Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
345th out of 7,950 books
—
39,759 voters
The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5)
Dear Reader,
If you are looking for a story about cheerful youngsters spending a jolly time at boarding school, look elsewhere. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent and resourceful children, and you might expect that they would do very well at school. Don't. For the Baudelaires, school turns out to be another miserable episode in their unlucky lives.
Truth be
...moreHardcover, 221 pages
Published
August 8th 2000
by HarperCollins Publishers
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Favorite word definition: The waning light of the sunset--the word "waning" here means "dim, and making everything look extra-creepy"--made the shadow of the coach's turban look like a huge, deep hole.
3 likes · like · see review
Finiti i parenti assurdi e lontani dei Baudelaire, dopo esser passati per la segheria ora li ritroviamo in collegio.
Se all'inizio sembrava che quei parenti con le loro assurdità potevano prendersi cura dei tre fratelli, ora sono del tutto lasciati a se stessi e, peggio ancora, devono aver a che fare con gente che li odia.
Essere orfani diventa una macchia.
Anche qui però riescono a respirare pochi attimi di serenità, grazie all'amicizia con i trigemini Pantano che dona loro un minimo di solliev...more
Se all'inizio sembrava che quei parenti con le loro assurdità potevano prendersi cura dei tre fratelli, ora sono del tutto lasciati a se stessi e, peggio ancora, devono aver a che fare con gente che li odia.
Essere orfani diventa una macchia.
Anche qui però riescono a respirare pochi attimi di serenità, grazie all'amicizia con i trigemini Pantano che dona loro un minimo di solliev...more
Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire are transferred to another location, Prufrock Preparatory School. They encounter the Vice Principal, Nero, and tells the orphans that they are safe here. He says that the technologies at the school is used to keep Olaf outside and that they wouldn't be in any danger. At the school, they some friends, friends of which their parents also died. They had some laughs but it wasn't just all games, they were told that failing, they would personally be tutored by Coac...more
This is the brightest story so far among the first five of SUE. I kept telling myself this is quite different from the others because one, the Baudelaires actually had friends; two, it was a pretty long story that it did quite drag a bit; and three, the ending is too suspenseful and hanging. These three are not reasons for the three stars (and not higher like what I gave to the first four). These three things just made Book 5 a bit different from the rest.
I was happy though that the Baudelaires...more
I was happy though that the Baudelaires...more
As the three Baudelaire orphans warily approach their new home--Prufrock Preparatory School--they can't help but notice the enormous stone arch bearing the school's motto Memento Mori, or "Remember you will die." This is not a cheerful greeting, and certainly marks an inauspicious beginning to a very bleak story. Of course, this is what we have come to expect from Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, the deliciously morbid set of books that began with The Bad Beginning and only got wor
...more
Do you love books that keep you on the edge of your seat? Do you love books that make you want to read more and more of it every time you think about it! Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions then you need to read this series! Now! This book is exhilarating, and intense wrap it up and put a bow on it because this is and an amazing gift… but only if you have read the others that come before this book to have an idea of what everything is and what’s happening. The basis of this story...more
Jan 08, 2013
Lottie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone really
Recommended to Lottie by:
no one
Shelves:
lemony-snicket
The Austere Academy is the fifth book in the seried titled 'A Series of Unfortunate Events.' The series follows the sad tale of Violet, Klaus and Sunny. Their story starts with their parents died in a fire that destroyed the entire family home.
Lemony Snicket informs us from page 1 that if we are looking for a happy story about 3 orphans, then you best put this book down. We are reminded of this all throughtout this series.
If you don't like a reptitive series, then you best stop reading this rev...more
Lemony Snicket informs us from page 1 that if we are looking for a happy story about 3 orphans, then you best put this book down. We are reminded of this all throughtout this series.
If you don't like a reptitive series, then you best stop reading this rev...more
If you enjoy reading reviews about books with delightful encounters or magical adventures, then it would be best if you moved on. It is my duty to regail (a word here meaning "talk in length") you with my impressions of this book. But you have no such obligation to read the review.
