The City of Ember

For the 2008 film based on this book, see City of Ember. For the capital city of Scotland, see Embra.

The City of Ember

Author	Jeanne DuPrau
Publication date	May 2003
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	288
ISBN	0375822739
OCLC	50166630
Dewey Decimal	[Fic] 21
LC Class	PZ7.D927 Ci 2003
Followed by	The People of Sparks

The City of Ember is a post-apocalyptic novel by Jeanne DuPrau that was published in 2003. The story is about Ember, an underground city that is slowly running out of power and supplies due to its aging infrastructure. The young protagonist, Lina Mayfleet, and her friend, Doon Harrow, manage to decode a message and follow clues left behind by the original builders of the City of Ember that would lead them to safety in the outside world of Earth.

It is the first book in the Books of Ember series which also includes The People of Sparks, The Prophet of Yonwood, and The Diamond of Darkhold.

It was later adapted into a film by Walden Media and Playtone and released on October 10, 2008. City of Ember was released on DVD on January 20, 2009.

Plot summary

The world's top architects and engineers, referred to as the Builders, are designing a complex self contained city that will include everything necessary for its inhabitants to survive for a total of 200 years. After completion of the city, the Builders give the first Mayor of the city a locked box that is to be passed down from one Mayor to the next until the box opens of its own volition. Unknown to the Mayors who pass it down the line, the box is set to open 200 years after giving it to the first mayor, and provide instructions to the city's citizens on how to leave the city.

For several generations, the box is faithfully passed down the line from one Mayor to the next until the seventh Mayor, who believing that the box may contain a cure for the deadly cough that was infecting many citizens of the city at the time, takes the box home and tries to break open the box with a hammer. He doesn't succeed in opening the box, and dies before he is able to return the box, or inform anyone else of its importance.

The story jumps forward to the year 241. It is clear the town is disintegrating. Its infrastructure is crumbling, and the massive generator that provides the light and power for the city is on its last legs. The flood lamps that light the city are threatened by power shortages and blackouts. Moreover, the stockpiles of canned food are getting low. This is not becuase of time though. Far away in the daarkness of the unknown regions, there is a secret base. The base belongs to the Legion of DOOM. This Legion includes: Dr. Eggman, the Joker, Jigsaw, Lex Luther, Plankton, and the Terminator. Together, they wreak havoc apon the City of Ember.

At a graduation ceremony where young people are assigned their jobs, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow each pull a slip from a bag. Lina's slip says “Pipeworks Laborer," while Doon gets “Messenger.” Unhappy, the two of them decide to switch.

Doon reports to his job in the pipes hoping to find a way to save Ember. He quickly realizes, though, that he does not know anything about the generator or how it works. Lina, however, is happy in her job as a messenger. The two then become friends. She runs to and from in the city delivering messages. She even has the privilege of delivering messages to the mayor from a strange man named Looper.

At home Lina cares for her elderly grandmother and her little sister, Poppy. One day, Lina finds her sister playing with an old piece of paper in an old box that she found amidst the chaotic mess of the apartment. Before Lina can stop her, Poppy chews on the scraps of paper and tears it to pieces. Lina saves the scraps and tries to figure out what they mean. She asks several people what they are without much help. Finally, she asks Doon to look at the message. Together, they decipher the text and find that it is instructions on how to escape from the city.

While that is happening Lina's grandmother also dies. Lina and Poppy end up living with their next door neighbor Mrs.Murdo.

The two friends explore the tunnels in the Pipeworks to try and find the exit. They meet Looper there and learn that he and the mayor are keeping supplies for themselves. When the pair try to report the theft, they learn that the mayor has ordered them to be arrested. Lina grabs her sister, the trio and make their escape via an underground river, where they discover boats for them to use.

When the boat stops, they see the natural world and find an old journal explaining the history of Ember. The Builders decided to protect 100 adults and 100 children to ensure that the human race would survive. Peering through an opening in the cave, the friends are shocked to see the dim, glimmering lights of the city far below. They never knew they were living underground.

Doon and Lina know they can never return but want the others to survive. They write a note explaining how to exit the city using the underground river. They throw the note into the hole so that it would fall down into Ember. The novel ends with Mrs. Murdo, a woman who had been caring for Lina and Poppy, finding the bundle containing the note.

Original Builders' instructions

IMPORTANT: INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXIT

MAYOR OF EMBER: 200 YEARS HAVE ELAPSED SINCE THE IMLEMENTATION OF PROJECT EMBER. WE THE BUILDERS HAVE DEEMED THIS PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT FOR HABITABLE CONDITIONS SUCH THAT COULD SUPPORT LIFE. IT IS TIME TO LEAD THE CITIZENS OF EMBER BACK INTO THE WORLD. THIS IS YOUR SOLEMN DUTY.

THIS BOX CONTAINS ONE OF TWO KEY CARDS NECESSARY FOR ACTIVATION. THE OTHER KEY CARD IS ALREADY IN YOUR POSSESSION.

1. PROCEED TO PIPEWORKS. LOCATE BOATS BY FOLLOWING THE DIAGRAM TO LEFT OF TEXT.

2. RELEASE BOATS BY ROTATING WALL MOUNTED AUTOMATION MECHANISM CLOCKWISE.

3. ACCESS EMERGENCY GENERATOR CONTROL ROOM. INSERT CROSSED KEY CARDS IN CONTROL BOARD.

4. SET WATER WHEEL 1 TO FULL THRUST.

5. SET WATER WHEEL 2 TO FULL STOP.

6. BOARD BOATS AND EXIT.

7. Blow up the City of Ember.

Film adaptation

A film adaptation of the novel was produced by Walden Media and Playtone with Bill Murray as the mayor, Saoirse Ronan as Lina, and Harry Treadaway as Doon . Filming was finished in October 2007 and released a year later on October 10, 2008. City of Ember was released on DVD on January 20, 2009.

Awards

• 2006 Mark Twain Award

External links

• Jeanne DuPrau's website
• The Map of the City of Ember
• Original Builders' instructions iimage
• Original production notes and Ember's oath