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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I quite enjoyed this book. About halfway through, I read some negative reviews on Goodreads, and while I agree with one of the major gripes that Nathaniel and Bartimaeus are not the most commonly likable characters, I didn't feel the need to love them like best friends in order to enjoy the book. I actually enjoyed some detachment from Nathaniel, because it forced me to actually try to understand the logic of his struggles and decisions (instead of the implicit agreement we tend to have with those characters with whom we could be real-life friends). I really enjoyed the change we got to see in Nathaniel from the beginning of the book to the end. I want to place the two Nathaniels side by side (and maybe throw in mid-book Nathaniel covered in soot and cold and hungry) for comparison, because there's such a marked change. That was a well written character. Bartimaeus is straight out not intended to be liked, in my opinion, except by those tricksy, clever, scheming people who can relate to him. However, his commentary is hilarious and forms the real substance of the book. I continued reading mostly in order to hear Bartimaeus' insights on history and the world that the magicians formed. His chapters at times tended toward too much exposition (specifically of the ranks of djinni and how magic works), but on the whole he was a character I'm glad I've "met" (though I would not like to actually meet him).
My favorite section on a technical level was the climactic scene in Ms. Cathcart's augmented audience hall. Not only were the actions taken in the plot clever and interesting, but I enjoyed the mélange of sections from Nathaniel's and Bartimaeus' points of view. Placing them so close together picked up the pace, gave a sense of their real proximity and teamwork in the scene, and in my opinion, was a risk that paid off in Jonathan Stroud's favor. I say that it was a risk because such close juxtaposition of two different types of POV can come off as very jarring, but only in one transition did it really bother me (within that scene). The benefits were worth the slight negative.
Another writing craft note: I said above that the reason I kept reading the book was Bartimaeus' commentary, and the reason that I needed a reason to continue is that the craft involved in writing the book was very transparent. By this I mean two things. The characters (with the exception of Bartimaeus and the Nathaniel whom we see nearer the end of the book) seemed simple. They reeked of never changing for the rest of their lives, which is not how people are. To Stroud's credit, one of my best examples did in fact change during his run in the book (Mr. Underwood), but he and most of the others who appeared multiple times were set up as constants who would continue down the same path into eternity. There was no mystery to them, little complexity that might allow us to believe they might change. Now, you might attribute this to a) the fact that the story of these men and women is being told by Nathaniel, a teenager, and b) that the genre is YA. Perhaps I shouldn't be expecting an adult's view of other adults in YA lit. It didn't annoy me enough to stop reading, because Bartimaeus was such a turbulent, interesting character. The second meaning I have for the statement that the craft feels transparent is the simplicity of the plot. While some of Bartimaeus' magic and Nathaniel's schemes were quite complex and clever, there were other points where the roadblock set before them or their solution to some of these roadblocks felt so simplistic that I could have come up with it (plot is one of my biggest struggles as a writer, and as such I'm sensitive to plot that feels too contrived or easy), where I would prefer that the author at least disguise plot twists in such a way that it comes across as more difficult or complicated.
I will say this for Stroud's craft: his description/scenery and dialogue are welcome outlets for his own creativity and cleverness. I nearly laughed aloud at the statue Bartimaeus stumbles across near the climactic scene (you'll know the one), and many of his other descriptions are worth it. The dialogue is also well written overall.
I definitely enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading the second and third in the trilogy.
My favorite section on a technical level was the climactic scene in Ms. Cathcart's augmented audience hall. Not only were the actions taken in the plot clever and interesting, but I enjoyed the mélange of sections from Nathaniel's and Bartimaeus' points of view. Placing them so close together picked up the pace, gave a sense of their real proximity and teamwork in the scene, and in my opinion, was a risk that paid off in Jonathan Stroud's favor. I say that it was a risk because such close juxtaposition of two different types of POV can come off as very jarring, but only in one transition did it really bother me (within that scene). The benefits were worth the slight negative.
