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A review by markcdickson
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
3.0
“Stop looking for the next secret door that is going to lead you to your real life.”
Closer to 2.5.
The ideas in this book are far greater than the execution. There’s a lack of connectivity between the ideas that means that they come across as a series of events rather than a compelling story.
Quentin’s myopic and wholly self-centred world view doesn’t help with that. If you think that Quentin is whiny in the TV show then oof you need to get his internal dialogue.
I also disliked the lack of development of the other characters. I don’t think I could tell you much about them as actual people with personalities as they only have a single defining feature or tic.
While this was true about all of them, the depictions of women in this are pretty gross. They’re seemingly competent students, but collapse in a corner when a fight starts and THE MEN take over. Every single woman is also defined by her relationship with - and unexplainable attraction to - Quentin.
There are interesting moments and it was never a slog to get through, but I never felt excited to pick this book up again. The main thing that kept me going was my love for the TV show and wanting to see what the differences were.
I WANTED MORE JULIA. SHE IS MY FAV.
Closer to 2.5.
The ideas in this book are far greater than the execution. There’s a lack of connectivity between the ideas that means that they come across as a series of events rather than a compelling story.
Quentin’s myopic and wholly self-centred world view doesn’t help with that. If you think that Quentin is whiny in the TV show then oof you need to get his internal dialogue.
I also disliked the lack of development of the other characters. I don’t think I could tell you much about them as actual people with personalities as they only have a single defining feature or tic.
While this was true about all of them, the depictions of women in this are pretty gross. They’re seemingly competent students, but collapse in a corner when a fight starts and THE MEN take over. Every single woman is also defined by her relationship with - and unexplainable attraction to - Quentin.
There are interesting moments and it was never a slog to get through, but I never felt excited to pick this book up again. The main thing that kept me going was my love for the TV show and wanting to see what the differences were.
I WANTED MORE JULIA. SHE IS MY FAV.