Artemis Fowl, Week 4

Welcome to the final discussion of Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. 

How satisfied were you by the ending of the book? I was very surprised by how the whole situation wrapped up. 

What did you think about Mulch? He was a really unexpected character. First of all, I was very confounded by his ability to dig through dirt with is mouth. I guess my only other experience with dwarfs is through Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Even though they were miners, they carried pick axes, so I assume they didn't mine with their mouths. I admit I really didn't like the visual of how Mulch rid himself of all of the excess dirt and air he acquired during his tunneling. That was really gross, but I can see how it might appeal to younger readers who enjoy potty humor. What did you think when Mulch knocked out the Butler with his expulsion? How did you envision Mulch while you were reading? Josh Gad plays this character in the movie, and you can see how he looks in costume.

When I first read about Mulch opening the vault, I thought that Holly might be in there. I wasn't exactly sure what he might find in a vault like that. Did you immediately assume that he found the fairy book, or did you think he might have found something else? What else do you think Artemis would hide in a vault? 

Did you feel sad for Juliet when Holly used the "mesmer" spell on her? I couldn't believe that Holly was able to get so much power just by sticking the acorn in the tiny piece of dirt. I understood why she used her powers against Juliet, but I still felt bad for Juliet. I wish Holly had been able to use her powers on Artemis, since I feel like he deserved punishment more than Juliet did. 

I wasn't surprised that Mulch was able to escape after leaving the house. He was just too tricky. Do you think Mulch shows up in later books in the series? I bet he does—he's too interesting of a character to lose. Maybe he eventually works together with Artemis. 

The troll attack in this section wasn't any better than the troll attack in the first chapters. He immediately wrecked havoc on everything. Could you believe how he took out the Butler? I was sure glad that Holly's lights finally worked, so she could incapacitate the Troll. And I was glad that she was able to heal the Butler. That would have been an unimaginable loss if he had died from the Troll attack. 

What did you think about the ending? I was shocked that Artemis was able to keep some of the gold. And I was really surprised that his plan to defeat the time bomb was the put everyone to sleep. I'm glad it worked for him, but it was a really big risk to take. Do you think having his mother coherent will put a big crimp in his style? Will he be able to do so many nefarious things if his mother is able to keep tabs on him? Do you think Artemis was the real victor in all of this, or did he lose because he made mortal enemies of the fairies? Do you think they'll keep close tabs on him now that they realize what he's capable of? 

I'm sure Holly and Artemis will connect again in later books. I feel like they are so connected to each other through this ordeal, so I can't imagine that they won't work together again. What kind of event would bring them together and allow them to fight on the same side? 

I hope you enjoyed reading along with us this month. If you liked this book, check out the list I made of similar items. Make sure to let me know if you try anything on the list!

Before you go, check out the clip below to hear Eoin Colfer talking about the movie version. And read this interview in which director Kenneth Branagh talks about how he made the movie version his own. 

I hope you'll join us again next month as we read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I can't wait to hear from you in the comments section.