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

Amazon.com Price:  $2.94 (as of 05/05/2019 09:56 PST- Details)

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NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

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 if 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 warnings.

Fans of Lemony Snicket’s wonderful Series of Unfortunate Events may not 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, “Even supposing ‘a mixed bag’ infrequently refers to a plastic bag that has been stirred in a bowl, more steadily 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 go back and forth to the zoo would be a very mixed bag if the weather were beautiful, but the entire 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 aren’t 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 will truly count on are more gloriously gloomy adventures in the seventh book, The Vile Village. (Ages 9 and older) –Karin Snelson

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