In this volume the Baudelaire children are forced to endure ridiculous rules, six hour violin concerts, staples, and expensive running shoes. The only bright spot is their encounter with the Quagmire triplets. Isadore...more
In this volume the Baudelaire children are forced to endure ridiculous rules, six hour violin concerts, staples, and expensive running shoes. The only bright spot is their encounter with the Quagmire triplets. Isadore...more
Les enfants retournent à l'école! Mais ce qui devait être un bon moment se transforme en horreur. Les enfants sont obligés de vivre dans la bicoque aux orphelins, une sorte de grange habité par des petits crabes et suintant d'une substance verdâtre. Dans ce collège, pas de week-end, des cours inintéressant...La pauvre Prunille ne peut pas aller au collège et elle se retrouve étrangement promu assistante du directeur, un sale type égocentrique et un peu idiot sur les bords.
Mais heureusement, dan...more
Mais heureusement, dan...more
This may have just restored my faith in the series of unfortunate events. I loved this book and it probably surpasses the Wide Window as my favorite so far. Obviously, Count Olaf appeared once again. But this is to be expected by now. The Austere Academy sees, the children go to boarding school, naively hoping for a fresh start where vice principal Nero is just as despicable as the children's previous guardians, once again they are having a miserable time of it but I loved the fact that the trip...more
I read a Book called Austere Academy, It’s apart of the serious of unfortunate events. The author of the book is Lemony Snicket and the illustrator is Brett Helquist. The Genre of this book is fiction and the sub genre is realistic fiction. This book is a little different from others because it is narrorated by the author but most of the other books the character. The point of view for this book is third person omniscient this affects the story because the author tells you all about the characte...more
I wrote this earlier, but it bears repeating: the only good thing about being sick is having a built-in excuse to read a lot of Lemony Snicket in one day. And by 'a lot', I mean the first five- count 'em, 5!- books in A Series of Unfortunate Events in one day. Because of this, please excuse the copy pasting. I'll take this time to admit that this review is identical to that of the Miserable Mill (book #4). Now that's out of the way, on with the review.
The books have a way of touching some really...more
The books have a way of touching some really...more
I already love the book series "A Series of Unfortunate Events", so reading this fifth book in the series was just my continuation. I found it so good! I end up liking all the books but this one was so great because of the feel of it.
It takes place at this super fancy prep school and the Baudelaire orphans attend it and it's great because they live on campus too. However being orphans with always bad luck on their hands, they ended up sleeping in this barn with hay. They actually made friends in...more
It takes place at this super fancy prep school and the Baudelaire orphans attend it and it's great because they live on campus too. However being orphans with always bad luck on their hands, they ended up sleeping in this barn with hay. They actually made friends in...more
I didn't read A Series of Unfortunate Events in order; so this was the first book I read, and I liked it. I liked it a lot. In fact, I liked it so much so, I read all the other books, attempted to draw Count Olaf, watched the film and I get seriously defensive if anyone dares to insult the books.
These books are often branded as being for children. I'm not really sure I would brand it as just being for children. It will definitely appeal to children, but I think to fully understand the humour in...more
These books are often branded as being for children. I'm not really sure I would brand it as just being for children. It will definitely appeal to children, but I think to fully understand the humour in...more
I hate to say it....I've never heard of Lemony Snicket(sorry). I just heard there was a movie about him played by Jim Carey? Anyway, I came across this book in my cousin's garage and the cover looked interesting. What really caught my eye was at the top of the book..."A Series of Unfortunate Events". Hmmm. I read the first couple of pages and was hooked. This is the 5th book, I don't know if they need to be read in order but this is where I started. It is about 3 orphan children; Vilolet, Klaus...more
A Series of Unfortunate Events 5: The Austere Academy / 9780061757174
I first came to this series after watching the tie-in movie "Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events". I love the series for its superb characterization, lovely writing, quirky plotlines, and deeply dark humor. This fifth book in the series carries on the tradition and will not disappoint fans.
Like the rest of the novels in this series, this book is very slender and can be whipped through in a few short hours - if it h...more
I first came to this series after watching the tie-in movie "Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events". I love the series for its superb characterization, lovely writing, quirky plotlines, and deeply dark humor. This fifth book in the series carries on the tradition and will not disappoint fans.
Like the rest of the novels in this series, this book is very slender and can be whipped through in a few short hours - if it h...more
The Series of Unfortunate Events books are so beautifully-written, that probably, anyone who reads them, from young, to very old, wil love them from the front cover, to the back.
