The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 5) (original 2000; edition 2000)

I like the idea of a series of unfortunate events unfolding over a collection of 13 books of 13 chapters apiece, but the books are beginning to be a bit one-note. I'm still enjoying the voice and the asides and the very thin but still compelling Beatrice subplot and of course the sometimes charmingly refracted pedantry, but I wouldn't mind a little reworking of the formula as I begin to head toward the midpoint of the series. The introduction of the Quagmire triplets was nice. ( )

I've been reading this series as bedtime stories with Milly, although I did have to go back and read a few myself that she had raced through, unable to wait for me to read them to her at the pace of one chapter a night. They are genuinely brilliant books, funny and dark, mysterious and absurd.

By now we know Snicket's schtick, and the books have settled into a routine. This time the orphans are sent to a boarding school. The idea of Sunny working as a secretary because she is too young for school was one of my favourite ongoing jokes throughout this book. Count Olaf naturally is still dreadful, and still getting away with half arsed disguises because every adult in these books is either a villain or an idiot. Marvellous stuff. ( )

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