Reviews

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

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illusie's review

2.0

Strange. that's the word I'd use to describe this book. The book is a mix of Harry Potter and Narnia, but more depressing. It didn't work for me. I won't read the rest of the series.

m4ferglez's review

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adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

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

3.75

“[…] Quentin […] if you will, just for a second, look at your life and see how perfect it is. Stop looking for the next secret door that’s going to lead you to your real life. Stop waiting. This is it: there’s nothing else. It’s here, and you’d better decide to enjoy it or you’re going to be miserable wherever you go, for the rest of your life, forever.”
(P. 333)

I’ve often described this series as “Harry Potter for depressed overachievers”, though “Narnia for cynical grownups” is also an apt description.

I find Grossman has created a very realistic and painfully real magic system

as well as a very raw fantasy world when it comes to Fillory.

Quentin’s quasi-depression and general ennui are very consistently the main conflict of the story, though I’ll admit he can get annoying at times, ultimately the idea of never being really happy is very well conveyed with each new ante-upping element he finds.

darleen04's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

2.75

awc521's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

shandyt's review

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2.0

DNF after 8 months of letting it sit at 75% completion.

It's time for me to be honest with myself and admit that I will likely never finish this book. I gave it a shot, but I think it's just not for me. I finally got to the point where they

Spoiler

reach Fillory, and ironically, that's where the reality sank in—the setting and the stakes may change, but we'll still be talking about the same damn characters, and I just don't have it in me to feel interested in them.

. I have nothing against flawed characters; it's just that these characters' flaws make them a slog to read about. Quentin's depression is too much. Alice is infuriating. And I've already encountered so many versions of Eliot's "sad queer hedonist cynic" that I was preemptively bored coming into the book. I don't think the audiobook narrator helped much. I kept picturing George Carlin, but with less energy. Like, maybe Lorenzo Music as Garfield. Now I've really aged myself, hah.

I think my favorite pastiche of Brideshead Revisited (because I feel like that work, more than Narnia, colors my interpretation of The Magicians' themes) is still a fanfiction, of all things. Alas.