The Wide Window

File:TheWideWindow.jpg

The Cover of The Wide Window.

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The Book

Release Date: 2000

Number of Pages: 214

Humber in Series: Book the Third

Disguise: Captain Sham

Guardian: Aunt Josephine Anwhistle

The Cover

Border: 100 Blue and Black Waves

Spine: Dark Green (To represent the waves of Lake Lachrymose.)

Final Image/Clue: Count Olaf flees from the scene of the crime, and in the background you can see The Lucky Smells Lumbermill. (Foreshadowing The Miserable Mill.

Overview

The Wide Window is Book the Third in the series. It introduces Josephine Anwhistle, A.K.A. "Aunt Josephine." It describes the Baudelaires' stay with their Aunt Josephine, who seems to be afraid of everything except Pretty Penny and cold cucumber soup. Then, when Olaf shows up disguised as Captain Sham, things take a turn for the worst, and the adventure starts. This is a book full of phobias, sailboats, solving puzzles, finding the right key, and everything unfortunate. Lemony Snicket describes it as the darkest segment of the series.

Summary

This book begins with the Baudelaire orphans sitting at the Damocles Dock. They are Lake Lachrymose, and Mr. Poe the Manager of their estate, arranges a tazi to drive the three Baudelaires to the top of the hill which will be their new home. When the taxi pulls away, the orphans find themself at a house at the edge of a cliff supported by wooden stilts.

Once they are inside they find their new guardian waiting for them, Aunt Josephine Anwhistle. She is a very strange woman who has practically every 'phobia' there could be. She is particularly unfond of realtors. Klaus loves books, and loves libraries, but he is not too fond of Aunt Josephine's only because it is filled with Grammar books. Inside of the Library, there is a large window (The Wide Window). When you look out the window, you can see Lake Lachrymose. Hurricane Herman is approaching therefore Aunt Josephine and the Baudelaires head down town to gather supplies.

They encounter Count Olaf although, he is dressed as Captain Sham, therefore Aunt Josephine cannot tell who he actually is. The three children attempt to warn their new guardian about Sham's true identity, but Aunt Josephine does not believe them because she finds him charming. Also, he has a wooden leg where the tattoo of an eye should be.

Then, later that night, Aunt Josephine receives a phone call from Captain Sham, and she then sends the children away. The children are awakened in the middle of the night by a loud crashing sound, and to their Aunt Josephine's suicide note.

They cannot believe their eyes, although they are quite suspicious. The note says that Captain Sham should be their new guardian. The children then conclude that Count Olaf is behind it and then call Mr. Poe.

While Violet is talking to Mr. Poe, Klaus discovers a secret message hidden in the suicide note. It spells Curdled Cave. The children then hurry to the docks, take a ship and then sail out to Curdled Cave where they find that their Aunt Josephine has gone into hiding. Aunt Josephine claims that Count Olaf made her write the note. Then, the Baudelaires convince her to sail with them across the Lake. Soon after, they are attacked by Lachrymose Leeches which had eaten and killed Aunt Josephine's husband. The leeches immediately begin to eat the boat and Coutnt Olaf arrives, takes the Baudelaires, then throws Aunt Josephine into the Lake, where she is eaten by leeches.

When they get back to the docks, Mr. Poe is just fixing to hand the children over to Captain Sham when Sunny bites into his fake wooden leg revealing his tattoo. Once again, he escapes, and leaving the children searching for someone else to care for them.

Memorable Quotes

None, currently.

Interesting Notes and Facts

Character Introductions and Reappearances

Characters Introduced in This Book:

• Aunt Josephine
• Ike Anwhistle

Characters Reappearing in This Book:

• Klaus Baudelaire
• Violet Baudelaire
• Sunny Baudelaire
• Mr. Poe
• Count Olaf (in disguise as Captain Sham)
• The Bald Headed Man

Outstanding Character Moments

None, currently.

Very Important Events

None, currently

V.F.D. References

No new V.F.D. References in this book.

Real-World References

None, currently.

Foreshadowing

Nothing, currently.