magicians


 * Welcome to Brakebills College For Magical Pedagogy**

__//**ROUND 1 (7 MAY 2010)**//__

Jobs:

Michael- Character Descriptions Matt- Team Leader Lina- Summary Josh- Questions Brett- Bring Food

Characters:

__Quentin Coldwater__ - the main character, a senior in high school on a search for colleges discovers something better. After passing through a portal from Brooklyn to upstate New York chasing after a page to the 6th book of the Fillory series (his obsession) which is given to him by a paramedic when he finds a man dead, he takes an examination to see if he would be able to attend Brakebills (Magic Harvard). He passes and decides to live at Brakebills. He starts class in two weeks and is soon bumped up to second year along with one other, Alice. A boy, Penny, becomes jealous and punches Quentin in the face, they get into a fight ad both get injured. The Dean threatens that if this were ever to happen again they would both be expelled. Quentin continues to meet new friends and explore the campus and the magical properties that run it's secret existence. __Christopher Plover__ - author of the Fillory series. __James__ - Quentin best friend from Brooklyn, even though he is going out with the girl Quentin is in love with; Julia. __Julia__ - James' girlfriend, Quentin's love. Quentin keeps dreaming that she would be his, but the more time he spends at Brakebills the more he forgets about his love for her. __The College Interviewer__ - Quentin finds him dead. Leaves Quentin the envelope with the 6th book inside??? (or was it the paramedic???) __The Parameic__ - a beautiful young woman, about twenty-five. Sh gives Quentin a folder with the sixth book of the Fillory series, a page blows away in the wind, he chases it and goes through the portal. Quentin also sees her later after Penny gives him a concussion. __Eliot__ - older than Quentin, smokes, has homosexual encounters with Eric, and a member of "The Physical Kids" (the rarest type of Magician) __Henry Fogg or Dean Fogg__ - The Dean of Brakebills. __Alice__ - extremely shy girl who advances to the second year early with Quentin. She really only opens up to Quentin, and Penny thinks that they like each other (do they?). __Surendra__ - Quentin's lab partner in P.A. (Practical Applications). __Penny__ - studied with Quentin and Alice but did not get bumped up to second year. He was jealous and thought it was unfair that they made it and he didn't so he picked a fight with Quentin. __Quentin's Parents__ - very minor characters but now that he has gotten a taste of a magical school he does not want to be home with them, he would rather be at Brakebills. __Eric__ - has homosexual encounters wit Eliot in a secret observatory that Quentin used to do his work in. __Amanda Orloff__ - a second year, who paricipated a lot in class demonstrating magical techniques. __Gretchen__ - introduces Quentin to the magical game of Welters (played on that strange checker board in the woods). __Josh Hoberman__ - one of Eliot's friends, the fat one, that broke up the fight between Quentin and Penny.

Other Teachers: __Professor March__ - round man with the hungry lizard. First year P.A. teacher. __Professor Van der Weghe__ - __Professor Sunderland__ - Quentin's tutor, a beautiful woman. __Professor Heckler__ - seven foot tall, German, second year P.A. teacher. __Professor Moretti__ - declared that Quentin had a minor concussion. Professor Mayakovsky- Russian teacher who teaches at Brakebills South

Discussion Questions: 1. Why do you think Quentin has never "gotten over", the Fillory books? Brett: They resonated with him in a way that he could never forget. Mike: Since he was always working hard, he never got time to be a child. Matt: His intelligence distanced him from his peers and made him mature at an early, so he needed something childish to hold on to. Lina: Agrees with Matt. 2. The examination process was very complex, and different to each person taking it. Why do you think so? Lina: They were were trying to see who was more "magic" than the others. Mike: we don't know how magic they are, and this was a way to test the waters. Brett: Quentin's not in Kansas anymore, and Grossman wants us to know that. 3. why do you believe the old man died before James and Quentin could get an interview? All: Horrible coincidence. 4. Will Quentin succeed at Brakebills? Why or why not? too early to tell. 5. Why do you think Quentin was scouted? Because he had an interest in magic. The coin trick

Our meeting started by all of us enjoying the delicious chips that Brett brought, and drinking water. We then moved on to discussion our book, and we all greed that we liked the book very much. We thought that it was a very interesting book, and that it was a rated r more adult version of Harry Potter. We think that the author of our book included what the author of Harry Potter wanted to include bu never did. We are all looking forward to reading the book and seeing where is going to take us, because it is not very predictable. We think that it has been one of the most enjoyable books we have read so far.
 * __//Summary://__**

__//**ROUND TWO (14 MAY 2010)**//__

Jobs: Lina/Brett- Team Leaders Josh- Summary Matt- Bring Food/Drinks Michael- Questions

Questions:

1. Do you think Quentin actually had sex with Alice or do you think only the wolf had sex with Alice?

Brett- just the wolf Lina- just the wolves did but he feels like he did Mike- I feel like they did have sex with each other, they were turned into wolves so it was them

2. What do you think will happen to Quentin when he gets back to Brakebills (North)?

Brett- he will impress all the kids back at school with his knowledge of magic. Lina- he will continue his life the same way he always did Mike- he will be much at magic better when he gets back

3. Do you think Alice is in love with Quentin? Do you think Quentin is in love with Alice?

Brett- yes, yes Lina- yes, yes Mike- yes, not yet

4. Why do you think Quentin ran the 500 miles to the South Pole? He did not have to. Why did he feel obligated to do so?

Brett- he did it just to see what he could do, Lina- agreed Mike- agreed

5. Do you think Quentin will ever get his Discipline? If so, what do you think it will be?

Brett- yes, Josh- yes, he thinks since he has spent so much time with the Physical kids he will be one of them Lina- yes, Mike- yes, i think he will end up being a physical kid

Summary:

The 3rd year Students of Brakebills have their disciplines chosen. Alice is placed in the "Physical" magic category, while Quentin's discipline remains undetermined. He is placed with the Physicals since they have the least amount of members. Alice and Quentin have to complete a challenge to enter the Physical house, by finding a way to get into the house. Alice uses a light beam to break down the door, and they meet the other Physicals, Josh, Eliot, and Janet. There is a campus wide "Welters" tournament

__//**ROUND THREE (MAY 21)**//__

Jobs: Lina- Bring Food Josh-Summary (as per my e-mail) Michael- Questions Matt- Discussion Leader Brett- Questions

Questions: (By Brett) 1. What was your reaction to the story of Emily Greenstreet? Lina- i at first wasn't sure why Alice was telling the story, but then it made sense because it was her brother Brett- i found it very interesting and tragic Matt- it was sad 2. Did it surprise you when Julia revealed she had been tested for magical abilities? Lina- no Matt- i second Lina Julia- quite 3. Could Julia's depleted physical state (emaciated, pale) symbolize how Quentin's love for her has also been depleted since he ,met Alice? Lina/Matt- yeah, good connection 4. Did it surprise you to know that real dragons exist? Lina- in a way i thought Grossman was trying to be more realistic, but now i see it as a fairy tale Matt- yes

Questions: (By Mike) 6. Do you think Julia is actually "brainwashed" by Professor Fogg this time? Or did his attempts to erase her memory fail once again? Will she come to Quentin again seeking answers about the magical world? Lina- i think that it probably worked Brett- i think that the memory charm will never work Matt- it failed and she will be back 7. Penny is back. Is he here to pick another fight with Quentin? How did he find them? Lina- yeah he is back to fight Quentin Matt- he is back to win Alice Brett- he is back to find Alice 8. Will Quentin escape from this drunken orgy that he calls his lifestyle? He knows he must get out. But will he? How? Lina- he eventually will but he's happy Brett- maybe Penny will come back to steal Alice and this will convince him to clean up Matt- i agree 9. Alice warned him about this. Is she going to leave him now? Will she leave him for Penny? Lina- not right away Brett- yes Matt- yes

Summary:

__//**ROUND FOUR: FINAL ROUND MAY 28**//__

Jobs: Matt- questions Josh- Bring food Mike- discussion leader Brett- type summary Lina- help Matt with questions

Questions Lina's 1) Why do you think Quentin slept with Janet? Do you think that Alice was right and that he thought that would make him happy,and that he just have been wanting to sleep with her all along? All - he did it because he was just drunk, it doesn't not make it right but he was drunk

2) Were you surprised when you discovered that Penny dropped out of Brakebills? If so why? Brett did not care about Penny, neither did Matt, or Lina. Penny never struck Josh as an interesting character. Mike thought that Penny was smart enough to graduate but Penny did not want to because he felt he learned all that he was going to learn.

3) Why do you think that Quentin stayed with Alice if he admitted to not even loving her anymore? Lina thinks Quentin was just using Alice for sex. Mike thinks that Quentin still has feelings for her and he has been with her for so long that he feels lost without her by his side. Brett and Josh say jealousy because he just didn't want anyone else to have her.

4) Why do you think that Penny didn't try looking for Fillory on his own, why did he bother finding the others so that they could go with him? Brett - to prove that it existed. Josh - he didn't want to be ridiculed if he didn't find it so that he could share the blame if he was wrong. Mike & Lina - he was scared

5)Why do you think that when Quentin found out that Alice and Penny were having sex in her room, he didn't go into the room? Brett - he didn't want to see Penny naked. The rest - WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO WATCH SOMEONE SCREWING YOUR GIRL?!?!?!

(Matt) 6. What would you say is the overall theme of the stories so far? action/adventure

7. Who do you think the two kings and queens will be? Quentin, Alice, Penny, Janet

8. Do you think the repetition of the book is getting dull? yes, too much getting drunk and screwing up and then being mad at each other

9. Do you find irony in the fact that the book is so similar to the famed Narnia series? Irony? No But, I was hoping it would be a little more original

10. Do you think all eight of them will survive Fillery or any of them will die? No, some will die

Summary: This was the final bookclub of the year. The meeting began with a spirited noshing on the scrumptious homemade cookies provided by Josh. We read the questions written by Lina and had an interesting discussion about the turn the book is taking. We speculated on the emotional motivations of the characters. Mike and I agree that the book began to become boring after the first section ended and I voiced my opinion about how the book should have ended with the graduation from Brakebills. This would allow the central characters to have their emotional and physical journeys end in a satisying place.

Josh also remarked on the Filllory books, the books-within-the-book, is basically a rip-off of The Narnia Series; the grandfather clock, the British children. As I examine the observation, I wonder if Lev Grossman was not insulting the series in a tongue-in-cheek way. Personally, I think the Fillory series are closer in plot to Alice in Wonderland.