The End

The final book in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events is more of an epilogue than a conclusion. Anything that Snicket intended to answer was answered in the last book. In this one, the orphans come to terms with the fact that you don't always get to learn all the answers, and they figure out how to move on.

I knew going in that a lot of people were disappointed with this book. I set my expectations low and was ultimately pretty pleased with it. The book leaves the reader with a lot of uncertainty, but it's ultimately about the uncertainty of life, so it makes sense. The orphans get some answers about their parents, but it's from a journal that was written before they were born. They have to reconcile that information with what they knew of their parents growing up, and the result is ultimately ambiguous. But they have to make decisions on that ambuguity. Because that's how life goes.

This series, overall, has been about growing up. It's been about discovering the villainy in the world, and then about discovering the grey areas. Everyone has their justification. Everyone thinks they're in the right. Everyone is trying to do their best, and that's all anyone can do. That's what this book argues. As disappointing as it is not to get answers, it's a good lesson for children and teenagers to come to terms with.

Ultimately I enjoyed this series a lot. I wish it had broke away from the formula earlier than the seventh book, but I can appreciate why it held on to that formula for so long. It's certainly a series that I'm eager to share with my (future) children. It derserves its place next to Narnia and Harry Potter. I can't wait for the forthcoming Netflix adaptation.