Reviews

Il Mago by Lev Grossman

bez9918's review against another edition

3.0

This book was conflicting when it came to enjoyment. I both liked and disliked how Quentin was written. I found him annoying and whiney but I think that was the authors goal so I can’t fault it for that, but it did make it hard to root for him.

Same with the focus of the book, I both liked and disliked it. Not a lot of time was spent on the main conflict, but it felt like the goal was to have this be more character driven than conflict driven. It made the conflict feel unimportant but it definitely focused on the characters.

I wish we spent more time on the more interesting parts of this story and world. I think I’d have enjoyed exploring Jane Chatwin’s part in this story because her character and position in the story was interesting. Specifically the fact that she had had the group face the beast over and over again until a favorable outcome happened. I also wish we spent more time exploring the character of the beast as well as what happened with him.

For a world of magic, I also wish we had seen more of it rather than heard of its existence.

Overall it was an alright read, I just wish it dug into more things and had focused other places.

daisy_b's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

biobabe's review against another edition

2.0

Honestly, skip the book. If you want to experience this world, watch the show. Quentin Coldwater may be a miserable sot in it too, but at least you don't have to listen to his internal whining as much as when reading this.

elderflowercordial's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

mginn01's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

katstine's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The first half of this book felt like a bunch of disconnected events happening over a long period of time. The actual main plot kicks in at about 50% of the way through and then it’s more cohesive. But the whole thing was quite enjoyable despite all the characters being terrible people. My friend described it as “some teenagers go to not-Hogwarts college and discover Narnia is real” and that’s pretty accurate. 

ohyes_that_girl's review against another edition

1.0

I really, really wanted to like this book. But I could not get into it; I was just bored. The characters were annoying and unlikeable and whiny and the plot was so sloooooow.

DNF at about 50%

dianagrilo's review against another edition

2.0

I wasn't sure what to expect when I got this book. I thought it would be a little different as I had seen comments that it had very little of Harry Potter. I think in an effort to be different the characters spend most of the book drunk, which I found a little off. Not that it's that unbelievable, but it gets a little old since it is the only way they have fun, specially since they are in a freaking magic school. I do have more thoughts on the ending, I didn't like it even though the scale and violence of it made sense in the great scheme of the book. But I don't want to give anything away so...

bantwalkers's review against another edition

3.0

It's been a few days since I finished this book, and promptly moved on to Beautiful Creatures. This one I picked up for a respite between volumes of the bulky, but super-mega-awesome, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel. And The Magicians may suffer from the completeness of the latter and the quick, lovey, mystery-packed former. That may infer that I didn't like it, I liked it quite a bit. However, I think my view of it may suffer by being read around the same time as two similar but better books (and I've only read 1/3 of Jonathan Strange, so my feelings about that could change too.)


So, here's what I like about The Magicians and why I'm glad the Alex committee picked it. There are a few problems I had with it, but I will leave those on the cutting room floor.


Quentin Coldwater is smart, lonely, and obsessed with the fantasy world of Fillory (think Narnia). He's preparing for his final year of high school and the upcoming rigors of an Ivy League education (fingers crossed.) He pines over his best friend's girlfriend and does close-up magic tricks to busy himself in-between getting straight A's and beyond. That is until he discovers the magic and wonder he's always escaped into is actually real. He's been invited to start classes at Brakebill's, a very elite school for magicians (think Hogwart's College.) But he soon finds magic isn't the awesome, ideal, fantastic art he's believed it to be. It's difficult and painful, and he has to study hard just to do the basic spells. The Magicians pays great respect to the fantasy that's come before it, very clearly tipping it's hat to Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia, but it adds the cold-harsh reality of college, becoming an adult, and how our dreams and dream worlds may not be all they are cracked up to be.


(ok. I got a little wordy yesterday when I was writing that synopsis. So I quit and came back to the review today.)


So . . . while thinking about what I liked about the book last night, that's after I wrote the synopsis for this review, I realized it takes the darkness of the last 4 Harry Potter books to the next level. This book is considerably more dangerous than any of the boy wizard's adventures, but this isn't technically the story of a boy wizard and his friends. That's not to say The Deathly Hallows wasn't dangerous, Grossman just ups the ante in The Magicians. Magic in this universe is literally painful, and everything has to go just right, or it plain won't work. In the Potter series if a spell goes slightly amiss then hilarity ensues. In The Magicians if a spell is done wrong, well a magical beast is unleashed that may or may not eat the students.


Also, the characters here aren't automatically granted what they want. They have to work and struggle to become magicians, and I think that makes their journey in the end more heroic, more satisfying. Of course, some may argue that Quentin is a tool, and he is. But I connected with his loneliness. And he does work his tail off for everything he gets. He's not just some magical person who has always had the gift and will, without a doubt, defeat the enemy in the end. That's never a certainty. Not the way it is in the other books. That makes for more of a thrill when it comes to the end. We think we know the outcome, we want the "hero" to prevail, but it isn't a guarantee.


I like that. I like that it challenges readers in a different way. It wants them to believe in wonder, but not to take it for granted. It wants us to remember the world is dangerous, so why wouldn't other worlds be dangerous as well?

eavers's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75