| “ | When Briny Beach was hot and sunny, the seashore was crowded with tourists and it was impossible to find a good place to lay one's blanket. On gray and cloudy days, the Baudelaires had the beach more or less to themselves, so they could work together on their projects and experiments. | ” |
Briny Beach is by the seashore on the brink of the city which was home to the Baudelaire Family. It was accessible via a rickety trolley. The beach is most notable for being the location where the Baudelaire children's relentless misfortunes began, starting with receiving the news that their parents have passed away.
Description[]
During sunny days, the beach tends to be crowded with tourists and beachgoers, causing it to be impossible to find a good place to put a blanket down and relax. However, it is practically empty on gray and cloudy days. On such days, there is quite a lot of fog. The Baudelaire children often enjoyed going to the beach when such unpleasant weather occurred, because it is quieter and more spacious.
The beach contains tide pools, making it easy to skip rocks on the water.[1]
The beach's namesake comes from the poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Lewis Carroll:
| “ | 'O Oysters, come and walk with us!' The Walrus did beseech. A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, Along the briny beach: We cannot do with more than four, 'To give a hand to each.' |
” |
— The Walrus and the Carpenter, stanza six; Lewis Carroll
|
History[]
The Bad Beginning[]
Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire were at Briny Beach on the fateful day they found out that their parents had perished in a disastrous fire that had burned their mansion to the ground. Shortly before Mr. Poe arrived to deliver the news, Violet was skipping rocks and had attempted to brainstorm a device that could retrieve them while Klaus was examining the nearby fauna.[1]
The Grim Grotto []
While the Baudelaire children were on-board the Queequeg, Quigley Quagmire had sent a message to the submarine instructing them to meet him at Briny Beach. They were surprised to return to this particular beach and felt that they ended up back where they started. Mr. Poe found them there once again, but this time, the siblings refused to go with him in favor of taking a taxi when they saw one parked at the beach. They expected Quigley to be inside, but they were greeted by Kit Snicket instead. She was quick to explain that Quigley had gotten a lead on a self-sustaining mobile home, where his siblings were living with Hector. Thankfully, the Baudelaires understood that pursuing that lead was Quigley's top priority at the time.[2]
Known Visitors[]
- Klaus Baudelaire (at least twice)
- Sunny Baudelaire (at least twice)
- Violet Baudelaire (known to have visited thrice in her life)[3]
- Arthur Poe (at least twice)
- Kit Snicket
- Lemony Snicket
- Unidentified number of tourists on bright, sunny days
2004 Film Divergent Canon[]
Briny Beach in the 2004 film.
In the 2004 film adaptation, there are several trees seen rooted underwater and spreading above the sea, causing the beach to resemble a flooded area instead of the edge of an ocean or lake; as such, it has been compared to Killdeer Fields or a similar flooded forest. It is less foggy than described in the books, though it is very gray and the colors are muted. These elements accurately capture the somber mood, therefore, they can be considered a reflection of how the Baudelaire orphans felt that day when Mr. Poe delivered the news to them.
Some time before that, Sunny was able to come across a log to bite on the beach.
Netflix Series Divergent Canon[]
In the television series, there are several piers and staircases around the beach for guests to walk down to it, as well as a lifeguard's chair.[4] Somewhere along the edge of the beach are a submarine rental store[5] and a phone booth.[6]
There is a sign located by the stairs that reads "NO SWIMMING: UNSAFE TOXIN LEVELS IN WATER."[5] There is also a sign on the stairs that reads "NO FISHING: HIGHLY POLLUTED WATER" and "DANGER: STAIRS ARE SLIPPERY WHEN WET."[4]
Trivia[]
- Lemony Snicket notes in his writings that he is aware of a third time that Violet visited Briny Beach.[3] There is one small implication that Violet and her siblings may have returned to Briny Beach after sailing on The Beatrice in Chapter Fourteen of The End, but like the circumstances that occurred in their later lives, it is not known if they actually have.
Appearances[]
Gallery[]
Books[]
Film[]
Video game[]
Netflix Series[]
