The Austere Academy

The Austere Academy is the Book the Fifth of the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. It is preceeded by Book the Fourth, The Miserable Mill, and succeded by Book the Sixth, The Ersatz Elevator.

For Reference, from back of book:

Dear Reader,

If you are looking for a story about cheerful youngsters spreading 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 into another miserable episode in their unlucky lies.

Truth be told, within the chapters that make this dreadful story, the children will face snapping crabs, strict punishments, dripping fungus, comprehensive exams, violin recitals, S.O.R.E, and the metric system.

It is my solemn duty to stay up all night researching and writing the history of these three hapless youngsters, but you may be more comfortable getting a good night's sleep. In that case, you should probably choose some other book.

With All Due Respect,

Lemony Snicket

~A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Fifth: The Austere Academy. Written by Lemony Snicket~

Plot

Prufrock Preparatory School is a school that the Baudelaire orphans attend for a few weeks. There are only two teachers, Mr. Remora and Ms. Bass, and a most unpleasant Vice Prinicpal Nero. He is a most unpleasant man who thinks he were able to play the violin, which he cannot, but therefore performing 6-hour-concerts, where he plays a terrible 30-minute-sonata 6 times.

Chapter One

In Chapter One, the Baudelaire orphans come to Prufrock Preparatory School. Mr. Poe tells them to go to Vice Principal Nero's office, but he cannot follow them, because the Banking Day has already begun. The orphans encounter Carmelita Spats for the first time. Carmelita Spats is a most unpleasant young girl who is very nasty to the Baudelaire orphans, calling them "cakesniffers".

Chapter Two

Nervously, the orphans enter the office of Vice Principal Nero. Nero welcomes them ironically at Prufrock Prep, and after a few seconds he is no more going to depress myself further by listening to the problems of three bratty children. He explains that his advanced computer will be able to keep Olaf away. He explains them where they will be studying, forbids them to enter the administrative building and tells them that they'll have to eat their meals without silverware, but has Sunny working as his assistant in the administrating bulding, which forces Sunny to eat all her meals at Prufrock Prep without silverware. Furthermore, he forbids them to sleep in the dormitories of the school because this needs to be allowed by their parents, who are, unfortunately, dead. Therefore, the children must sleep in a shack made entirely of tin.

Chapter Three

In Chapter Three, the orphans notice that the shack is full of crabs. As the orphans enter the cafeteria, they are badly mocked by Carmelita Spats, but somewhat rescued by the Quagmire triplets, whom they befriend. The Quagmire triplets are two young kids, Isadora Quagmire and Duncan Quagmire. Their eldest brother, Quigley Quagmire, was killed by the fire that killed their parents.