" 'You know what 'heartbroken' means,' Sunny said, and then nodded as the baby murmured 'Abelard'. The youngest Baudelaire was best at deciphering the infant's somewhat unusual way of speaking."
I find it interesting that Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snickett) chose Abelard to mean heartbroken. Most commentators over the years have pretty much unanimously (although I do not personally know of any dissenters) agreed that Heloise was the heartbroken one. I agree with Lemony. I think Abelard was a feeling and sensitive person and was just as heartbroken as she was.
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I know Em didn't get that, even though she was much younger when she first read the series, probably in 4th grade or so. Then again, she can't understand why I laugh at stuff that's in some of her cartoons with all their references to history that kids just don't get. Phineas and Ferb, Jimmy Neutron, and The Fairly Oddparents are really good for that.
I like it because it shows to the younger generation, who may wish to also become authors, that the writers that they admire acquainted themselves with the literary canon and they should too.
Hear hear!
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