Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

Quentin Coldwater, a well-to-do high school senior, goes to a college interview where his interviewer turns up dead.  As the the body is being removed, Quentin is offered an envelope with his name written on it by one of the paramedics .  This envelope leads Quentin to a secret academy of magic and to a world that Quentin has long fantasized about.

Book Club Ideas

Decorations

Plan a magic themed book club party.  Decorate with purple and black balloons and cut out gold stars and a moon to lay on the table or hang from the ceiling.  Set out playing cards, white gloves, and magic wands.  Serve your snacks in plastic top hats.

Attire

Wear your top hat, white gloves, and a black flowing cape; or dress like your favorite wizard.  Here’s some assorted magical attire from Amazon.

Book Club Menu

Plan a magically yummy menu for The Magicians book club party!

Magician’s Rabbit Rolls served in a top hat will be a big hit with the guests at your magic-themed party.

Eliot’s Abracadabra Amatriciana Sauce served over pasta.  This is what Eliot was preparing when Quentin and Alice finally gained entrance to the physical kids’ bungalow.  Serve with a good green salad such as Crunchy Broccoli Romaine Salad.

Magic Cookie Bars so named because once you set them out, they magically vanish!

Book Club Resources

Ratings at the time this post was published

Discussion

1. Quentin’s specialty in magic is never revealed even though he is placed with the physical students.  He refers to himself as a “nothingmancer” and a  ”squatmancer”.  Why do you think that his specialty is not defined?  Do you have any ideas as to what his specialty could be?  Were there any hints in the book?  Does Quentin actually have a specialty?
2. Who was your favorite character in The Magicians and why?  What about your least favorite?
3. There were times in the novel that Quentin was wholly unlikeable.  Discuss his behavior after graduating Brakebills and your opinion as to its causes.
4. Many comparisons have been made to the Harry Potter books and the Narnia books.  In what ways is this novel very different from those books?
5. I was lucky enough to see Lev Grossman at the Texas Book Festival this past October and he was part of a discussion panel with four other authors and their genre-bending books.  What does the term genre-bending mean and how does this term apply to The Magicians?

Purchase The Magicians at your favorite bookseller

The Author

Lev Grossman grew up in the Boston suburb of Lexington and earned a Harvard/Yale education.  He has published several novels including The Magician King (2011) which is book 2 in the The Magicians series.  Mr. Grossman won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2011.  He is critic for Time Magazine and currently resides in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters.

Other Works by Lev Grossman

Personal Insights, Favorite Quotes, etc…

“The problem with growing up is that once you’re grown up, the people who aren’t grown up aren’t fun anymore.”
~ Lev Grossman

My two favorite scenes in the novel (without saying too much) are the  flocks of geese scene and the foxes romping in the snow scene.  These two scenes are AMAZING!

Do you have any other ideas or recipes for a book club party for The Magicians?  We would love to have you share them with us! You can leave a comment below and upload pictures as well.