The Spy in the Elevator

Donald Edwin WestlakeProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 36K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Spy in the Elevator by Donald E. WestlakeAuthor: Westlake, Donald E., 1933-2008,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 7, 2016

Editor's review

This short story comes from Donald E. Westlake, a master of American crime and suspense fiction, and is one of his lighter suspense pieces. The story unfolds around the enclosed space of an elevator, and the "spy" in the title hints at playful themes of disguise and observation. Westlake excelled at writing about small city dwellers and unexpected twists in a cool, ironic tone; this piece is short and brisk, suited to being read in one sitting on a commute or in spare moments. The free electronic edition from Project Gutenberg makes it easy to access at any time; the English original is of moderate difficulty, with plenty of dialogue, and works as light English suspense reading material. Readers who start here can go on to explore the author's better-known series; those simply looking for a short, entertaining read with a touch of black humor will also find it more than adequate.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy short suspense and want a quick read on their commute
English learners hoping to practice reading with light original English texts
Mystery fans interested in urban settings and enclosed-space narratives
Readers who want an initial taste of Westlake's writing style

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting long, complex deduction or tightly constructed honkaku puzzles
Readers who need a Chinese translation and are not used to reading English originals
Readers who prefer serious literature or in-depth exploration of social issues

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then revisit the dialogue details in the elevator scenes
Skip unfamiliar words at first and look them up afterward to keep the reading rhythm
After finishing, compare with the author's other short stories to see the common thread in his ironic tone
Discuss the ending twist with friends to test whether you noticed the foreshadowing in advance

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this story suitable for English beginners?

Not really for complete beginners. The original is mainly narrative and dialogue with short sentences, but it still contains colloquial and literary expressions. It is best attempted by readers with intermediate English reading ability; beginners may use a dictionary or a bilingual edition as support.

Do I need to read other works by Westlake first?

No. This is a standalone short story whose characters and plot do not depend on other works. If you like the style after reading it, you can then seek out his better-known series novels.

What is the reading experience of the electronic edition like?

Project Gutenberg provides a free public-domain electronic text with simple formatting and no illustrations, suitable for reading on a phone or e-reader. The text has been proofread, but the format is plain, focusing on content rather than presentation.

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About the author

Donald Edwin Westlake Author · American · 1933–2008

Donald E. Westlake (1933–2008) was an American crime novelist and screenwriter, born in Brooklyn, New York. Over his career he wrote more than a hundred novels, including the Dortmunder series under his own name and the hard-boiled Parker series under the pen name Richard Stark, showing a gift for both humor and tough, lean storytelling. He won the Edgar Award three times, received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for The Grifters. Three of his works are held in this collection—They Also Serve, The Spy in the Elevator, and The Risk Profession—most of them crime and suspense stories that display his characteristic wit and brisk pacing. He died in Mexico in 2008.