"The End" of Lemony Snicket

flippyshark · 10-16-2006, 07:18 PM

I finished this morning. (I was in the "equivalent flotilla.") There was lots to enjoy, especially the voluminous literary references, and interesting observations re: how to make a safe society. Pretty heady stuff for kids, and even grown ups.

While I did appreciate the series on the whole, I admit that the author's distinctive voice, with its endless digressions, repetitions and expositions, went from hilarious to deadening for me over the long haul. I'm glad I stuck with it, but around book seven or so, I was no longer phoning up my friends and reading passages aloud. The whole enterprise was an elaborate shaggy dog story, which I initially delighted in, but found something of a chore as it wore on.

I do think that kids who read these books, and take an interest in looking up the obscure references and figuring out the various codes and literary games, will be leagues ahead of their classmates on their SATs.

Sunny remains, throughout, by far my favorite character. I loved when she said "Anais," which meant "in the flesh."

10-16-2006, 07:18 PM	#3
flippyshark Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,852	I finished this morning. (I was in the "equivalent flotilla.") There was lots to enjoy, especially the voluminous literary references, and interesting observations re: how to make a safe society. Pretty heady stuff for kids, and even grown ups. While I did appreciate the series on the whole, I admit that the author's distinctive voice, with its endless digressions, repetitions and expositions, went from hilarious to deadening for me over the long haul. I'm glad I stuck with it, but around book seven or so, I was no longer phoning up my friends and reading passages aloud. The whole enterprise was an elaborate shaggy dog story, which I initially delighted in, but found something of a chore as it wore on. I do think that kids who read these books, and take an interest in looking up the obscure references and figuring out the various codes and literary games, will be leagues ahead of their classmates on their SATs. Sunny remains, throughout, by far my favorite character. I loved when she said "Anais," which meant "in the flesh."
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