The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 6) [Hardcover]

Lemony Snicket (Author), Brett Helquist (Illustrator), Michael Kupperman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 2001 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events (Book 6)

In their most daring misadventure, the Baudelaire orphans are adopted by very, very rich people, whose penthouse apartment is located mysteriously close to the place where all their misfortune began. Even though their new home in the city is fancy, and the children are clever and charming, I′m sorry to say that still, the unlucky orphans will encounter more disaster and woe. In fact, in this sixth book in A Series of Unfortunate Events, the children will experience a darkened staircase, a red herring, an auction, parsley soda, some friends in a dire situation, a secret passageway, and pinstripe suits.

Both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted, A Series of Unfortunate Events offers an exquisitely dark comedy in the tradition of Edward Gorey and Roald Dahl. Lemon Snicket′s uproariously unhappy books continue to win readers, despite all his warning.

Ages 10+

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fans of Lemony Snicket's wonderful Series of Unfortunate Events won't be surprised to find that in the sixth installment the three Baudelaire orphans' new home proves to be something of a mixed bag. As our ever sad but helpful narrator states, "Although 'a mixed bag' sometimes refers to a plastic bag that has been stirred in a bowl, more often it is used to describe a situation that has both good parts and bad parts. An afternoon at the movie theater, for instance, would be a mixed bag if your favorite movie were showing, but if you had to eat gravel instead of popcorn. A trip to the zoo would be a very mixed bag if the weather were beautiful, but all of the man-and woman-eating lions were running around loose." And so it is for the bad-luck Baudelaires. Their fancy new 71-bedroom home on 667 Dark Avenue is inhabited by Esmé Gigi Geniveve Squalor (the city's sixth most important financial advisor), and her kindly husband, Jerome, who doesn't like to argue. Esmé is obsessed by the trends du jour (orphans are "in"), and because elevators are "out," Sunny, Violet, and Klaus have to trudge up 66 flights of stairs to reach the Squalors' penthouse apartment. (Other unfortunate trends include pinstripe suits, aqueous martinis--water with a faint olive-y taste--parsley soda, and ocean decorations.)

As the book begins, the Baudelaires are not only frightened in anticipation of their next (inevitable) encounter with the evil, moneygrubbing Count Olaf but they are also mourning the disappearance of their dear new friends from The Austere Academy, the Quagmires. It doesn't take long for Olaf to show up in another of his horrific disguises... but if he is on Dark Avenue, what has he done with the Quagmires? Once again, the resourceful orphans use their unique talents (Violet's inventions, Klaus's research skills, and the infant Sunny's strong teeth) in a fruitless attempt to escape from terrible tragedy. Is there a gleam of hope for the orphans and their new friends? Most certainly not. The only thing we can really count on are more gloriously gloomy adventures in the seventh book, The Vile Village. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-The resourceful, likable, but extremely unlucky orphans Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny continue to flee from the clutches of the fortune-hunting, disguise-wearing Count Olaf. Also, they need to discover the whereabouts of their kidnapped friends, Duncan and Isadora Quagmire, based on the puzzling clue "V.F.D." In Elevator, the three Baudelaires go to live in the penthouse of the trend-following Jerome and Esme Squalor, who adopt the children because orphans are "in." Despite the Baudelaires' resourcefulness, both Olaf and the Quagmires elude the grasp of the authorities due to the obtuseness of adults who, until it is too late, deny that terrible things can happen. In Village, the Baudelaires travel to V.F.D., a village that adopts the orphans based on the aphorism, "it takes a village to raise a child." They uncover the whereabouts of the Quagmires, but, as in the earlier books, they find neither respite nor peace from Count Olaf's machinations. Despite Snicket's artful turning of cliches on their well-worn heads, Elevator sometimes belabors the fallacy of fads at the expense of plot. Nonetheless, the satiric treatment of adults' insistence upon decorum at the expense of truth is simultaneously satisfying and unsettling, as are the deft slams at slant journalism in Village. Arch literary allusions enhance the stories for readers on different levels. Despite Snicket's perpetual caveats to "put this book down and pick up another one," the Baudelaires are dynamic characters who inspire loyalty to the inevitable end of the series.

