in particular:
It doesn't matter if you never see someone again, I told myself. There are millions of people in the world, and most of them never see each other in the first place. You hoped to know Ellington Feint forever, but there's no such thing as forever, really. Everything is much shorter than that.
FUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHH!—
And now, one must address the elephant in the room. I originally rated this 5 stars, but now it's more of a 4.5. Because of the Hangfire Plot. Lemony finally gets to speak to the villainous Hangfire at length and questions why he did everything he did — but it doesn't make sense. . I'm not saying it's a bad plan but it kinda is. It's just unclear what exactly he gets out of this. Why would you need so much power in such a place and why THAT place. Especially after the people have already mass-depleted it of its resources.
However! I enjoyed this and thought it wrapped everything up pretty well. Hangfire's plot may just start to burn at the edges once you examine it more closely, but most of the time I was just too excited by the Goings-On Abord The Thistle of the Valley. Lemony you sly devil. Always more work to be done. A phrase which here means "this is MY wild and lawless era; what a damn phrase"!
The week before Christmas last year I took the train to Edinburgh and back, and on the latter of those journeys I finished this book. Isn't that so very fitting? But when I say that NOTHING could stand between me and finishing this book, I MEAN it. We had to change trains and move our luggage and I would not let this book leave my grasp for a second, even as I scrambled away to find a restroom. Bloody hell.
Besides being completely thrilling, fast-paced and actually dangerous , I was so surprised to find that it actually ended so satisfyingly. Well, at least *more* satisfyingly than I originally thought it'd be. Also the HELLO??? This is in the vein of how The Penultimate Peril was set up but it's just so much more high-octane and unsettling. The ad hoc branch of V.F.D. is trying their best but they're still an invincible army rather than a victorious one. Ellington Feint goes THROUGH it. The entirety of the last two chapters feels like a slap in the face — but the really good kind that opens your eyes, though that is not usually a common reaction to such a violent outburst.
Lemony's writing in this one is just TOP. NOTCH. Countless times I was just blown away by how hard some of his observations hit me, this one in particular:
It doesn't matter if you never see someone again, I told myself. There are millions of people in the world, and most of them never see each other in the first place. You hoped to know Ellington Feint forever, but there's no such thing as forever, really. Everything is much shorter than that.
FUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHH!—
And now, one must address the elephant in the room. I originally rated this 5 stars, but now it's more of a 4.5. Because of the Hangfire Plot. Lemony finally gets to speak to the villainous Hangfire at length and questions why he did everything he did — but it doesn't make sense. . I'm not saying it's a bad plan but it kinda is. It's just unclear what exactly he gets out of this. Why would you need so much power in such a place and why THAT place. Especially after the people have already mass-depleted it of its resources.
However! I enjoyed this and thought it wrapped everything up pretty well. Hangfire's plot may just start to burn at the edges once you examine it more closely, but most of the time I was just too excited by the Goings-On Abord The Thistle of the Valley. Lemony you sly devil. Always more work to be done. A phrase which here means "this is MY wild and lawless era; what a damn phrase"!
January 10, 2016
Our last visit to Stain'd on the Sea, with its drained sea, its seaweed forest and its dwindling population, and the climax of the series' various overarching mysteries. Who is Hangfire? What is the Bombinating Beast? What is the song Ellington Feint keeps playing through her music box?
Much as the series opened with a parody of 'The Maltese Falcon', it concludes with a version of 'Murder on the Orient Express'. Hostilities between the villainous Inhumane Society and the VFD gang have escalated throughout the series - from theft to kidnap to arson - so murder is the inevitable next step, and all of the gang - benevolent, malevolent and ineffectual - are present and correct. Who committed the murder? How did they flee the scene of the crime? Why are the police so reluctant to investigate?
While Snicket's climactic twist is perhaps less clever than he thinks it is - I had my suspicions towards the end of the third book and was in no doubt by the time it finally happened - he does nonetheless lead towards an exciting finale, even as you start to feel increasingly certain that the end will involve something terrible happening. The moral ambiguity of the series has been a strength throughout, but here, good people do awful things repeatedly in the name of their own self-interest and it's left unclear whether any of the decisions made are the right ones. Perhaps this shouldn't be a surprise when all the questions were wrong.
(When reviewing 'Shouldn't You Be in School?' I mentioned this one was clumsily-titled: subsequent Googling indicates that the title of the book, and the idea of asking four questions, comes from the Ma Nishtana, four questions asked at the start of Passover. There's no other explicit reference to the holiday in the series; although perhaps if I was looking I'd have found some. Another wrong question asked.)
Much as the series opened with a parody of 'The Maltese Falcon', it concludes with a version of 'Murder on the Orient Express'. Hostilities between the villainous Inhumane Society and the VFD gang have escalated throughout the series - from theft to kidnap to arson - so murder is the inevitable next step, and all of the gang - benevolent, malevolent and ineffectual - are present and correct. Who committed the murder? How did they flee the scene of the crime? Why are the police so reluctant to investigate?
While Snicket's climactic twist is perhaps less clever than he thinks it is - I had my suspicions towards the end of the third book and was in no doubt by the time it finally happened - he does nonetheless lead towards an exciting finale, even as you start to feel increasingly certain that the end will involve something terrible happening. The moral ambiguity of the series has been a strength throughout, but here, good people do awful things repeatedly in the name of their own self-interest and it's left unclear whether any of the decisions made are the right ones. Perhaps this shouldn't be a surprise when all the questions were wrong.
