Lemony Snicket (was Book List)

[davewitley]

Steve asked:

> Someone else mentioned " A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony
> Snicket, I've always had the feeling that because there are so many
> volumes of these books, that they were like the modern equivalent 
of
> Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. True, those are all time classic books, 
but
> I wonder about the substance of them, as in, do they have any? I'm
> willing to be enlightened by group opinons on the books.

Kemper and others were very negative about these.

Steve, I think you will have to make up your own mind about them: I 
like them very much, and did so right from the first one.  Others I 
know say that they take a while to get going so it's only the later 
ones that are good.

Whether one likes them or not, there's no doubt in my mind that they 
have substance.  As well as a vast number of literary and cultural 
allusions, and quite a few puzzles, there is a definite central 
mystery and a strong moral core.

I have never read any Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys (indeed have never 
heard of the latter), but I suspect the answer is 'no'.  A Series of 
Unfortunate Events is planned to contain 13 books (plus "Lemony 
Snicket, The Unauthorised Autobiography"), and since so far every 
book has had exactly 13 chapters I'm sure that was planned form the 
beginning.  They form a connected story, rather more so than Harry 
Potter as the later books end with cliff-hangers that lead directly 
into the next book.

As for the sense of humour, I love it.  You will have to draw your 
own conclusions.  If you think that "Unauthorised Autobiography" is 
one of the funniest titles ever for a book, you will probably like 
it.

David