Chapter Two Summary

Chapter Two opens with various sentences written backward and are only readable when the reader holds the book up to a mirror. This style reflects the Baudelaire children's first impression of their new home, Hotel Denouement, which has been cleverly built to be disorientatingly reflected in the nearby pond. It takes the children a few minutes of staring quizzically at the hotel before they realize they are staring at its reflection. Kit Snicket finally snaps the children out of their confusion by pointing to the real hotel and guiding them over to a picnic lunch that's been prepared for them on the nearby grounds. The children had no idea how hungry they were until they saw the gorgeous spread: bread, butter, jam, pastries, muffins, quiche, eggs, cheese, smoked fish, fruit, and every beverage one could imagine. Kit explains that the meal...