Literally Leander discussion

Our featured book for August 2019 is The Beholder by Anna Bright. Please be aware that there will likely be spoilers in the novel in this discussion thread.

With this book being so new (just published this past June!) there are no discussion questions online. Once again, we had to turn to our staff to write these discussion prompts for this month. Remember, you're not required to answer any of these! We just like to offer them for those who need them. Otherwise, we'd love to see any of your observations you had, as well as any questions you'd like to pose to your fellow members.

1. The Beholder is set in an alternate world where the colonies were abandoned by the British, resulting in small countries like Selah’s. What did you think of the setting for this novel?

2. The book was inspired by “Cinderella” and “The Odyssey.” Was this combination well done? Was one story more easily seen than the other, or were they about equal?

3. How would you describe Selah? What kind of narrator was she?

4. Out of Selah’s suitors, both official and not, did you have a favorite? Which one did you think complemented Selah best?

5. Do you plan on reading the sequel, The Boundless? Where do you think Selah’s story will go?

We're looking forward to your discussion!

I was way, way excited for this one. I adore retellings, and The Odyssey was one of the few required books for school that I actually liked (I'm a rebel, but only slightly. Like, don't tell me what to read, let my inner nerd read in peace, thanks.) And I have to admit that I'm a sucker for a good romance. I know that it's a turnoff for some folks, but I love it (pun sort of intended) and so I was really looking forward to some sweeping, fantastical romance.

I both got what I wanted and not what I wanted at all. I did like the premise of the book, I liked the Selah was being forced to "find a suitor." But I think the book also fell victim to typical tropes (omgggg no more instalove, please!!) I ended up struggling with whether to give this a respectable three stars or a commendable four, and ended up splitting the difference with a 3.5.

1. The Beholder is set in an alternate world where the colonies were abandoned by the British, resulting in small countries like Selah’s. What did you think of the setting for this novel?
I actually thought that this was a pretty cool setting. I went in expecting pure fantasy, but to have an alternate reality is more unique. I like how interesting results can be when they come out of a simple "what if" question and a dash of imagination.

2. The book was inspired by “Cinderella” and “The Odyssey.” Was this combination well done? Was one story more easily seen than the other, or were they about equal?
I would actually hesitate to call this a retelling. Maybe it would be more apt to call it a homage. There are aspects of the story that were similar, but I pretty much referenced this in my personal review. I would say that the book was based more on the ideal fairytale than it is on any one story. Selah's father's health is on the decline and she has an "evil stepmother," but so do most heroines in fairytales. The only thing Cinderella-specific is that Selah loses a shoe at the beginning of the novel, and discovers that the captain of her ship, Lang, is the one that found it (and that he held onto it, so...) For The Odyssey, it seems more like it was the general idea of sailing and arriving at places that tried their best to convince Selah to stay, when all she wanted was to get back to her family.

One thing, though, that I noticed was that many of the ship's crew members had names that were related to storytelling--either by being famous authors or being inspired by fairytales themselves. A few examples: Grimm, Homer, Andersen, and Yasumaro.

3. How would you describe Selah? What kind of narrator was she?
I thought she was an okay narrator, but I think this is where most of my personal pitfalls fell. I thought that Selah, as a person who was expected to eventually lead a country, no matter how small, was painfully naive in some aspects. She did not come off as a character that was around eighteen years old.

At the same time, I also disliked how quick the romance(s) were. I can't really say that this is solidly a narrator issue, but I think it would've been more realistic if Selah hadn't fallen head-over-heels for both suitors that she met in this novel, one right after the other.

Barely a week ago I’d been wanting someone else, kissing someone else. What sort of fickle heart could feel so much for two people, a week apart?

It could be argued, of course, that this is more of an issue with plotting, but I will hold steadfast that it would've felt more true if Selah avoided "love" as descriptors for her feelings, with both Bear and Torden.

4. Out of Selah’s suitors, both official and not, did you have a favorite? Which one did you think complemented Selah best?
I think out of her official suitors, Torden is her best match; he's her physical offset, but also complements her by personality. Whereas he enjoys the outdoors, Selah is more interested in reading. But they're also patient and adventurous enough to take in to account that they can explore and support the other's interest.

However, I have a feeling that Captain Lang will be a character worth watching out for. I don't quite know if he'll be a suitor for Selah or not (I was actually hardcore leaning towards "forbidden romance" at the beginning of the novel.) I have no idea if there are ever going to be romantic feelings between them, but I feel like he's someone that might tip the balances in subsequent books.

5. Do you plan on reading the sequel, The Boundless? Where do you think Selah’s story will go?
While I wouldn't necessarily say that I was chomping at the bit to get the next book in the series, I think I'd be open to reading it if I got the chance.