(When reviewing 'Shouldn't You Be in School?' I mentioned this one was clumsily-titled: subsequent Googling indicates that the title of the book, and the idea of asking four questions, comes from the Ma Nishtana, four questions asked at the start of Passover. There's no other explicit reference to the holiday in the series; although perhaps if I was looking I'd have found some. Another wrong question asked.)
November 29, 2022
This was okay, there were questions left unanswered though, which always bugs me 🙄
June 7, 2017
This may just be my fond farewell. I've watched the terrifically bad film adaptation and have rejoiced over its faithful Netflix series. I've designed (and redesigned) my "world is quiet here"/V.F.D. tattoo. But most importantly I've grown up reading A Series of Unfortunate Events. As my friends transitioned from t-ball to baseball, I read, tucked away in the outfield, blanket and book ready. In dark places and light ones, I read. I've laughed and cried, finding references to Lemony Snicket's works outside his pages and other literary illusions inside them. I think it's too simple to call these two series' "kids' books." In this book alone, there's a cast full of clever characters, murder, literary references, and many unanswered questions. There's young Lemony, trying so desperately hard to fight the fire of injustices like unhelpful guardians, ignorance, and unfinished books. So for these reasons, and many more, I say, "thank you", a word which here means "gratitude for shaping my life."
December 1, 2016
Why does this series have to be over? It's easy to say that I enjoyed ATWQ far more than ASOUE. But then again, without reading those 13 books first, I wouldn't have been invested in VFD, Snicket himself, or many of the inside jokes contained within the series. I found this book very satisfying at the end, a little out there in terms of how it goes from hard-boiled detective series to out and out fantasy in about 5 pages, but *shrug* whatever. Snicket continues to push the philosophical dilemma about doing villainous deeds to achieve a noble goal. I loved this entire series once I got started. I wish there were more. I really like Lemony as a character. I legitimately felt pity on him when it was all over and he was left alone by all of his associates and as we all know, the despondency continues into his adult life. Poor guy.
January 20, 2016
Lemony Snicket, apprentice do-gooder, is certain the answers to the myriad mysteries swirling about the moribund town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea are on the train pulling out of Stain'd Station. He leaps aboard and finds all his young associates, the various adults who have impeded their investigation, and the villainous Hangfire himself. He wanders through the cars, putting together the fragmentary plot, but will he puzzle it out before Hangfire's dreadful scheme comes to fruition? Here there be monsters, not to mention murder, lies, and other desperate acts. Even when all is revealed, it doesn't make complete sense, nor it is particularly satisfying. Snicket's always off-kilter and bittersweet, though.
February 5, 2017
I love how the series wrapped up!
I had so much fun with these books and they brought me back to my childhood when I was desperately devouring all of ASOUE's books and couldn't get the end of them. This, in a way, left me with a lot more answers, so it was satisfying to visit Lemony's own training and how he came to be in the organization. The mysteries all wrap up by the end, and they're super fun to read as always, and kind of left me wanting to reread the whole of ASOUE again to see if I picked up more answers than questions. Alas, I feel like we'll always be asking the wrong ones when it comes to Snicket's writing.
I had so much fun with these books and they brought me back to my childhood when I was desperately devouring all of ASOUE's books and couldn't get the end of them. This, in a way, left me with a lot more answers, so it was satisfying to visit Lemony's own training and how he came to be in the organization. The mysteries all wrap up by the end, and they're super fun to read as always, and kind of left me wanting to reread the whole of ASOUE again to see if I picked up more answers than questions. Alas, I feel like we'll always be asking the wrong ones when it comes to Snicket's writing.
May 3, 2019
I wasn't prepared for how emotional this book would make me. A Series of Unfortunate Events was my favourite series growing up, it means SO much to me, and this book had so many little references to it and just so much heart subtly woven into the excellent plotting. I loved it.
This is overall a strong, fun middle grade mystery series. It's not really my genre and I'd never have read it if it weren't associated with ASOUE, but I enjoyed it anyway. Far from perfect but very fun and a fast read, and Snicket's witty writing always shines.
This is overall a strong, fun middle grade mystery series. It's not really my genre and I'd never have read it if it weren't associated with ASOUE, but I enjoyed it anyway. Far from perfect but very fun and a fast read, and Snicket's witty writing always shines.
December 28, 2015
"Bad news can hit you like a train. It will knock you over and leave you flat, but everybody else keeps rushing along."
-Lemony Snicket, Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?
The Stain'd-by-the-Sea mystery/adventure concludes with many questions answered -- even more are not. It's filled with more observations of wry humor and melancholy. The idea of a band of heroic librarians is great, though.
-Lemony Snicket, Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?
The Stain'd-by-the-Sea mystery/adventure concludes with many questions answered -- even more are not. It's filled with more observations of wry humor and melancholy. The idea of a band of heroic librarians is great, though.
March 26, 2016
Listened to audiobook. I didn't like the narrator's voice very much. It was an entertaining story, but like most of the Lemony Snicket books, it seems like the author enjoys writing more than telling a story. The 13th chapter could have really been edited down.
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