Helpful Score: 9
I have such mixed feelings about this book, it's actually hard to write a review. The Magicians has a great hook: imagine the premise of Harry Potter, but played out among college-aged characters, with all the angst and sex and confusion that accompanies that life stage. Only, to complicated matters even further, add magic to the mix in the midst of the real-world and all its mundane struggles and disappointments.
The story follows Quentin (Q), a fairly typical young man that has never quite fit in. The one place he finds contentment and peace is in Fillory -- a magical land (very reminiscent of Narnia) that exists only between the covers of his favorite childhood book series. Or so it seems. As readers, we learn that there's a very good reason that Q has been unable to let go of the tales of Fillory. Magic is in his blood.
But just because he's bright and has knowledge of magic doesn't mean things come easy to Q. The magic in Grossman's book is hard won after years of work, study and mastery -- there's no simple incantation and flip of a wand. Instead of an admittance letter delivered by owl, Q has to endure grueling admissions exams to study at Brakebills. Over his course of study, he makes friends, falls in love, figures out his area of study in magic, and makes a fantastic pilgrimage that, for me, was the high point of the story.
I think my biggest problem with The Magicians was that I just didn't like Q. He is moody, immature and self-pitying through the entire book -- and somehow, he doesn't do any growing in the novel, despite his fantastic circumstances. You could argue that most of us are moody, immature and self-pitying while we're in college, but Q still really grated on me. It took me much longer than usual to get through this book, and I think my lack of enthusiasm for the main character was the main cause. I just didn't feel called to check in on him and see what he was up to.
Grossman's writing is one thing in this book that is truly magical. I loved the way he spun his sentences, and his descriptions are top-notch without being wordy for the sake of wordiness. I am not familiar with his blog or his work as a book reviewer, but I hope he plans to write more novels in the future. His writing style and ability to create a fantastic world in line with our everyday one are definitely worth a second look.
The story follows Quentin (Q), a fairly typical young man that has never quite fit in. The one place he finds contentment and peace is in Fillory -- a magical land (very reminiscent of Narnia) that exists only between the covers of his favorite childhood book series. Or so it seems. As readers, we learn that there's a very good reason that Q has been unable to let go of the tales of Fillory. Magic is in his blood.
But just because he's bright and has knowledge of magic doesn't mean things come easy to Q. The magic in Grossman's book is hard won after years of work, study and mastery -- there's no simple incantation and flip of a wand. Instead of an admittance letter delivered by owl, Q has to endure grueling admissions exams to study at Brakebills. Over his course of study, he makes friends, falls in love, figures out his area of study in magic, and makes a fantastic pilgrimage that, for me, was the high point of the story.
I think my biggest problem with The Magicians was that I just didn't like Q. He is moody, immature and self-pitying through the entire book -- and somehow, he doesn't do any growing in the novel, despite his fantastic circumstances. You could argue that most of us are moody, immature and self-pitying while we're in college, but Q still really grated on me. It took me much longer than usual to get through this book, and I think my lack of enthusiasm for the main character was the main cause. I just didn't feel called to check in on him and see what he was up to.
Grossman's writing is one thing in this book that is truly magical. I loved the way he spun his sentences, and his descriptions are top-notch without being wordy for the sake of wordiness. I am not familiar with his blog or his work as a book reviewer, but I hope he plans to write more novels in the future. His writing style and ability to create a fantastic world in line with our everyday one are definitely worth a second look.
Helpful Score: 5
I really liked the descriptions, situations and plot twists in this book. The problem was that I wasn't fond of the protagonist, Quentin. His friends seemed so much more interesting. Perhaps Quentin will grow up in the next book!
Helpful Score: 3
After all the hype, I was expecting a lot more out of this. Without giving too much away, the book spends a decent chunk of time at Brakebills but it doesn't feel like enough. The whole story feels like someone hit fast forward and you get the big main points, but not any of the character and story development that *could* be there. For lack of better comparison, it's like the first three Harry Potter books being distilled down into one story.
Quentin isn't the most likeable protagonist either. He whines and pities himself through most of the book, just like a lot of regular teens/people. Which is fine for the most part, because you know a big lesson is coming for him. Except the thing is, when the big lesson comes and he learns it, it feels anti-climactic and I just ended up mentally comparing him to an ex who was also whiney and poo-faced. Maybe I would have liked this story more had it been told from Alice, Penny, Eliot or even one of the professor's perspective. There's so much hinted at in their pasts and so little revealed; at certain points I was really hoping the story would take a multi-perspective storytelling stance so we could get into the meat of their lives, but no such luck.
Overall I liked the book and was entertained enough to finish it, but as other reviewers have stated, the whole book just feels like it exists as a set-up to the next book... which I'm not really sure I want to read.
Quentin isn't the most likeable protagonist either. He whines and pities himself through most of the book, just like a lot of regular teens/people. Which is fine for the most part, because you know a big lesson is coming for him. Except the thing is, when the big lesson comes and he learns it, it feels anti-climactic and I just ended up mentally comparing him to an ex who was also whiney and poo-faced. Maybe I would have liked this story more had it been told from Alice, Penny, Eliot or even one of the professor's perspective. There's so much hinted at in their pasts and so little revealed; at certain points I was really hoping the story would take a multi-perspective storytelling stance so we could get into the meat of their lives, but no such luck.
Overall I liked the book and was entertained enough to finish it, but as other reviewers have stated, the whole book just feels like it exists as a set-up to the next book... which I'm not really sure I want to read.
Helpful Score: 3
I did not like it. I did not feel as if I got the know the characters, did not care if they lived or died and did not enjoy the fantasy aspect.
Helpful Score: 3
Honestly, I felt like this book was a big f-you to anyone who ever wanted to go to Hogwarts or dreamt of finding a secret cupboard to Narnia.
Quentin was an unlikeable main character who is constantly bored and unsatisfied with his life, no matter how miraculous it becomes. He even stops and says at times how he should be happy, but he just isn't. Someone should have given him a Prozac and the story would be much better. Probably.
The world was neat and I liked the magic school when Quentin wasn't mucking it up. I didn't like how the author took what should have been an amazing experience - Magic is Real!!! - and turned it into hard work. What I love about fantasy and magic is that they are better than the real world. There is Good and Evil and Quests and Glory. The Magicians turned magic into Difficult, Dangerous, and Useless.
I can give this 3 stars because it did hold my interest. It was a different take on your typical fantasy. Trying something new and succeeding should get at least that many stars.
I'm sure there are those who really enjoy this and can see beyond the main character's flaws, or actually can appreciate the main character for his flaws. For me, however, all I wanted after finishing this was to curl up with a childhood favorite where the good guys win and magic always sparkles.
Quentin was an unlikeable main character who is constantly bored and unsatisfied with his life, no matter how miraculous it becomes. He even stops and says at times how he should be happy, but he just isn't. Someone should have given him a Prozac and the story would be much better. Probably.
The world was neat and I liked the magic school when Quentin wasn't mucking it up. I didn't like how the author took what should have been an amazing experience - Magic is Real!!! - and turned it into hard work. What I love about fantasy and magic is that they are better than the real world. There is Good and Evil and Quests and Glory. The Magicians turned magic into Difficult, Dangerous, and Useless.
I can give this 3 stars because it did hold my interest. It was a different take on your typical fantasy. Trying something new and succeeding should get at least that many stars.
I'm sure there are those who really enjoy this and can see beyond the main character's flaws, or actually can appreciate the main character for his flaws. For me, however, all I wanted after finishing this was to curl up with a childhood favorite where the good guys win and magic always sparkles.
Helpful Score: 3
This book is wonderful. It is the story of a young man who gets into wizarding college. The difference between this and Harry Potter is that all of these characters are real people who have flaws. This book touches on Alice in Wonderland, Narnia, Harry Potter, and a few other major fantasies with a twist. I would recommend this book for people not just into fantasy, but psychological stories as well.
Helpful Score: 2
I was so very excited to find this book at my local library so I wouldn't have to wait through my place on the wishlist and it turns out I'm very glad it happened that way. I really wanted to like this book. The whole concept was intriguing but it didn't live up to its promise for me.
My best description is that it almost feels more like Quentin's LiveJournal or BlogSpot entries than a book. He never seems happy and is always complaining about something. I know that Grossman's version of magic is difficult on the par with Quantum Physics or Chaos Theory but you would think that it would make it all the more sweet when a spell was mastered but Quentin just reports his success matter of factly with no joy.
Everything about Quentin, Brakebills and the other students just seemed gray and flat. Sadly there was so little life or color in this book for me that I gave up on it. I never made it to Fillory.
My best description is that it almost feels more like Quentin's LiveJournal or BlogSpot entries than a book. He never seems happy and is always complaining about something. I know that Grossman's version of magic is difficult on the par with Quantum Physics or Chaos Theory but you would think that it would make it all the more sweet when a spell was mastered but Quentin just reports his success matter of factly with no joy.
Everything about Quentin, Brakebills and the other students just seemed gray and flat. Sadly there was so little life or color in this book for me that I gave up on it. I never made it to Fillory.
Helpful Score: 1
So imagine if you will that you are a teenager who grew up LOVING the Narnia books and wanting nothing more than to visit Narnia yourself some day... and then *poof* you discover that Hogwarts is real (only called Brakebills and for older teens rather than 11 year olds)... except the headmaster isn't fun or whimsical at all and Magic is HARD.
That pretty much sums up the part one of this book... and then the kids find Narnia (Fillory) and it's not at all what they all secretly dreamed it would be.
Part one of the book dragged like mad for me, but I found it interesting enough to keep reading. The latter parts were more fun and quicker to read, but couldn't really redeem the boring beginning.
That pretty much sums up the part one of this book... and then the kids find Narnia (Fillory) and it's not at all what they all secretly dreamed it would be.
Part one of the book dragged like mad for me, but I found it interesting enough to keep reading. The latter parts were more fun and quicker to read, but couldn't really redeem the boring beginning.
Helpful Score: 1
This was one of the weirdest books I have ever read...but I did manage to finish it. I won't be reading the sequels.
Helpful Score: 1
I never really felt a connection to any of these characters. I found them to be pathetic and boring. I kept waiting for something to happen or for an interesting story to evolve. Finally by "Book 3" (The book is sectioned by chapters within books.) I couldn't read anymore. I figured if after reading 300 pages I wasn't involved it wasn't going to happen.
Helpful Score: 1
Started reading, but quickly lost interest. Rather convoluted & did not flow for me. I found that I didnt care about what will happen to Quentin, & some of the majic descriptions were too wordy. Put it down & couldnt bring myself to finish it. Too many really good books out there to read, so I wont waste my valuable time. I thought the plot line sounded great, but it wasnt doing it for me.
Helpful Score: 1
The Magicians is frequently pitched as Harry Potter with college age kids, alcohol and sex. And like so many elevator pitches, its accurate on the surface, but not once you actually settle down and read it. I also think that because of this pitch it inspires such strong feelings to either love it or hate it. What’s it about? Its about Quentin Coldwater, a kid from Brooklyn who’s been the smartest in his class for years, likely the most miserable as well, and his going to a magical college called Brakebills for five years. And, yes it does involve self discovery, alcohol and magic. Outside of the surface similarities to a college age Harry Potter, it quickly diverges.
Quentin is a brilliant, if miserable, Brooklynite given the opportunity to take an entrance exam for a magical college for Brakebills when his interviewer for a scholarship dies. The exam is grueling, long and pretty fantastical in and of itself with animated drawings, created languages and on and on. Needless to say, Quentin gets in. Unlike Harry, magic does not make him happy in fact it seems to make him more miserable. He keeps expecting something bad to happen and take it all away from him, or to be found out as a fraud and on and on.
Magic is also very different. No faux Latin incantations here. Magic is demanding it requires incredible hand and finger motions, mastering various dead languages and knowing hundreds or thousands of various modifications depending on an equal number of variable circumstances that fill volumes. Sometimes its easier to just drive a nail using a hammer instead of using a spell. Getting all of these on a gut level is a demanding process of memorization and an exercise no one tells others about. Its also dangerous. One miscast spell in a lecture results in the summoning of The Beast, which stands off the combined efforts of the Brakebills faculty and eats one of the students.
Quentin’s time at Brakebills is interesting, but not the totality of the of the story. To me, the story only begins to get moving once the he graduates and moves to New York City with his friends. There an old acquaintance from school seeks them out with an opportunity to travel to Fillory, a imaginary land that has all but obsessed Quentin from childhood.
Now, while its been described as Harry Potter goes to college, The Magicians isn’t. Its a deconstruction of two series: Harry Potter (the obvious) and the Narnia books (Fillory). It takes them apart and doesn’t use anesthetic in the process. Fans of the two series will not be pleased in many cases. Its also meta-fictionally aware the characters know about Harry and Narnia and all the rest and act accordingly. So, if you love those two series, beware.
Quentin is almost an anti-Harry. Magic doesn’t free him, but complicates his life immensely. He’s also more than a bit annoying smug and miserable at the same time, frequently able to choose the worst thing to do. I’d be lying to say I don’t recognize him in the mirror some days.
Brakebills seems a bit like Hogwarts at first, drawing from a similar background, but more impersonal. The faculty seldom intrude on the students’ lives and when they do, they’re more like forces of nature.
Quentin’s fellow students are a pretty cold lot as well. They’re the best and brightest the U.S. has to offer, all chucked together with relatively little supervision and growing power. Its not Lord of the Flies, but it is the situation at Brakebills. The only ones with screen time are Quentin, Elliott, Penny, Alice and Janet, and they’re all pieces of work that I wouldn’t befriend.
Unlike most other modern and urban fantasies, Lev Grossman asks one big question that others are afraid to ask what do magicians do? And the answer seems to be, not a lot. Some try to improve the world with public and government service, but it seems a lot are at loose ends with all that power and esoteric knowledge. Its not a pretty picture.
Was the book worth it? Yest. I enjoyed it and may even read the sequel, The Magician Kings.
Likes: Brakebills; How to get to Fillory; Causality and all its problems; The mechanics of magic; What do magicians do when they graduate; The complexity of the situation in Fillory; Occasionally Quentin; The shout outs in the novel; Characters meta-fictional awareness.
Dislikes: Most of the characters; The fact that no matter what they did, they always screwed it up; The shout outs in the novel (because when you’re reduced to looking for Easter eggs, well…); Characters meta-fictional awareness; Either Lev Grossman being inconsistent or Quentin being an unreliable narrator.
Suggested for: Fans of Narnia and Harry Potter that can take the two series taking a hit; Urban fantasy fans that aren't paranormal romance fans; DC's Books of Magic/Tim Hunter fans; Fans of coming of age stories that aren’t always pretty and fans of the occasional parody.
Quentin is a brilliant, if miserable, Brooklynite given the opportunity to take an entrance exam for a magical college for Brakebills when his interviewer for a scholarship dies. The exam is grueling, long and pretty fantastical in and of itself with animated drawings, created languages and on and on. Needless to say, Quentin gets in. Unlike Harry, magic does not make him happy in fact it seems to make him more miserable. He keeps expecting something bad to happen and take it all away from him, or to be found out as a fraud and on and on.
Magic is also very different. No faux Latin incantations here. Magic is demanding it requires incredible hand and finger motions, mastering various dead languages and knowing hundreds or thousands of various modifications depending on an equal number of variable circumstances that fill volumes. Sometimes its easier to just drive a nail using a hammer instead of using a spell. Getting all of these on a gut level is a demanding process of memorization and an exercise no one tells others about. Its also dangerous. One miscast spell in a lecture results in the summoning of The Beast, which stands off the combined efforts of the Brakebills faculty and eats one of the students.
Quentin’s time at Brakebills is interesting, but not the totality of the of the story. To me, the story only begins to get moving once the he graduates and moves to New York City with his friends. There an old acquaintance from school seeks them out with an opportunity to travel to Fillory, a imaginary land that has all but obsessed Quentin from childhood.
Now, while its been described as Harry Potter goes to college, The Magicians isn’t. Its a deconstruction of two series: Harry Potter (the obvious) and the Narnia books (Fillory). It takes them apart and doesn’t use anesthetic in the process. Fans of the two series will not be pleased in many cases. Its also meta-fictionally aware the characters know about Harry and Narnia and all the rest and act accordingly. So, if you love those two series, beware.
Quentin is almost an anti-Harry. Magic doesn’t free him, but complicates his life immensely. He’s also more than a bit annoying smug and miserable at the same time, frequently able to choose the worst thing to do. I’d be lying to say I don’t recognize him in the mirror some days.
Brakebills seems a bit like Hogwarts at first, drawing from a similar background, but more impersonal. The faculty seldom intrude on the students’ lives and when they do, they’re more like forces of nature.
Quentin’s fellow students are a pretty cold lot as well. They’re the best and brightest the U.S. has to offer, all chucked together with relatively little supervision and growing power. Its not Lord of the Flies, but it is the situation at Brakebills. The only ones with screen time are Quentin, Elliott, Penny, Alice and Janet, and they’re all pieces of work that I wouldn’t befriend.
Unlike most other modern and urban fantasies, Lev Grossman asks one big question that others are afraid to ask what do magicians do? And the answer seems to be, not a lot. Some try to improve the world with public and government service, but it seems a lot are at loose ends with all that power and esoteric knowledge. Its not a pretty picture.
Was the book worth it? Yest. I enjoyed it and may even read the sequel, The Magician Kings.
Likes: Brakebills; How to get to Fillory; Causality and all its problems; The mechanics of magic; What do magicians do when they graduate; The complexity of the situation in Fillory; Occasionally Quentin; The shout outs in the novel; Characters meta-fictional awareness.
Dislikes: Most of the characters; The fact that no matter what they did, they always screwed it up; The shout outs in the novel (because when you’re reduced to looking for Easter eggs, well…); Characters meta-fictional awareness; Either Lev Grossman being inconsistent or Quentin being an unreliable narrator.
Suggested for: Fans of Narnia and Harry Potter that can take the two series taking a hit; Urban fantasy fans that aren't paranormal romance fans; DC's Books of Magic/Tim Hunter fans; Fans of coming of age stories that aren’t always pretty and fans of the occasional parody.
Helpful Score: 1
It's like Harry Potter and Narnia with none of the heart or soul.
I really wanted to like this book, and the premise was good but it just couldn't deliver. The book seemed to be a mixture of Harry Potter, Alice and Wonderland and very obvious references to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. After reading books like Harry Potter where an entire book is dedicated to each year of his life in school, this book seemed very lacking in such details. In some instances, a whole year was covered in one chapter. I never felt a connection with the characters and events seemed to happen and pass so quickly that I never got wrapped up in them enough to care. Overall, the story was pretty unoriginal and I seriously struggled to get through it.
When I first came across this book when browsing on amazon, I thought it sounded like something I would really take a liking to. After reading it, I am very torn as to whether I would recommend it to others. The premise is simple enough - a young kid, who is seemingly caught in a black hole of depression throughout the entirety of the story, ventures into a world of magic when he goes to a "magic" college and then some more... I must say that Grossman's prose are more than impressive. His descriptions are intricate and can paint a very good picture sometimes. But while reading The Magicians, I found myself craving dialogue. I think the main problem with this story for me was that Grossman got so tied up in his descriptions that he missed the captivating elements of true storytelling. I like to sum this up by saying, "show me" rather than "tell me." It took me longer than anticipated to finish The Magicians simply because of the fact that there wasn't much interest there for me. Perhaps I didn't identify with Quentin, the main character. Or perhaps it was the overkill on the description? In summary, the story was nice to read once, but I don't think it will remain on my library shelf for a second turn of the pages.
The author borrows very heavily from The Chronicles of Narnia series (siblings visiting fantasy world), Harry Potter (school for wizards), Alice in Wonderland, The Lord of the Rings, and probably tons of other books. So the whole book seems very familiar to me, the only nuance being the slightly more "hip" tone. As other reviewers have noted, this does read like Quentin's blog; it wouldn't be surprising if some chapters are written like Twitter updates or whatnot. Quentin is extremely unlikeable, and to the end I still dislike him. He's one of the least motivated and leechy of characters. I wish there were more development of the secondary characters (Penny, Eliot, Alice) but considering Quentin's selfishness, no surprise this book is all about him.
I find it difficult to review this book because I neither liked nor hated it. I can say with certainty, however, that I flat out hated the characters.
The students at this school (including all of the main characters), are angst-ridden and hard to like. They sleep around, they're insecure, they hurt each other emotionally on purpose. As another reviewer has already pointed out, Quentin, the main character, is moody and immature throughout. His constant "life sucks, everything sucks" internal monologues are tiresome and leave you wondering why he doesn't just jump off a cliff and get it over with. The one single character in the story who seemed to be above it all (won't mention who it is in case you want to be surprised) turned out to be just as immature as the rest in the end and I lost all respect for said character after reading it.
Throughout most of the book, it was hard to get a good sense of where everything was going. Magic does not come as easily to magicians in this story as they do to the wizards in Harry Potter. It requires extensive grueling training, which takes up the majority of the book. Finally, in the last few chapters, the story started to get interesting.
While this story left me disliking every single character, the end was interesting enough to get me to (maybe) want to read the next one just to see what happens. Hopefully, the characters will redeem themselves later on. Or get killed off. Really either is good at this point.
I also want to add that if you're looking for another "Harry Potter", this is not it. The only similarity is the existence of magic, and a magic school. I did not feel any loyalty or love for any of the characters as I did with "Potter", and at times I hoped the author was going to get rid of one or two of them.
This book is also not appropriate for younger kids as it contains some sexual situations and drug use.
The students at this school (including all of the main characters), are angst-ridden and hard to like. They sleep around, they're insecure, they hurt each other emotionally on purpose. As another reviewer has already pointed out, Quentin, the main character, is moody and immature throughout. His constant "life sucks, everything sucks" internal monologues are tiresome and leave you wondering why he doesn't just jump off a cliff and get it over with. The one single character in the story who seemed to be above it all (won't mention who it is in case you want to be surprised) turned out to be just as immature as the rest in the end and I lost all respect for said character after reading it.
Throughout most of the book, it was hard to get a good sense of where everything was going. Magic does not come as easily to magicians in this story as they do to the wizards in Harry Potter. It requires extensive grueling training, which takes up the majority of the book. Finally, in the last few chapters, the story started to get interesting.
While this story left me disliking every single character, the end was interesting enough to get me to (maybe) want to read the next one just to see what happens. Hopefully, the characters will redeem themselves later on. Or get killed off. Really either is good at this point.
I also want to add that if you're looking for another "Harry Potter", this is not it. The only similarity is the existence of magic, and a magic school. I did not feel any loyalty or love for any of the characters as I did with "Potter", and at times I hoped the author was going to get rid of one or two of them.
This book is also not appropriate for younger kids as it contains some sexual situations and drug use.
Having watched the tv show based on this series I was eager to read The Magicians. I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
The Magicians is frequently pitched as Harry Potter with college age kids, alcohol and sex. And like so many elevator pitches, its accurate on the surface, but not once you actually settle down and read it. I also think that because of this pitch it inspires such strong feelings to either love it or hate it. What’s it about? Its about Quentin Coldwater, a kid from Brooklyn who’s been the smartest in his class for years, likely the most miserable as well, and his going to a magical college called Brakebills for five years. And, yes it does involve self discovery, alcohol and magic. Outside of the surface similarities to a college age Harry Potter, it quickly diverges.
Quentin is a brilliant, if miserable, Brooklynite given the opportunity to take an entrance exam for a magical college for Brakebills when his interviewer for a scholarship dies. The exam is grueling, long and pretty fantastical in and of itself with animated drawings, created languages and on and on. Needless to say, Quentin gets in. Unlike Harry, magic does not make him happy in fact it seems to make him more miserable. He keeps expecting something bad to happen and take it all away from him, or to be found out as a fraud and on and on.
Magic is also very different. No faux Latin incantations here. Magic is demanding it requires incredible hand and finger motions, mastering various dead languages and knowing hundreds or thousands of various modifications depending on an equal number of variable circumstances that fill volumes. Sometimes its easier to just drive a nail using a hammer instead of using a spell. Getting all of these on a gut level is a demanding process of memorization and an exercise no one tells others about. Its also dangerous. One miscast spell in a lecture results in the summoning of The Beast, which stands off the combined efforts of the Brakebills faculty and eats one of the students.
Quentin’s time at Brakebills is interesting, but not the totality of the of the story. To me, the story only begins to get moving once the he graduates and moves to New York City with his friends. There an old acquaintance from school seeks them out with an opportunity to travel to Fillory, a imaginary land that has all but obsessed Quentin from childhood.
Now, while its been described as Harry Potter goes to college, The Magicians isn’t. Its a deconstruction of two series: Harry Potter (the obvious) and the Narnia books (Fillory). It takes them apart and doesn’t use anesthetic in the process. Fans of the two series will not be pleased in many cases. Its also meta-fictionally aware the characters know about Harry and Narnia and all the rest and act accordingly. So, if you love those two series, beware.
Quentin is almost an anti-Harry. Magic doesn’t free him, but complicates his life immensely. He’s also more than a bit annoying smug and miserable at the same time, frequently able to choose the worst thing to do. I’d be lying to say I don’t recognize him in the mirror some days.
Brakebills seems a bit like Hogwarts at first, drawing from a similar background, but more impersonal. The faculty seldom intrude on the students’ lives and when they do, they’re more like forces of nature.
Quentin’s fellow students are a pretty cold lot as well. They’re the best and brightest the U.S. has to offer, all chucked together with relatively little supervision and growing power. Its not Lord of the Flies, but it is the situation at Brakebills. The only ones with screen time are Quentin, Elliott, Penny, Alice and Janet, and they’re all pieces of work that I wouldn’t befriend.
Unlike most other modern and urban fantasies, Lev Grossman asks one big question that others are afraid to ask what do magicians do? And the answer seems to be, not a lot. Some try to improve the world with public and government service, but it seems a lot are at loose ends with all that power and esoteric knowledge. Its not a pretty picture.
Was the book worth it? Yest. I enjoyed it and may even read the sequel, The Magician Kings.
Likes: Brakebills; How to get to Fillory; Causality and all its problems; The mechanics of magic; What do magicians do when they graduate; The complexity of the situation in Fillory; Occasionally Quentin; The shout outs in the novel; Characters meta-fictional awareness.
Dislikes: Most of the characters; The fact that no matter what they did, they always screwed it up; The shout outs in the novel (because when you’re reduced to looking for Easter eggs, well…); Characters meta-fictional awareness; Either Lev Grossman being inconsistent or Quentin being an unreliable narrator.
Suggested for: Fans of Narnia and Harry Potter that can take the two series taking a hit; Urban fantasy fans that aren't paranormal romance fans; DC's Books of Magic/Tim Hunter fans; Fans of coming of age stories that aren’t always pretty and fans of the occasional parody.
Quentin is a brilliant, if miserable, Brooklynite given the opportunity to take an entrance exam for a magical college for Brakebills when his interviewer for a scholarship dies. The exam is grueling, long and pretty fantastical in and of itself with animated drawings, created languages and on and on. Needless to say, Quentin gets in. Unlike Harry, magic does not make him happy in fact it seems to make him more miserable. He keeps expecting something bad to happen and take it all away from him, or to be found out as a fraud and on and on.
Magic is also very different. No faux Latin incantations here. Magic is demanding it requires incredible hand and finger motions, mastering various dead languages and knowing hundreds or thousands of various modifications depending on an equal number of variable circumstances that fill volumes. Sometimes its easier to just drive a nail using a hammer instead of using a spell. Getting all of these on a gut level is a demanding process of memorization and an exercise no one tells others about. Its also dangerous. One miscast spell in a lecture results in the summoning of The Beast, which stands off the combined efforts of the Brakebills faculty and eats one of the students.
Quentin’s time at Brakebills is interesting, but not the totality of the of the story. To me, the story only begins to get moving once the he graduates and moves to New York City with his friends. There an old acquaintance from school seeks them out with an opportunity to travel to Fillory, a imaginary land that has all but obsessed Quentin from childhood.
Now, while its been described as Harry Potter goes to college, The Magicians isn’t. Its a deconstruction of two series: Harry Potter (the obvious) and the Narnia books (Fillory). It takes them apart and doesn’t use anesthetic in the process. Fans of the two series will not be pleased in many cases. Its also meta-fictionally aware the characters know about Harry and Narnia and all the rest and act accordingly. So, if you love those two series, beware.
Quentin is almost an anti-Harry. Magic doesn’t free him, but complicates his life immensely. He’s also more than a bit annoying smug and miserable at the same time, frequently able to choose the worst thing to do. I’d be lying to say I don’t recognize him in the mirror some days.
Brakebills seems a bit like Hogwarts at first, drawing from a similar background, but more impersonal. The faculty seldom intrude on the students’ lives and when they do, they’re more like forces of nature.
Quentin’s fellow students are a pretty cold lot as well. They’re the best and brightest the U.S. has to offer, all chucked together with relatively little supervision and growing power. Its not Lord of the Flies, but it is the situation at Brakebills. The only ones with screen time are Quentin, Elliott, Penny, Alice and Janet, and they’re all pieces of work that I wouldn’t befriend.
Unlike most other modern and urban fantasies, Lev Grossman asks one big question that others are afraid to ask what do magicians do? And the answer seems to be, not a lot. Some try to improve the world with public and government service, but it seems a lot are at loose ends with all that power and esoteric knowledge. Its not a pretty picture.
Was the book worth it? Yest. I enjoyed it and may even read the sequel, The Magician Kings.
Likes: Brakebills; How to get to Fillory; Causality and all its problems; The mechanics of magic; What do magicians do when they graduate; The complexity of the situation in Fillory; Occasionally Quentin; The shout outs in the novel; Characters meta-fictional awareness.
Dislikes: Most of the characters; The fact that no matter what they did, they always screwed it up; The shout outs in the novel (because when you’re reduced to looking for Easter eggs, well…); Characters meta-fictional awareness; Either Lev Grossman being inconsistent or Quentin being an unreliable narrator.
