Other editions of book A Series of Unfortunate Events #5: The Austere Academy, Netflix Tie-in

Dear Listener, 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 told, within the chapters that make up 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 reading my history of these three hapless youngsters into a microphone, but you may be more comfortable getting a good night's sleep. In that case, you should probably listen to something else. With all due respect,Lemony Snicket

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIESAs 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 just as we have come to expect from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the deliciously morbid set of books that began with The Bad Beginning and only got worse.

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIESAs 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 just as we have come to expect from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the deliciously morbid set of books that began with The Bad Beginning and only got worse.

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIESAs 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 just as we have come to expect from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the deliciously morbid set of books that began with The Bad Beginning and only got worse.

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIESAs 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 just as we have come to expect from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the deliciously morbid set of books that began with The Bad Beginning and only got worse.

At such short notice, it's lucky that the Baudelaires were able to find room at boarding school. Even though the dormitory is full, there's sure to be somewhere for them to sleep. It's important to be well rested for school -- or in case of an emergency. It's fortunate too that the siblings will have a chance to meet some other children. Even though some students are rude, or possibly a part of an evil scheme, there's hope that the Baudelaires will make some friends. A good friend can be a great help in a pinch. The children will even have the chance to take part in a unique athletic program. Even with a sketchy instructor, they will develop strong legs. Strong legs can come in handy for sports -- or to run for your life. With some good sleep, nice friends, a solid education, and strong legs, the Baudelaires will hopefully be as well prepared as they can -- just in case their time at school turns out to be another wretched episode in a series of unfortunate events.