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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i kept waffling between really enjoying the story and then having to force myself to keep reading and i think it's because of how often i flip-flopped between really liking quentin and fucking hating him. we shall see how book 2 treats me.
Engaging, exciting and surprisingly dark. Grossman crafts a bridge between adult and kids fantasy drawing on the stories of CS Lewis to create a refreshingly different world where the magic is much more Kingkiller Chronicles than Harry Potter. A great pick me up for those who need something to remind them why they love the genre.
I have a love hate relationship with this book. I find Quentin the protagonist to be an unrepentant fuckboy. He has the emotional capacity of a teaspoon, and is a self entitled bastard who quite perfectly fits the entitlements of a middle class American white boy. I HATE Quentin. If you read this, I can guarantee that you will probably hate Quentin too. That is not necessary a bad thing though.
That said, I find him to also be a compelling protagonist. I think he has a good deal of potential to grow and develop across the next two books. I despise him, but I cannot look away from the trainwreck.
I have this distinct fear, however, that Lev Grossman is going to 'fridge every woman character and reduce them to plot points to develop Quentin's *oh so tragic* story.
I enjoyed the plot, I love seeing male lead fantasy torn to shreds. The story is pretty interesting, it's a good ride. And at this point, I do believe it to be written as a genuine criticism of the genre.
I think Lev does write the Magicians trilogy with the intention of making one DESPISE Quentin. As a rule, he is generally condemned for being a pretty crappy person for the duration of the book.
I reserve my final judgement until after I finish the next two however.
That said, I find him to also be a compelling protagonist. I think he has a good deal of potential to grow and develop across the next two books. I despise him, but I cannot look away from the trainwreck.
I have this distinct fear, however, that Lev Grossman is going to 'fridge every woman character and reduce them to plot points to develop Quentin's *oh so tragic* story.
I enjoyed the plot, I love seeing male lead fantasy torn to shreds. The story is pretty interesting, it's a good ride. And at this point, I do believe it to be written as a genuine criticism of the genre.
I think Lev does write the Magicians trilogy with the intention of making one DESPISE Quentin. As a rule, he is generally condemned for being a pretty crappy person for the duration of the book.
I reserve my final judgement until after I finish the next two however.
I had such high hopes for this "next Harry Potter" novel and was singing its praises early on in my reading. The first half of the novel is very much like an adult Harry Potter book. Quentin is applying for colleges and doesn't know what he wants out of life. Then he gets a magical invitation to take a difficult test in a room full of smart kids. He makes it and sets off to Brakebills College. There he learns magic, meets friends, and realizes that he still isn't a very happy person. Like many teenagers, Quentin is just plain unhappy, and his unpleasantness got to me by the end of the book. I've read plenty of books where I didn't like the characters, but I found myself rolling my eyes toward the end of this one. The tone was so freakin' negative and I wanted just one kid in the book to be positive and fulfill his/her potential. Just one. I guess I was looking for Ron Weasley, HP or Hermione. I liked the "adult"ness of the book, and loved the inclusion of Quidditch, Lord of the Rings references, and other fantasy staples. But the overall tone of the book isn't good. I don't want to read a sequel, unless it reads like the first third of the book.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just watch the show, it is so much better
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I agree that protagonists should be allowed to suck as people - even for most of the time - but it does get to the point where this trait is hammered so repeatedly that it gets repetitive. And that’s not even getting into unsavory details of the setting that don’t really benefit the plot, but more so seems to be attempts at crude humor that only distracts from the moments of actual pathos of the story.
Too boring, not enough action/adventure for me.