Reading is One Form of Escape. Running for Your Life is Another.

"All of the secrets of the world are contained in books. Read at your own risk."

Today I'd like to talk about a series that has played a pivotal role in my own life as a young adult. Though categorised as "children's novels", the saga is that has the ability to make an impact on all young (and old!) readers. Of course, the series that I am fortunate enough to be discussing is Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

A Series of Unfortunate Events consists of 13 novels written by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. It follows the lives of three children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire, after the mysterious death of their parents. After being placed into and then escaping the custody of their villainous relative Count Olaf, they are pursued throughout all 13 books by Olaf and his henchmen, who wish to steal the children's vast fortune. As the series progresses it is revealed that everything is not as it seems, as they are faced with a variety of strange obstacles, people and places and begin to uncover more and more about a secret organisation only known as VFD. They discover and unravel several mysteries, but in the end not everything can be explained.

The story is narrated by Lemony Snicket, who works tirelessly to uncover the truth about what happened to the Baudelaires, though he finds the tale almost to sad and unfortunate for anyone to bear. With a cynical, yet humorous tone, he often urges the reader to put the book down and pursue more enjoyable and pleasant hobbies but his clever and unique way of writing keeps you drawn to the children's tale of woe.

"Grief, a type of sadness that most often occurs when you have lost someone you love, is a sneaky thing, because it can disappear for a long time, and then pop back up when you least expect it."

Perseverance is one of the key themes featured in ASOUE. The Baudelaires are portrayed as being admirable for their vitality. The siblings coping with loss is an important feature as it allows the reader to develop an understanding of grief, or relate to characters suffering with despondency. In The Austere Academy Snicket observes that “Friends can make you feel that the world is smaller and less sneaky than it really is, because you know people who have similar experiences.” Fictional characters are no exception to this rule. In a time where a young person may be feeling alone, being able to relate to someone has the capacity to be a great comfort. Throughout the series, Snicket seems to urge the reader to find courage in him or herself and in his or her friends and if not to challenge despondence then at least to take it with a grain of salt. It also looks at perseverance and bravery as playing key roles in the triumph over evil.

“Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like.”

As I briefly touched upon in Daniel Handler on Childhood, one of the important lessons taught by ASOUE is the importance of continually asking questions, and the reality that not all of these can be answered. Though the series is extravagant and sometimes ridiculous, there are many core elements that bring it back to reality and provide a lesson without the almost offensive tidy moralising implemented in many YA novels. "For some stories, it's easy. The moral of The Three Bears, for instance, is 'Never break into someone else's house.' The moral of Snow White is 'Never eat apples.' The moral of World War I is 'Never assassinate Archduke Ferdinand." (The Wide Window). While many of the critical plot points are given answers, Snicket explains that no story can be fully devoid of questions as every story is intertwined with numerous others and every character's history is shared in a great web of mysteries and unfortunate events that make up the world's legacy, making it impossible for anyone to know all the answers to every question. By leaving loose ends and questions unanswered Snicket provides a sort of comfort for young readers by reminding them that it's okay to be confused and bewildered by the world, because the world is a confusing and bewildering place. Though you may not think you're able to so easily slip into the shoes of three orphans stuck in the midst of a villainous plot, in the end everyone is able to relate to the feeling of being lost, confused and trying to find their place in the world.

"People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict."

The mysterious organisation VFD is a main feature in the books. Exactly what VFD does is unclear, as its members go to great lengths to conceal all traces of their activities. However, it is strongly suggested that the main purpose of the organisation is firefighting, amongst many other humanitarian acts. There's also a great respect held for literature, and it is believed that people who read cannot be evil. In Daniel Handler on Childhood Handler mentioned that the question he is most often asked about the series is "Is [VFD] real? Is there really a secret society of literature?" to which he replies,"Yes, and you're in it."

VFD stands for humanitarianism and the importance of being well-read, and we're all members. However, it also stands as an acknowledgment that there are as many good people as bad people in the world. Though there are many observations of the distinction between good and evil, and how right will always come out on top ("Right, good temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” - The Reptile Room) as the series progresses it begins to display strong themes of moral relativism, as the Baudelaires become more confused during the course of the series about the difference between right and wrong, feeling they have done wicked things themselves and struggling with the question of whether the end justifies the means. Evil characters are shown to have sympathetic characteristics and often have led difficult lives. Similarly, good characters' flaws become major problems. Almost every major character in the books has lived a life as difficult as that of the Baudelaires, especially the villains. In The End Count Olaf, a past member of VFD, observes that he's "no worse than anyone else", and it is an unsettling moral lesson to think that, in some ways, he may be right.

These complex moral views along with a myriad of other themes drives ASOEU and has resulted in it being an exceptional piece of literature that has a lesson for all readers. It's a reminder of some of the realities of life, tied up in a bizarre tale about three orphans who've done nothing to deserve their fate but keep their chins up regardless.

For those who read last weeks entry, the answer is of course D. Life is a nightmare, so why not have one?