In the Belly of the Beast
Those who read "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and were expecting redemption would be disappointed. They should know that the title of the series is enough. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire not only lost their parents and their home, but also the chance to get their inheritance. If it would be any consolation to them, Count Olaf's persistent attempts ended in vain. But we are getting ahead.
The Baudelaire orphans were living in deplorable conditions. Daniel Handler's series was brimming with dark humor, which became noticeable when the children were tasked to do impossible tasks. Running around the track oval at night. Doing the household chores for the town folks. Arranging medical records. Readers didn't wonder why such young people would do these things.
There were plans to adapt the series to the small screen, which fans would welcome. Handler's creativity was impressive in the second half of the series, where readers would lose count of his literary references. But there were too many minor characters. The author didn't provide a few chapters on their whereabouts. This was the mysterious saga of the Baudelaire children and those who became part of their lives.
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny found themselves in the belly of the beast after Olaf sent a false story to The Daily Punctilio, about the alleged murder of Jacques Snicket. They disguised themselves, as they attempted to know more about the mystery behind the arson fire (that killed their parents). Here are some intriguing questions:
Is Lemony Snicket related to Olaf? In "The Hostile Hospital", Violet, Klaus, and Sunny saw an old photograph of their parents, along with Jacques and Lemony Snicket. Olaf killed Jacques in the Village of Fowl Devotees (V.F.D.). Lemony was the only survivor of the arson fire, and he also had a tattoo in his ankle. Were Olaf and Jacques related to each other?
What's the story behind the Heimlich Hospital? The Baudelaires escaped from the awful residents of V.F.D. and joined the Volunteers Fighting Disease. They ended up in a hospital, where half of it was unfinished. Lemony Snicket saw ruins (when he arrived there). It might be related to the children, as their parents could be members of a mysterious organization.
Where are the Quagmire triplets? Violet, Klaus, and Sunny met Duncan and Isadora at Prufrock Preparatory School. The siblings helped them, discovering Olaf's secrets along the way. In return, the Baudelaires helped the triplets escaped from V.F.D. But their whereabouts were unknown. (Handler didn't tell if the they were unharmed, while aboard the fire balloon.) Quigley, the youngest of the triplets, was believed to perish in the fire. It turned out that he was alive, and the kids found him in the slippery slope. Readers would witness what the law of gravity can do.
Why Sunny sides with Count Olaf? In "The Penultimate Peril", Sunny can talk clearly. She joined Olaf, while fire was about to engulf Hotel Denouement. She decided for herself and her older siblings, but Judge Strauss, who wanted to adapt them, begged her to reconsider her decision. No adult would believe their innocence, after all the nasty deeds that Olaf did to them. However, some might suspect that there was something else.
