Saturday, May 12, 2012

Book # 56 THE MAGICIANS By: Lev Grossman


At the 2011 Texas Book Festival Lev Grossman said that he wrote The Magicians to fill the void he felt while waiting for the next Harry Potter book.  It seems a third of the people at work had read The Magicians and the jury was most definitely out.  Some raved that it was a page-turner others said that it was home to the most unlikeable character in modern literature. 

The Magicians is the story of Quentin; a genius, yet morosely depressed High School senior living in Brooklyn.  While everyone can relate to the feeling of life not measuring up, Quentin got the solution that I assume most of us don’t get- he’s admitted to a magical college in upstate New York.  Filled with off-center goths and geeks, Brakebills is the anti-Hogwarts brimming over with drinking and promiscuity.   However, only a portion of the book takes place in Brakebills with the remainder being a glimpse into the graduates on the prowl in New York City and later moving on to a more-noble "fantasticle" adventure in another land. 

The major feeling that I felt towards Quentin was sympathy.  Was he selfish? Yes.  Was he sometimes obnoxiously down?  Yes.  Was he often an asshole? YES.  But you know what?  SO ARE MOST PEOPLE.  People are flawed.  People are dark.  And while I know many of us pick up a good book to escape from that, there was something liberating and comforting about picking up a book that let me bask in the darkness, desperation, and dissatisfaction of life.  

While the battle scenes toward the end felt rushed and lacked the specificity of Rowling’s writing, overall Grossman is a literary writer with the appeal of a popular plot.  Had I published this book I probably wouldn’t have classified it as Fantasty as I think that may have eliminated some potential fans.  I think that the reader who will enjoy The Magicians, well, it doesn’t lie in their ability to embrace the Fantasy aspect, but more so willing to embrace the dark side of life.     

A-


**AV Club A+ Rating

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