Farida S. Dowler, formerly at Bellevue Regional Library, WA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1ST edition (February 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064408647
• ISBN-13: 978-0064408646
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (199 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lemony Snicket claims he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. He is the author of several other unpleasant stories, including those in the bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Lump of Coal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Snicket's back and better than ever!, February 21, 2001

By 

rzaster - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 6) (Hardcover)

Orphans are in and that means one thing. Esme and Jerome Squalor want to adopt the Baudelaire orphans. Violet, Sunny, and Klaus go and live with The Squalors at their penthouse at 667 Dark Aveneue. Just when they are settling in, their nemesis starts to appear. Gunther, who claims to be an auctioneer, is indeed not who he says he is. This gets the Baudelaires investigating, and that leads them through many new adventures and mysteries.

"The Ersatz Elevator" is Snicket at his best since "The Wide Window." This sixth edition in the series is a very important one as it the base of knowing of what's to come. If you have read the other five novels in "The Series of Unfortunate Events," then you must read this one. If not, start with the others. This is the most addicting of the books yet. We've had to wait since August for this book, so there's no reason at all why this marvelous one should not be read. Snicket is getting better and better each time he writes a new volume. A definite must read.

Happy Reading!

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Baudelaire orphans' miserable adventures continue., February 17, 2001

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 6) (Hardcover)

After the series of disastrous events at Prufrock Preparatory School, and the kidnapping of their only friends, the two Quagmire triplets, the three Baudelaire orphans have been sent to live with the wealthy Esme Squalor and her husband Jerome in their seventy-one bedroom penthouse at 667 Dark Avenue. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are happy to be returning to the city where they were born, but they fear for the capture Quagmires, who are at the mercy of Count Olaf, and naturally, they fear Count Olaf has yet another dastardly plan to steal the Baudelaire fortune. And their new guardians aren't doing much to ease their fears. Jerome is kind but naive, and Esme only cares about what's fashionable and what's not. As usual, it's up to the Baudelaires to save themselves from the clutches of the evil Count Olaf and his dastardly accomplices. This was one of my favorite books in A Series of Unfortunate Events. I reccomend this darkly funny book to all fans of the series.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deliciously different, May 19, 2001

By 

Mike (the San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 6) (Hardcover)

This isnt your ordinary kids book. It doesn't deserve to be labeled a kids book in the first place, but there you are.

Though it was quite clearly written for kids, its a blast to read for all ages. The plot is gripping, the characters are fascinating, and sometimes the story is quite disturbing (I would advise parental discretion), but what stands out most is the way this book is written.

The dark, twisty plot line is puncuated by the authors wry humor. Example: "The book you are holding in your two hands right now... assuming that you are, in fact, holding this book, and that you only have two hands... is one of two books in the world that will show you the difference between "nervous" and "anxious". The other book, of course, is the dictionary, and if I were you I would read that book instead... unlike this book, the dictionary describes words that are far more plesant to contemplate. The word "bubble" is in the dictionary, for instance, as is the word "peacock", and the words "the" "authors" "execution" "has" "been" "cancelled", which make a setence that is always plesant to hear..."

Of course, there is a plot in all this, and it begins with the protagonists, three orphans, being anxious (not nervous!) about moving to a foster home. This is the sixth foster home they've been to since their parents died. Their former guardians were not very bright, and most of them met an untimely end at the hands of this books antagonist, Count Olaf. (As I said, this book is not for younger kids.) The nasty count spends a lot of time devising devious plans to kidnap the orphans and steal their parents treasure, though in this book, he has different plans in mind.

In short, when you open up this book, get ready for a strange, dark, and strangely funny reading expirence.