While Lemony Snicket’s The Unauthorized Autobiography was published between books 8 and 9 of A Series of Unfortunate Events, I only read it over this weekend, thanks to a reminder in comments.
The book is as metafictional as promised by the title. I am particularly fond of the index:
- code of V.F.D. See codes
- codes. See noble causes
- noble causes. See necessary evils
- necessary evils. See moral uncertainty
- moral uncertainty. See villainy
- villainy. See conspiracies
- conspiracies. See overall feeling of doom
- overall feeling of doom. See doom, overall feeling of
- doom, overall feeling of, ix-211
As for its relationship to the series, it seems to me to fill in some backstory that is interesting but doesn’t necessarily affect my understanding of events to date. However, I’m only through book 11 of 13, so that assessment may change—I’m told that something in book 12 is only explicable with information in this volume. (Remember: only cake-sniffers spoil people!) And I wonder if the author had a better idea along the way, as certain things in The Slippery Slope don’t seem consistent with a strong suggestion in this book.
Anyway, if you like this series, it’s certainly worth grabbing from the library.
I shall have to re-read this – I read it when it first came out, and have forgotten everything in it. Hmmmm.
I don’t think the autobiography actually changes any of the understanding of the story, but I do think it enhanced my enjoyment of the main story when things showed up that I now had a (bit more) background for. I’d also suggest reading The Beatrice Letters between 12 and 13, if you can find it in a library.
anyway, glad you liked it 🙂
i read these back in October, and have already forgotten most of it– what in Slippery Slope didn’t match up?
The thing in Book 12 is pretty minor– for example, my husband didn’t notice it and his enjoyment of the book wasn’t particularly affected thereby.
charlene: spoilers, ROT13:
gur nhgbovbtencul vaqvpngrf gurer jnf n fheivibe uvqvat va gur fabjzna qhevat obbx gjb, ohg dhvtyrl qbrfa’g zragvba nalguvat yvxr gung jura ur erpbhagf uvf nqiragherf. hayrff gung’f nabgure fheivibe orvat ersreerq gb, ohg V guvax gur onhqrynver cneragf ner jryy bhg bs vg abj (boivbhfyl V jnf jebat nobhg gur favpxrg fvfgre) naq V qba’g xabj gung jr unir nabgure fheivibe bhg gurer.
I too missed the thing in book 12 my first time through, but I did notice why there aren’t many telegrams in book 11. And the copyright page is even funnier than the index.
Re: spoilers for Charlene:
I came to a different conclusion (see chapter 6 of The Reptile Room and the last couple pages of The Slippery Slope). And if you really want to drive yourself into a frenzy of speculation, unscramble the rest of the names in chapter 9 of The Hostile Hospital.
Konrad: oh, you’re right, I forgot about the copyright page! It vindicated my habit of always looking at it.
As for your spoilers, I don’t have access to the books just now, but I’ll take a look when I do.
Konrad: Hmm, I didn’t notice the book 11 telegram thing; I’ll have to go look at it again. But I do remember it solving the mystery of the unread telegrams in Book 8.
Re spoilers: Kate: I hadn’t noticed that. Konrad: Since I didn’t notice that to begin with, I clearly didn’t see the solution. That’s great.
now i shall have to go look at the copyright page…
Konrad: I see what you mean about the end of _SS_ and the names in _HH_ (I cheated and looked at Wikipedia to decipher them for me), but I don’t see what relevance ch 6. of _RR_ has. Can you resort to ROT13 to explain for a slow person?
Kate, if Konrad means what I think he does, it may be spoiling you for him to clarify if you don’t already see it. Just a warning 🙂