Another writing craft note: I said above that the reason I kept reading the book was Bartimaeus' commentary, and the reason that I needed a reason to continue is that the craft involved in writing the book was very transparent. By this I mean two things. The characters (with the exception of Bartimaeus and the Nathaniel whom we see nearer the end of the book) seemed simple. They reeked of never changing for the rest of their lives, which is not how people are. To Stroud's credit, one of my best examples did in fact change during his run in the book (Mr. Underwood), but he and most of the others who appeared multiple times were set up as constants who would continue down the same path into eternity. There was no mystery to them, little complexity that might allow us to believe they might change. Now, you might attribute this to a) the fact that the story of these men and women is being told by Nathaniel, a teenager, and b) that the genre is YA. Perhaps I shouldn't be expecting an adult's view of other adults in YA lit. It didn't annoy me enough to stop reading, because Bartimaeus was such a turbulent, interesting character. The second meaning I have for the statement that the craft feels transparent is the simplicity of the plot. While some of Bartimaeus' magic and Nathaniel's schemes were quite complex and clever, there were other points where the roadblock set before them or their solution to some of these roadblocks felt so simplistic that I could have come up with it (plot is one of my biggest struggles as a writer, and as such I'm sensitive to plot that feels too contrived or easy), where I would prefer that the author at least disguise plot twists in such a way that it comes across as more difficult or complicated.
I will say this for Stroud's craft: his description/scenery and dialogue are welcome outlets for his own creativity and cleverness. I nearly laughed aloud at the statue Bartimaeus stumbles across near the climactic scene (you'll know the one), and many of his other descriptions are worth it. The dialogue is also well written overall.
I definitely enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading the second and third in the trilogy.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is a reread
Common Jonathan Stroud W, this is a reread for me but I loved these books just as much as when I first read it in elementary.
Also weird coincidence that both the fiction and nonfiction books I’m reading now have comedic footnotes with side commentary, genuinely love that style of writing.
Common Jonathan Stroud W, this is a reread for me but I loved these books just as much as when I first read it in elementary.
Also weird coincidence that both the fiction and nonfiction books I’m reading now have comedic footnotes with side commentary, genuinely love that style of writing.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
How have I never heard of this book before?!?! This, like the Harry Potter series, is a "children's book" only because of the age of one of the protagonists, Nathaniel. Since our djinni protagonist, Bartimaeus, is about 5,000 years old, I say it balances out and is a perfect read for everyone who enjoys clever adventure with a good dose of humour.
While I wouldn't say it has as many layers of meaning as something like His Dark Materials, it challenges readers in other ways. Nathaniel is a young boy, and while the magician he is apprenticed to isn't a very sympathetic character, it is Nathaniel himself who is more problematic. He's a wizard of rare talent, but he isn't very nice. Often prompted to action by anger or for revenge, he also has no compunction about using a touch of torture on the demons he controls.
Bartimaeus too has his issues, foremost that if he found the slightest leeway he would certainly kill Nathaniel...or would he? The best part of the sections Bartimaeus narrates is his voice. The book abounds with humour and witty footnotes from our djinni.
Together Nathaniel and Bartimaeus uncover a plot. They're not sure what kind of plot, or against whom, but they're sure going to try to find out. Well plotted and full of hair-raising situations, The Amulet of Samarkand is a hidden treasure.
Not only am I excited for the rest of the series, but to grab anything by Stroud I can find.
While I wouldn't say it has as many layers of meaning as something like His Dark Materials, it challenges readers in other ways. Nathaniel is a young boy, and while the magician he is apprenticed to isn't a very sympathetic character, it is Nathaniel himself who is more problematic. He's a wizard of rare talent, but he isn't very nice. Often prompted to action by anger or for revenge, he also has no compunction about using a touch of torture on the demons he controls.
Bartimaeus too has his issues, foremost that if he found the slightest leeway he would certainly kill Nathaniel...or would he? The best part of the sections Bartimaeus narrates is his voice. The book abounds with humour and witty footnotes from our djinni.
Together Nathaniel and Bartimaeus uncover a plot. They're not sure what kind of plot, or against whom, but they're sure going to try to find out. Well plotted and full of hair-raising situations, The Amulet of Samarkand is a hidden treasure.
Not only am I excited for the rest of the series, but to grab anything by Stroud I can find.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If the whole book would have been written like the grand finale it would have scorched my willing eyes. But until that finale, it meandered and moped as our two unpleasant main characters bickered and whined for the first 350 pages.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated