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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The show was better albeit faithful to the book. The show balances better the quirkiness with Quentin’s depressive moping. Puts the realism in magical realism. Quentin’s “Nice Guy”, douche-like behavior becomes center-stage around 80% in; if it had become so prominent earlier, I would have DNFed. Having seen the show, I don’t think I’ve gained anything more by reading the book. Will not continue the series
Awful, I really thought this was going to be great, I bought all 3 in the series I was so sure. What a let down. I hated the characters and it was sooooo boring. Donating!
There was a couple of sections in this book I really liked. Then in between those sections I pretty much hated it. 1/3 of the book was great the other 2/3 was boring and weird.
Really searched hard to find a decent plot in this. Very teenage angst filled.
Well, I stretched this as much as I could because I did not want it to end and then I would remember I have two more books to go through and I would speed through some parts.
I love this drug induced combination between Harry Potter without children and the Chronicles of Narnia christian connotations. The characters are highly entertaining, poor choice makers with a lot of issues I cannot begin to count. There is no sugar coating the number of mental issues these people have, from depression to clear daddy issues. Lev Grossmam does not hide behind the idea that "magic fixes everything". No, in this series, magic is a problem on its own, it's chaos, wants its own sacrifices and requires a certain type of pain in order for it to work to your advantage.
I love Eliot.
That is all, see you all in Fillory or never. Both are solid options I am willing to accept.
I love this drug induced combination between Harry Potter without children and the Chronicles of Narnia christian connotations. The characters are highly entertaining, poor choice makers with a lot of issues I cannot begin to count. There is no sugar coating the number of mental issues these people have, from depression to clear daddy issues. Lev Grossmam does not hide behind the idea that "magic fixes everything". No, in this series, magic is a problem on its own, it's chaos, wants its own sacrifices and requires a certain type of pain in order for it to work to your advantage.
I love Eliot.
That is all, see you all in Fillory or never. Both are solid options I am willing to accept.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
This was a fun filler book to read this week while I was waiting for Ernest Cline's Armada to come out tomorrow. Kind of Catcher in the Rye meets Harry Potter meets Chronicles of Narnia. It's not as bad as that sounds. It did get a little draggy in places, but overall it was a fun and interesting read.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love the world that Grossman has created in the magicians. The blending of and poking fun at popular fantasy worlds and tropes is well done. The setting of Brakebills and the culture of the school is delightfully dark and academic. It’s the type of world I want to crawl into. There is a mixture of ridiculous excess and belief in immortality that only the young or magically gifted can truly embody.
I think that Grossman attempted to push back against the idea of overarching narrative and quest in fantasy books. Quentin regularly bemoans how real life is not like that. It wove an undercurrent of melancholy and depression through the doldrums of the book. However ultimately there was a quest, however accidentally it was stumbled upon.
Quentin is thoroughly unlikeable character. Self absorbed and alternating between being an overpowered god-like being to being utterly useless, he maintains a terrible sense of confidence or actual sense of self. Everything happens to him and he never takes any responsibility for the supposed woes that befall him. Quentin feels disdain for everyone else that isn’t actively serving him. Also the internalized homophobia is not well veiled.
The rotating cast of Quentin’s friends never feel fully developed with their motives and actions remaining less than clear. The scorn that Quentin feels for others colors all the other characters to the point it becomes hard to really see any of them.
The plot meanders largely without direction for far too long. I think this book could have been divided or heavily edited to better effect.
This was a rare book that I found the show to be vastly superior. The show places Quentin not as the center of the magical universe. The diversity and character development is top notch. I love and hate the characters in equal measure instead of feeling frustrated and disappointed. Highly recommend the show.
I think that Grossman attempted to push back against the idea of overarching narrative and quest in fantasy books. Quentin regularly bemoans how real life is not like that. It wove an undercurrent of melancholy and depression through the doldrums of the book. However ultimately there was a quest, however accidentally it was stumbled upon.
Quentin is thoroughly unlikeable character. Self absorbed and alternating between being an overpowered god-like being to being utterly useless, he maintains a terrible sense of confidence or actual sense of self. Everything happens to him and he never takes any responsibility for the supposed woes that befall him. Quentin feels disdain for everyone else that isn’t actively serving him. Also the internalized homophobia is not well veiled.
The rotating cast of Quentin’s friends never feel fully developed with their motives and actions remaining less than clear. The scorn that Quentin feels for others colors all the other characters to the point it becomes hard to really see any of them.
The plot meanders largely without direction for far too long. I think this book could have been divided or heavily edited to better effect.
This was a rare book that I found the show to be vastly superior. The show places Quentin not as the center of the magical universe. The diversity and character development is top notch. I love and hate the characters in equal measure instead of feeling frustrated and disappointed. Highly recommend the show.