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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
A bit too bland, obviously a ripoff of Harry Potter and definitely not as good. Don't even know if I finished the whole thing - lacked that special, deep quality and I wasn't very sucked in by it
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really thought I might not like this, but I did. It could be accused of being derivative, but Grossman isn't just copying; he's engaging with other, similarly-themed books (Narnia, Harry Potter), not just borrowing from them. I don't like Quentin, the main character, much, but that kind of self-absorbed, privileged character may be necessary to what Grossman is doing. The last part, where Quentin and his friends actually enter the magical land of Fillory struck me as rushed and insufficiently resolved, but maybe the sequel this summer will fix that.
I remember finding the writing to be very captivating when I opened the book. The writer makes heavy use of similes and metaphors in a way that I thought I might get tired of, but I stopped noticing as the book progressed. I was originally a bit put off by what I felt was a self-pleasuring, self-referential inclusion of a fantasy story about magicians within the fantasy story about magicians, although this feeling, too, faded with progress. The greater part of the book is somewhat jarringly episodic, bouncing from scene to scene through the years unexpectedly, sometimes skipping details that I would have quite liked to know (like what happens after the water jump with Alice). In this way, it managed to lack a cohesive narrative thread, while perhaps instead focusing on the emotional journey of Quentin et al.
As a whole, I found the interpersonal relationships to be very complex and satisfying, and perhaps even realistic. Maybe I don’t read enough anymore, but I think it is uncommon to write in such detail about such interactions. The fantasy and narrative of the novel took a real backstage to the often strained, and complicated human relationships. Group dynamics, in particular, were very interestingly portrayed, whether it was uncomfortable in-group tension or the various feelings you have as part of a clique. Constant sexual noticing of breasts really stood out, but then again, this was exactly what it was like to be a teenage boy. There were some points when Q reflected on leaving college that left me with panging nostalgia.
And of course there is the climax in fantasy land. It had a sort of hurried, overwhelming feel, with the changes coming in faster than the descriptions, very possibly intentionally done by the author. The end fight was great with the shock of Penny’s hands, the uselessness of Q, and the absolute bad-assery of Alice, and I was left with a deep and perfect crushing hollowness when she horrifyingly died right when she seemed at the cusp of victory. Important characters were tossed aside in a way that felt very real to actual meaningless disasters.
The two training montages, the first during the arctic and the second during Fillory were really excellent, and everything I love about training montages. But they had absolutely no payoff after their little story arc. I never had any sense that in the following narratives, Q had grown as a magician. He didn’t seem to have outpaced his classmates after the arctic, and honestly he almost never uses magic at all. In the fights following the arctic, he was uniformly outclassed and useless, worse than his peers who it would have seemed that he should be better than. And the aftermath of the Fillory montage was just pathetic. I expected him to be a badass magician afterwards, but instead, nothing. He can’t manage to fly across the water or anything. It was really disappointing. The book ended somewhat abruptly, definitely not the sort of thing that has good closure, very much feeling like part of an uncompleted series.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and will read the next ones with interest.
As a whole, I found the interpersonal relationships to be very complex and satisfying, and perhaps even realistic. Maybe I don’t read enough anymore, but I think it is uncommon to write in such detail about such interactions. The fantasy and narrative of the novel took a real backstage to the often strained, and complicated human relationships. Group dynamics, in particular, were very interestingly portrayed, whether it was uncomfortable in-group tension or the various feelings you have as part of a clique. Constant sexual noticing of breasts really stood out, but then again, this was exactly what it was like to be a teenage boy. There were some points when Q reflected on leaving college that left me with panging nostalgia.
And of course there is the climax in fantasy land. It had a sort of hurried, overwhelming feel, with the changes coming in faster than the descriptions, very possibly intentionally done by the author. The end fight was great with the shock of Penny’s hands, the uselessness of Q, and the absolute bad-assery of Alice, and I was left with a deep and perfect crushing hollowness when she horrifyingly died right when she seemed at the cusp of victory. Important characters were tossed aside in a way that felt very real to actual meaningless disasters.
The two training montages, the first during the arctic and the second during Fillory were really excellent, and everything I love about training montages. But they had absolutely no payoff after their little story arc. I never had any sense that in the following narratives, Q had grown as a magician. He didn’t seem to have outpaced his classmates after the arctic, and honestly he almost never uses magic at all. In the fights following the arctic, he was uniformly outclassed and useless, worse than his peers who it would have seemed that he should be better than. And the aftermath of the Fillory montage was just pathetic. I expected him to be a badass magician afterwards, but instead, nothing. He can’t manage to fly across the water or anything. It was really disappointing. The book ended somewhat abruptly, definitely not the sort of thing that has good closure, very much feeling like part of an uncompleted series.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and will read the next ones with interest.
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm left feeling a bit conflicted about this book. In some ways, it was really good; there was plot development that broke away from formula and predictability, there were rich characters and an imaginative world, and there were smart and subtle references to other literature.
On the other hand, it was really several stories within one book. There were plot twists that were completely unexpected and sometimes hard to follow. And there were parts that just didn't sit well with me, for no clearly explainable reason.
In the end, I would like to recommend this book to others in part to see if they enjoy it as well.
On the other hand, it was really several stories within one book. There were plot twists that were completely unexpected and sometimes hard to follow. And there were parts that just didn't sit well with me, for no clearly explainable reason.
In the end, I would like to recommend this book to others in part to see if they enjoy it as well.
While reading this book, it became very obvious to me that I was not the target audience of this series. Usually this is no problem, but I found these characters to be wholly unrelatable and incredibly frustrating.
The pacing was consistent but way too fast. Grossman glazes over crucial moments in a paragraph or two - if they even happen onscreen at all - mechanically moving on to the next hit of action as if he's working his way through a checklist.
I did really enjoy the theme of Quentin struggling with coming to terms with the fact that it isn't a place that makes you happy, but consistent effort and mindset. However, the speed at which the plot progresses didn't really leave a lot of room to explore those themes which I found frustrating.
This book could have been 1,000 pages long and I probably would have enjoyed it more. Grossman speeds through the world building to focus on the action, leaving the world just developed enough to move onto the next thing even though he teases the reader with lore at every twist and turn, he never delivers on actually giving it to us.
Great concept in theory, but I really feel like the delivery was botched. I probably won't bother reading the 2nd and 3rd books.
The pacing was consistent but way too fast. Grossman glazes over crucial moments in a paragraph or two - if they even happen onscreen at all - mechanically moving on to the next hit of action as if he's working his way through a checklist.
I did really enjoy the theme of Quentin struggling with coming to terms with the fact that it isn't a place that makes you happy, but consistent effort and mindset. However, the speed at which the plot progresses didn't really leave a lot of room to explore those themes which I found frustrating.
This book could have been 1,000 pages long and I probably would have enjoyed it more. Grossman speeds through the world building to focus on the action, leaving the world just developed enough to move onto the next thing even though he teases the reader with lore at every twist and turn, he never delivers on actually giving it to us.
Great concept in theory, but I really feel like the delivery was botched. I probably won't bother reading the 2nd and 3rd books.