This Author, Lemony Snicket uses the important literary elements that of course all spectacular authers like him should use, which includes action, the antagonist element, which he shows through count Olaf, character, which includes Sunny, Klaus, Violet, Count Olaf, and his troupe. He also uses various types of conflic...more
This Author, Lemony Snicket uses the important literary elements that of course all spectacular authers like him should use, which includes action, the antagonist element, which he shows through count Olaf, character, which includes Sunny, Klaus, Violet, Count Olaf, and his troupe. He also uses various types of conflic...more
As a series these books are incredible. The formulaic plot that is repeated in every book satisfies the child who is being read to's expectation of what's going on, right and wrong and the band of simple characters.
Where the books become really clever is the additional bits of plot woven into the anecdotes, dedications and acknowledgments, written for the older reader, whether parents reading aloud or older children.
The humour is clever, beautifully insightful and infinitely quotable. Type Lem...more
Where the books become really clever is the additional bits of plot woven into the anecdotes, dedications and acknowledgments, written for the older reader, whether parents reading aloud or older children.
The humour is clever, beautifully insightful and infinitely quotable. Type Lem...more
Much like The Miserable Mill, Austere Academy finds Lemony Snicket showing that he set up his formula for the series partly to screw with the reader by changing them up occasionally.
Whereas book four featured very little Count Olaf until the end, with the orphans anticipating his appearance through the bulk of the story, book five introduces him fairly early as a gym teacher. What really amused me is that by this point the orphans are actually learning something. Instead of blurting out, "there'...more
Whereas book four featured very little Count Olaf until the end, with the orphans anticipating his appearance through the bulk of the story, book five introduces him fairly early as a gym teacher. What really amused me is that by this point the orphans are actually learning something. Instead of blurting out, "there'...more
These stories are interesting, and with the ever present, impending doom, they are extremely difficult to put down. The stories are very unique, bleak, yet silly,or a delightful blend of them both. In the later books, I came to embrace, and enjoy the silliness, and the over explanation of words, as Daniel's own unique sense of humor. I can not believe that he actually believed his readers to be that ignorant. I believe that it was more of a tease_ dark, spiteful, humor, which I thoroughly enjoy...more
Snicket, Lemony, and Brett Helquist. The Austere Academy. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.
With the series now taking its new form it continues with The Austere Academy. The children are sent to a boarding school, and in it they are subjected to many new and terrible things. There is a pompous Vice Principal, a teacher fully obsessed with his own life, and another obsessed with useless information. The new messages this book sends to people continue along the lines of a terrible world wh...more
With the series now taking its new form it continues with The Austere Academy. The children are sent to a boarding school, and in it they are subjected to many new and terrible things. There is a pompous Vice Principal, a teacher fully obsessed with his own life, and another obsessed with useless information. The new messages this book sends to people continue along the lines of a terrible world wh...more
You'd figure by Book Five these three poor unfortunate children would be able to catch a break...no such luck...
Quotes:
"Everybody will die, of course, sooner or later. Circus performers will die, and clarinet experts will die, and you and I will die, and there might be a person who lives on your block, right now, who is not looking both ways before he crosses the street and who will die in just a few seconds, all because of a bus..."
"Just because something is traditional is no reason to do it, o...more
Quotes:
"Everybody will die, of course, sooner or later. Circus performers will die, and clarinet experts will die, and you and I will die, and there might be a person who lives on your block, right now, who is not looking both ways before he crosses the street and who will die in just a few seconds, all because of a bus..."
"Just because something is traditional is no reason to do it, o...more
Camila Preciado
Period 4
January 13,2010
This book is about three orphans ( their parents died in a fire accident) Their parents were very rich and they get all the money but like Clause, Sunny and Violet are all under the age of 18 they have to be with Poe who sends them to an academy called The Austere Academy . Thy are well adapted and having fun with there new way of life . Till now...
The orphans fell safe inside because there is a computer anti-count olaf who let him get near them. The Orphans...more
Period 4
January 13,2010
This book is about three orphans ( their parents died in a fire accident) Their parents were very rich and they get all the money but like Clause, Sunny and Violet are all under the age of 18 they have to be with Poe who sends them to an academy called The Austere Academy . Thy are well adapted and having fun with there new way of life . Till now...
The orphans fell safe inside because there is a computer anti-count olaf who let him get near them. The Orphans...more
This "woe-filled" collection of thirteen books about the tribulations of three unusually talented orphans will keep adults entertained as well as children. When I first saw the series I thought, "That looks too depressing," but soon I discovered the hilarity in overabundant alliteration, contemptible villains, and idiotic bystanders.
