A Spell for Chameleon (Xanth, Book 1)

Probably not a fairly review but so what. I have enjoyed the Xanth series of books for some 40 years now. Piers Anthony has been one of my favorite authors of all time. His wit and ability to tell a story is second to none. Full of puns, and fun. You will laugh, guaranteed, and have a whole new world opened up to. Enjoy the land of Xanth during your stay in Mundania.

Really loved the descriptive wording and the book had me thinking all the time. I became Bink as I read this book. I read it 40 years ago. Am in love with Chameleon still.

There are good things to say about this book, but first, the criticisms.I read this book as a teen and enjoyed it, though it was by far not my favorite book. Anthony resorts to clever turns of phrase, and doesn't really concern himself with quality writing. The descriptions of scene and setting are terse and really only exist to serve the immediate action. There is a lot of pondering of imponderables regarding the nature of the magical land of Xanth and it's denizens and not really any real insights into more character-driven issues.It struck me somewhere around the half-way mark in this second read years later that this book was reading more like a childrens fairy tale than a grown-up book. If it weren't for the many references to the relationships between men and women and the rampant misogyny I could easily see myself reading this as a bed time story to young nieces or nephews.Misogyny? Oh yes, it's there, bold and unapologetic. There are those who have tried to defend it, but there is no lipstick you can put on this male chauvinist pig. Women are portrayed in terms of how they look and just how manipulative and deceitful they can be. I can only speculate that the author must have written this series of books while going through a nasty divorce or something. The next book opens with one of the heroines of this book having turned into a nasty and repulsive harridan throwing expletive-filled verbal assaults on our protagonist like cherry bombs.Criticisms aside, the story is engaging and exciting, action-packed and cleverly plotted. It was a fun bathroom reader and time-passer and I got a kick of some of the clever turns of phrase. For example, in describing a three-way under-water fight, which can be tricky to write well: "There was nothing but mutual mischief." That conveyed the scene well enough for me to picture a comedic struggle, and that's sometimes all an author can ask.Overall I would recommend this book to those seeking a fun, no-brainer to read, if they can overlook some offensive references to women and don't really seek much intellectual stimulation. If that's not you, you really won't get much from reading this book.

Piers Anthony‘s books are always a delight to read. I first read this in 1978; it has lost none of its magic. Anthony is one of the best at subtle puns and at turning everyday idioms and colloquialisms into an integral part of the humor. Anthony also tells a damn good story. Just for a lark, I tried a sample of the simplified version. Don’t bother. If you were thinking of it for a youngster, don’t. There are words they might not know; teach them to look them up! It’s mind-bendingly simple with Kindle. I do want to address the accusations the book is sexist. Yes, and No. Yes there are a lot of beautiful females in this book, many described in detail because they are topless or naked. You have to remember, though, this book is written from the point of view of a young man still in the prime of horniness, so the book reflects that condition. Secondly, the book was written and published back in the day when the primary audience for fantasy was young males. Or not quite-so-young males, but males nonetheless. So, of course the writing reflects the audience. On the “No” side of the sexism question, there are a few strong females in the book and Bink recognizes their strengths. Furthermore, Bink’s attitudes towards beauty and brains in a woman are not static through the book. Try to read it with these in mind.

I don't remember the last time I couldn't put a book down. I initially bought this for my 14 year old, excited to unleash the wit of Xanth. She couldn't stay interested (she's more of a comic book reader) so I took a peak to confirm if the writing was as good as I remembered. I actually could not put this book down. Even during work, I'd read a few pages here and there to get my "fix". It is absolutely spellbinding.I cannot, for the life of me, understand how J.K. Rowling is a household name but Piers Anthony isn't! His writing is eloquent and clever. The dialogue never disappoints and the characters have the perfect amount of development. Piers creates a fantastical world without boring his readers with repetitious concepts.Regarding the misogyny, I think many are misled or misunderstanding. You have to read the whole book to understand the characters and their mindsets. You shouldn't stop halfway, announce the book as sexist and throw it out. Instead, use your mind to pick up on what the author is putting down: he is making FUN of misogyny. He is poking fun at gender stereotypes and their hilarity. Really, he is, but you have to read the books to get this. Piers doesn't hate women. He finds our man-made stereotypes to be funny, and so he mimicks it in Xanth. Many readers seemed to be upset by the rape trial scene, however, it is relevant to character development and laying the cultural foundation of Xanth.When you look at the end of the book and find the map of Xanth, you'll be tickled. Similar to everything in this book, the fun is in the details.If you're a skim reader, you may not enjoy this book. It's not intended to be skimmed!

Awesome

Great read suggested by a friendIv seen mamy reviews about this being outdated but for me was just classic fantasy at its best.Likeable characters and character development was superb. Great story

I really enjoyed this one, it's both a straight fantasy novel as well as a deconstruction of certain fantasy tropes.The story has unique rules that it sets up and follows, which I really enjoyed. It has a certain "epic journey" feel to it, but the real star is the world and its characters.So really, give it a chance, you won't regret it.

Enjoyable and fun story. Quite funny.

I read these as a teen, they really are still as captivating! I am so glad to rediscover them and share the magic with my kids.