The “Fragrant” Fruit

Some time ago, I joined a forum called 667 Dark Avenue where I could read or participate in discussions on the theories and mysteries in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. After book number 13 arrived last year, I finished the series quite despondently—despondent that the end had finally taken place, despondent that many questions were still unanswered.

Despite the apparent end of the series, the forum recently sent a list of questions to the author, Daniel Handler, to answer and infuse the army of fans with a measure of hope that more books may be in store.

One of the questions greatly interested me, and it has nothing to do with the books or the elusive Lemony Snicket.

Here it is—

9. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away then what fruit would best keep away persistent realtors? Would you suggest something heavy like a watermelon or something easy to throw like a grapefruit? - Charlotte

Handler's response—
The durian is a fruit produced by a plant pollinated by flies. To attract its pollinators the flowers of the plant smell like rotten meat. You can imagine how dreadful the fruit smells, particularly if ripe and damp. In many countries where the durian is available it is illegal to carry it onto public transportation. I once had a piece of candied durian and it still felt like a zombie meal. I imagine having durians around the house would cause property values to plummet, and realtors would no longer be interested.

I wonder if Mr. Handler has visited Singapore, where it's certainly illegal to take durians on the MRT. However, many Singaporeans are fond of durians, and property values remain abominably high; they are just below those of New York City’s. The theory cannot be applied to Singapore because the realtors are often durian lovers too.

Posted by Monoceros at July 14, 2007 4:49 PM