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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
It makes me sad that all the reviews of this novel refer to it as "Harry Potter for maturer audiences."
Yes, there are magicians, and yes, they are trained at a magical school. But what saves this from Harry Potter's shadow is a) that it is set in a modern world where the Harry Potter books exist, and the author and the characters are aware of Harry Potter's existence ("Drawn by thestrals." "Where are the broomsticks?"), and b) that this book is far more concerned with a pseudo-Narnia book series known as Fillory and Further, than it is with anything else. This book reminded me more of a modern, twisted [b:The Chronicles of Narnia|11127|The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)|C.S. Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449868701s/11127.jpg|781271] or [a:Raymond E. Feist's|8588|Raymond E. Feist|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1190654917p2/8588.jpg] [b:Magician|2417730|Magician|Raymond E. Feist|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|2960376] than it did of Harry Potter.
The beginning chapters also reminded me of [b:It's Kind of a Funny Story|248704|It's Kind of a Funny Story|Ned Vizzini|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420629730s/248704.jpg|240980], as main characters in both are depressed genius-level high school kids that live in Brooklyn, with a pair of best friends that are dating, the female of which the main character has a crush on.
Yes, there are magicians, and yes, they are trained at a magical school. But what saves this from Harry Potter's shadow is a) that it is set in a modern world where the Harry Potter books exist, and the author and the characters are aware of Harry Potter's existence ("Drawn by thestrals." "Where are the broomsticks?"), and b) that this book is far more concerned with a pseudo-Narnia book series known as Fillory and Further, than it is with anything else. This book reminded me more of a modern, twisted [b:The Chronicles of Narnia|11127|The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)|C.S. Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449868701s/11127.jpg|781271] or [a:Raymond E. Feist's|8588|Raymond E. Feist|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1190654917p2/8588.jpg] [b:Magician|2417730|Magician|Raymond E. Feist|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|2960376] than it did of Harry Potter.
The beginning chapters also reminded me of [b:It's Kind of a Funny Story|248704|It's Kind of a Funny Story|Ned Vizzini|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420629730s/248704.jpg|240980], as main characters in both are depressed genius-level high school kids that live in Brooklyn, with a pair of best friends that are dating, the female of which the main character has a crush on.
a clever but problematic book. the main topic/idea of the book deals with the paradox of power. it’s a fast paced book with lots of stuff happening. lots of adversities and adventures. unfortunately, every single character in this novel is abysmal, disgusting and horrible. and not in a ‘you love to hate’ kind of way. but rather a capricious/annoying child kind of way. the characters have bizarre reactions to events that are incongruous to the story. it all felt like a horrible parody and distortion of a fantasy adventure.
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-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
There might be slightly spoilers here, but none that are explicit reveals.
Harry Potter has destiny and courage. Ged (of Ursula K. Leguin's Earth-Sea books) has determination and discipline. Even Rincewind (of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series) has a lot of luck and the wisdom to know when to run away (which is always).
Quentin has...aimlessness and boredom?
Grossman's novel is wonderfully imaginative, with all the wry humor you'd expect from a realistically-portrayed fantasy story. Brakebills was an appropriately American Hogwarts, while Fillory managed to be both over and underwhelming, revealing a myriad of wonders that, more often than not, are killed or destroyed before there's any chance to get into lengthy histories or backgrounds.
The only fault was it's "hero," Quentin, who started off as a skilled and relateable protagonist, but wound up falling into a quarter-life crisis rut that he never got out of, at least not believably anyway. It's refreshing for a fantasy novel to not revolve it's main character solely because of destiny or prophecy or some last minute reveal, but it did leave him a bit...useless.
All that being said, it did at least elicit enough interest in me to warrant reading the sequel, The Magician Kings, which I've heard more (and better) things about. As for The Magicians, it makes for a good quick read, but it's not a book I expect to reread ever.
Harry Potter has destiny and courage. Ged (of Ursula K. Leguin's Earth-Sea books) has determination and discipline. Even Rincewind (of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series) has a lot of luck and the wisdom to know when to run away (which is always).
Quentin has...aimlessness and boredom?
Grossman's novel is wonderfully imaginative, with all the wry humor you'd expect from a realistically-portrayed fantasy story. Brakebills was an appropriately American Hogwarts, while Fillory managed to be both over and underwhelming, revealing a myriad of wonders that, more often than not, are killed or destroyed before there's any chance to get into lengthy histories or backgrounds.
The only fault was it's "hero," Quentin, who started off as a skilled and relateable protagonist, but wound up falling into a quarter-life crisis rut that he never got out of, at least not believably anyway. It's refreshing for a fantasy novel to not revolve it's main character solely because of destiny or prophecy or some last minute reveal, but it did leave him a bit...useless.
All that being said, it did at least elicit enough interest in me to warrant reading the sequel, The Magician Kings, which I've heard more (and better) things about. As for The Magicians, it makes for a good quick read, but it's not a book I expect to reread ever.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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
A pretentious author attempts to critique the pretentious of child prodigies and the fantasy genre. Also, women are constantly sexualized and the most interesting of them dies before we even get to experience her interestingness. Inelegantly said, every other character in this book is more interesting than the protagonist.
I just can’t. The dick jokes and immaturity were bad enough, but cheating? I draw the fucking line.
Also, 300 pages in and the most interesting thing that happened was that he goes to a school for magic. Then you have a lull of FOUR FUCKING YEARS IN WHICH NOTHING HAPPENS JUST HIM STUDYING MAGIC!
I can read a slow book from time to time but there’s got to be a fucking line somewhere. Didn’t give 2 shits about the characters, only stuck around for 300 pages because the writing was that good and there was definite potential in the plot. Shame that the potential was never fucking realized.
If I could rate this it gets a 1. This should have been good. But it wasn’t. I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.
Also, 300 pages in and the most interesting thing that happened was that he goes to a school for magic. Then you have a lull of FOUR FUCKING YEARS IN WHICH NOTHING HAPPENS JUST HIM STUDYING MAGIC!
I can read a slow book from time to time but there’s got to be a fucking line somewhere. Didn’t give 2 shits about the characters, only stuck around for 300 pages because the writing was that good and there was definite potential in the plot. Shame that the potential was never fucking realized.
If I could rate this it gets a 1. This should have been good. But it wasn’t. I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.