After the success of Big Fish in novel and film form, Daniel Wallace joined the growing group of talented Southern storytellers to watch. With Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician, he continues to strengthen his ability to concoct tales that feel and sound like folklore, this one cloaked in themes of identity and the tales we tell to try to make life less tragic. Use these book club discussion questions on Mr. Sebastian to delve into Wallace's world.
Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details about Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician by Daniel Wallace. Finish the book before reading on.
- What did you first think of Henry in the beginning? Did your view of him change by the end?
- What types of stories does Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician remind you of? Is it a fable? Folklore? Or something new?
- Do you think there were enough reveals about Henry’s life to put together who he truly was? Or is there still a mystery to his illusion in the end?
- Was the devil really in action in this story or is he also an illusion?
- Would life have been better for Henry if he had accepted the simple truth and lived in light of what he did know?
- Explain Henry’s last encounter with Mr. Sebastian and the three women in the last third of the novel. Why is this the climax of the story?
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