About Michael
I fell in love with Michael as soon as he was introduced. Slightly cranky, with clothes constantly too small for him and a penchant for reading French paperbacks (think a delightful, quirky combination of JK Rowling's Mad-Eye Moody and Remus Lupin), Michael’s main function in the book is to act as the kids’ tutor, both in magic and in other subjects. He’s also quite the confidante of Chrestomanci, often popping up around the same time and helping with Chrestomanci’s spells and speculations. He’s obviously important enough to be recognized by Cat as an extremely powerful wizard, someone who merits his own workshop in the older part of the Castle. He’s more emotional and a bit more severe than Chrestomanci, but his heart’s in the right place, and it’s easy to deduce that even as he snarks about the children, he also cares a lot about them (with the possible exception of Gwendolen, who seems to annoy him excessively).
Though he does have a few explosions, Michael is generally deceptively mild in discipline and self-assured enough to do what needs doing without much fuss. His response to having ink thrown all over him is to calmly tell Gwendolen to refill her ink well--and to make sure she keeps at it for thirty minutes whether she likes it or not. He also yells at Cat for trying to hide his left-handedness, but his animosity seems more directed at Cat’s previous teachers, whom he thinks are utter idiots for believing there’s something wrong with being left-handed.
Though he comes off initially as being a bit short-tempered, Michael is an excellent, if strict, teacher who knows how to get the best out of his students. And like Chrestomanci, he seems to know a lot more than he’s letting on.
In addition to being a powerful magician, Michael is also a bit stuck on art--probably because he travels a lot and has a chance to see much of it in person. The only one who can really keep up with him in such academic discussions appears to be Chrestomanci, who enjoys matching wits with Michael and is just as oblivious as his friend to the rest of the Family’s relative disinterest. Nevertheless, everyone seems to tolerate Michael’s obsessions, though Milly does confide in Cat that she, too, is about ready for him to shut up about art already.
Plus he keeps a snarky baby dragon in his office. What’s not to love?
About a Relationship
I really wanted to know more about the relationship between Michael and Chrestomanci. Where and how did they meet? Why does Michael appear to be the only Family member with whom Chrestomanci drops the façade and talks seriously about what concerns him? Just how powerful is Michael, and why do he and Chrestomanci work together far more often than any other two Family members? I was really disappointed that he didn't show up in The Lives of Christopher Chant or Conrad's Fate, so I’m hoping for some more backstory on Michael in future Chrestomanci stories.
About Michael's Past
And while we’re talking backstory, where did Michael come from? Why does he get his own workshop? Where did he pick up the dragon? And why can’t he manage to find some clothes that fit right?
