On the HahaFiction shelf
A Spell for Chameleon
Xanth · Book 1
Everyone in Xanth needs a magical talent to belong. Bink can't demonstrate one, and exile is approaching. Even Magician Humfrey's conviction that he has powerful magic is little help when neither of them can identify it.
From the publisher’s blurb
“Xanth was the enchanted land where magic ruled”Read the full description at Del Rey, publisher description
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What makes it funny?
In the opening excerpt, Bink recalls losing a finger while playing with a cleaver. His mother thinks the injury has taught him a lesson. Bink agrees: next time, he'll watch where his fingers are. Giving up the cleaver isn't the conclusion he draws.
The comedy at work
Anthony lets ordinary practical reasoning carry on through magical dangers, even when the reasoning is questionable. Sexual innuendo also accompanies encounters with mythical creatures, as Salon's discussion of Bink's centaur ride illustrates.
Try this if…
Bink's search offers a magical quest with bawdy humor. Readers in book groups recommend the wider Xanth series for its puns and imaginative world, with this novel providing the beginning.
Good to know
The novel includes sexist attitudes, gender stereotypes and a rape trial. Dennis Wilson Wise's Mythlore study discusses these elements while arguing that the book also rewards a more appreciative reading. Book-group readers say Xanth can be entered at different points in the series.
More funny quest
Sources & further reading
- Publisher excerpt
Reading sample
- Series bibliography
Book information
- Publisher
Publisher
- Salon critical essay
Review
- Mythlore critical study
Review
- Reader discussion
Reader discussion
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