As the series progresses and the mysteries deepen, the children's characters grow and develop in surprising ways as togehter they face obstacles and a growing numbe...more
As the series progresses and the mysteries deepen, the children's characters grow and develop in surprising ways as togehter they face obstacles and a growing numbe...more
My plan, after reading The Miserable Mill, was to take a longish break from this series. If you read my review of TMM you will understand. There are other books on my bookstand in need of reading, and even though my wife and children egged me on to continue, I simply had no plans to do so. For one thing, I'd begun to wonder if maybe I was suffering from cranking through a great series: too much of a good thing, you know. I've experienced that kind of thing before with the Thursday Next novels by...more
In this book the Baudelaire orphans are once again being threatened by the presence of Count Olaf, a person so bitter and so awful that I don't even want to waste time in describing him.
I don't like unhappy endings, in fact, it's a little more than dislike. I hate them. But when it fits the story, then so be it.
These books are not happy, most of the characters are either evil or incompetent. But the children, the three Baudelaires, Violet, Klaus and Sunny are very interesting, in-depth charact...more
I don't like unhappy endings, in fact, it's a little more than dislike. I hate them. But when it fits the story, then so be it.
These books are not happy, most of the characters are either evil or incompetent. But the children, the three Baudelaires, Violet, Klaus and Sunny are very interesting, in-depth charact...more
I really loved this book, it was addictive and full of drama and mystery.
The only problem I found with it was when he the author tried to describe the situation or certain words, it felt like I was being taught in school rather than a reminder. It seemed unreal that a baby that can't even talk would be working a job like that, and that Vice Principal Nero would really be that terrible and still be working at that school (Where's the Principal, anyway?). Most of it didn't feel like it could ev...more
The only problem I found with it was when he the author tried to describe the situation or certain words, it felt like I was being taught in school rather than a reminder. It seemed unreal that a baby that can't even talk would be working a job like that, and that Vice Principal Nero would really be that terrible and still be working at that school (Where's the Principal, anyway?). Most of it didn't feel like it could ev...more
The Austere Acadeny is about the three orhpans as always. This time they went to a school for orphans, but not everyone there is nice. They have been getting off on a bad start, they could'nt make friends, the teachers did'nt like them, they were like the three weird kids in the school. Clous's main external conflict(s) are that obviously Oloft is trying to kill them and he had watch his movements because if something went wrong the kids and teachers would look at him.
One Text-to-Self connecti...more
One Text-to-Self connecti...more
I laughed out loud reading The Austere Academy far more often than I'd like to admit. The silliness of the dining hall rules, the disrepair of the "Orphan Shack," and the repeated joke about the "advanced computer" were riotous. The book is even funny enough to make me forget about how ridiculous it is that the Baudelaires can go without sleep so easily. (The fact that their late-night runs make them merely sleepy and less studious -- instead of in serious medical danger -- is only slightly more...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONTD Book Club: The Austere Academy | 1 | 2 | Feb 28, 2013 01:53pm | |
| When exactly was the Quagmire fire? *spoiler* | 4 | 56 | Nov 01, 2012 02:52pm | |
| Book | 15 | 33 | Oct 08, 2011 10:46am |
Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler. Snicket is the author of several children's books, serving as the narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events (his best-known work) and appearing as a character within the series. Because of this, the name Lemony Snicket may refer to both a fictional character and a real person. This article deals primarily with the character.
As a...more
More about Lemony Snicket...
As a...more
Share This Book
15 trivia questions
5 quizzes
More quizzes & trivia...
5 quizzes
“Assumptions are dangerous things to make, and like all dangerous things to make -- bombs, for instance, or strawberry shortcake -- if you make even the tiniest mistake you can find yourself in terrible trouble. Making assumptions simply means believing things are a certain way with little or no evidence that shows you are correct, and you can see at once how this can lead to terrible trouble. For instance, one morning you might wake up and make the assumption that your bed was in the same place that it always was, even though you would have no real evidence that this was so. But when you got out of your bed, you might discover that it had floated out to sea, and now you would be in terrible trouble all because of the incorrect assumption that you'd made. You can see that it is better not to make too many assumptions, particularly in the morning.”
—
733 people liked it
“There is no worse sound in the world than someone who cannot play the violin but insists on doing so anyway.”
—
429 people liked it
More quotes…
Jun 07, 2011 09:33am