Suggested for: Fans of Narnia and Harry Potter that can take the two series taking a hit; Urban fantasy fans that aren't paranormal romance fans; DC's Books of Magic/Tim Hunter fans; Fans of coming of age stories that aren’t always pretty and fans of the occasional parody.
A mix between Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia, this story doesn't lack in magic, however raw and cynical it appears to be in the book. The characters could be more developed, and the plot weakens in a couple of spots, but overall, I think this is a good read. It lacks the fluff and faerie dust of most other fantasy novels, but it was refreshing because of it. I think everyone can relate to the longing Quentin feels to find his "place" in this world or another.
I am not disappointed that I picked this book up! I loved it and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
Grossman's imagery is eidetic! The vocabulary in this book is amazing and it challenged me, which I absolutely love!
I do wish there was a little more back story about the characters. It would be nice to know what makes Eliot, Josh and Janet tick! The only things that are similar to the Harry Potter series is that they take place in a magic school. Everything else does most certainly digress in a most enjoyable fashion.
I know this series is getting turned into a TV series on public TV. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I think that it would be better served as an HBO series or a movie series. If they get the right people to produce and write the script it should be good. I know I'll be watching. And looking forward to more books in the series!
Grossman's imagery is eidetic! The vocabulary in this book is amazing and it challenged me, which I absolutely love!
I do wish there was a little more back story about the characters. It would be nice to know what makes Eliot, Josh and Janet tick! The only things that are similar to the Harry Potter series is that they take place in a magic school. Everything else does most certainly digress in a most enjoyable fashion.
I know this series is getting turned into a TV series on public TV. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I think that it would be better served as an HBO series or a movie series. If they get the right people to produce and write the script it should be good. I know I'll be watching. And looking forward to more books in the series!
Was disappointed in this book. There was a lot of hype about it and it could have been a much better read. A bit thin and lacking in character development. Felt like the entire book was there to set up for the next. I don't know that it kept my interest enough to read the next one.
It is a bit of a mash up pf Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia. What makes it interesting is the author trying to put the Gen Y/Z into the mix. Hook ups, drug use, and emotionally lost, the protagonists try to find their purpose in life. They learn it is never as cut and dry as the fairy tales allude to. Their uncertain journey makes for an engaging experience that I had a hard time putting down. I was disappointed, angry, frustrated, and hopeful, and I found it easy to relate too.
It was ok but I do not think that I will read book 2. Just not my cup of tea.
Part of my dislike for this book may stem from having high expectations - Harry Potter and Narnia for grownups - wonderful idea! The problem is there is no overarching theme of hope from sacrificial love here, which is what makes HP and Narnia such fabulous reads (and rereads and rereads) for me. This book may be about magic, but it isn't magical. If you like dark, realistic fiction, go for it. If you're looking to recapture childlike wonder, please skip it. I think a few lines from the novel will make the point without spoiling the plot.
"He was still in the real world, where bad, bitter things happened for no reason, and people paid for things that weren't their fault."
"I think you're magicians because you're unhappy."
"If there was a moral to the story ... you can live out your dreams, but it'll only turn you into a monster."
"He was still in the real world, where bad, bitter things happened for no reason, and people paid for things that weren't their fault."
"I think you're magicians because you're unhappy."
"If there was a moral to the story ... you can live out your dreams, but it'll only turn you into a monster."
I liked the book but wanted to like it more than I did. I'm not saying it's not worth the time or effort but it's not on the level of Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller series which also is a coming of age story involving a young man entering a "magic" college. I do plan on reading the sequel "The Magician King", though.
Harry Potter as written by Bret Easton Ellis (Less Than Zero) - What would you become if you could have your heart's desire? Did you ever look for the secret way through the Wardrobe? What if you didn't have to wait for an invitation?
I mostly liked this book. I found it to be wildly uneven and highly derivative -- started in a Potter-influenced mode, veered into Golden Compass territory, and ended heavy on the Narnia, with a dash of Pan's Labyrinth -- and it did not live up to George R.R. Martin's blowhard anti-Harry Potter blurb on the back cover. But even still, I was pretty hooked, and wanted to find out what happened next. Someone below said Q was unlikeable, and he was in many ways, but I also empathized with him. I will read the next in the series -- I want to see where Eliot ends up!
I loved this book. Very imaginative filled with edgy dark humor. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read the next installment!
