2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Noted Professor Mahler won an award for his expose’ of a notorious crime family. He now teaches Lyra’s documentary film class. Students dislike him. Why? First impressions of this man? Did you perceive any threat from him early on? Did your opinion change as the story progressed? At what point did he become a suspect in your eyes? Thoughts?

Mahler is an egotistical blowhard. The kind of professor that delights in crushing his student's spirits and ridiculing their ideas and work.

I must admit that I missed Mahler for the most part. I'll blame it on listening while running errands. I didn't make the connection between his expose' and what was happening to Lyra until the end.

I read this book straight through, but I fell asleep at some point near the end and determined to push through. I felt as if I had experienced a total lapse of the storyline; maybe it was that abrupt. For me, he was a jerk, but I didn't expect that he would have let Lyra do that project at all if he had guilt residing there.

Good point, Charlene. He had reason to discourage her from focusing on that park.

At first I thought he was a jerk who liked to keep his students under his thumb. But when he talked to Lyra about the progress of her project and realized that she was working on the park which was on the poster on his wall, he seemed very surprised and upset. I immediately began to wonder if he had a reason to not want her to go to that park. Later when he wanted her to do a documentary on children, I figured he was trying to get her to drop the park project. He was my number one suspect early on.

I agree, Robin. It was when he was talking to her about her park project and tried to sway her away that I realized he was more than just an *sshole!!

Professor Mahler reminded me of a professor I had in grad school. His goal was to make an A impossible. I wasn't clued in to Mahler's evil side, because I was cursing him every time he was on the page.

I did start to wonder about him when he tried to discourage her project. I wondered if he was worried that she would get an award and recognition or if he was hiding something.