Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Which one of the Baudelaire children do you most identify with? Violet? Klaus? Or Sunny?
- Why are all the adults in this story so darned incompetent? In the end, which adult is the very worst? Is it Count Olaf? Or is Mr. Poe just as bad? Maybe Justice Strauss should have done more to help?
- Compare and contrast Count Olaf and Justice Strauss. Why on earth won't Mr. Poe just let the Baudelaires live with that nice lady?
- What role does money play in the story? How is the Baudelaires' enormous fortune both a blessing and a curse for them?
- What's up with all the creepy eyes in Count Olaf's house? Is he really always watching the Baudelaires?
- When the children lose their parents, does their relationship with each other change? How?
- Why is this book divided into thirteen chapters? Does Lemony Snicket just love unlucky things?