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Well. Snicket himself told me that no book can truly contain the end of a story, although it may describe the end of a person. I finished this book on October 13, 2007, exactly one year after it was released. It was not as funny or exciting as the last few books in the series, but it might be more allegorical than all the rest. It had heaps of literary allusions, only a few of which I managed to catch-- Robinson Crusoe, Moby Dick, the Bible... To sum it all up, the biggest "problem" with this book is that it leaves many things unresolved. It's not that surprising, I guess, but it's still not fully satisfying.

Even though I didn't laugh as much, I did say "Oh!" more times than in any of the previous volumes. I don't know if there's an actual O!Scale, but this would rate highly on it. One part I need to share with you is what LS says about happiness that has really stuck with me ever since I read it. He writes that happiness is probably an acquired taste, like coconut cordial or ceviche (or a root beer float), in that the more happiness you have, the less you enjoy it, where as suffering is the opposite: the more you have, the stronger it gets. This is one of the most profound things I've read recently. It even explains things like divorce and taxes.

I cannot say that "The End" is not a fitting end to the series--it bookends a sense of mystery and mysfortune--but it does not end our desire to know what happens in the lives of Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire.