Scan barcode
triceliatops's review
3.0
Plutôt mitigée au final. Il y a des choses que j'ai adoré et d'autres pas du tout ! Assez inégal mais je reste curieuse de découvrir la suite !
https://sphinxou.wordpress.com/2016/07/03/les-magiciens-tome-1-_-lev-grossman/
https://sphinxou.wordpress.com/2016/07/03/les-magiciens-tome-1-_-lev-grossman/
ceena's review against another edition
4.0
Seriously.... I don't know how to review this book. I'm giving it 3.5 stars and I'm not even 100% sure that is the rating I want to give it.
I really enjoyed the premise of the book and what it had to often. I'm extremely happy we got a book about people in college!!... even though not really? The part in university (Book I) seemed like a lead up to the part where they get out because nothing spectacular really happens, yet at the same time I love that because it seems so real.
So many mixed feelings. My favorite characters were also Alice and Penny so UGH
Quentin is a jerk and an idiot. I really dislike him and he needs to grow the hell up-- this is probably the reason I even dislike the books. I wish I could have read through Alice's eyes or even Eliot's eyes-- and he is DRUNK MOST OF THE TIME.
I'm irritated with how things happened or how fast school went without much incident, but happy about all the cool stuff! I'm kinda feeling confused because as much as magic was used it didn't feel used often.
All in all, the characters acted like real friggin people. They aren't perfect; they aren't even all gorgeous models; they aren't the best at what they do either. These magicians have flaws, worries, anxieties, and stupid logic (I'm so looking at you QUENTIN!!) and as frustrating as that is, it makes it real and entertaining.
Will I read the sequel? Ugh, I don't know... as of now it isn't high on the list, but perhaps I'll go back sooner or later...
I really enjoyed the premise of the book and what it had to often. I'm extremely happy we got a book about people in college!!... even though not really? The part in university (Book I) seemed like a lead up to the part where they get out because nothing spectacular really happens, yet at the same time I love that because it seems so real.
So many mixed feelings. My favorite characters were also Alice and Penny so UGH
Quentin is a jerk and an idiot. I really dislike him and he needs to grow the hell up-- this is probably the reason I even dislike the books. I wish I could have read through Alice's eyes or even Eliot's eyes-- and he is DRUNK MOST OF THE TIME.
I'm irritated with how things happened or how fast school went without much incident, but happy about all the cool stuff! I'm kinda feeling confused because as much as magic was used it didn't feel used often.
All in all, the characters acted like real friggin people. They aren't perfect; they aren't even all gorgeous models; they aren't the best at what they do either. These magicians have flaws, worries, anxieties, and stupid logic (I'm so looking at you QUENTIN!!) and as frustrating as that is, it makes it real and entertaining.
Will I read the sequel? Ugh, I don't know... as of now it isn't high on the list, but perhaps I'll go back sooner or later...
ina_fab's review against another edition
4.0
"The magicians" is the kind of book you never expect to be. Totally different than the famous books of J.K. Rowling, the characters are mature, driven by their teenage feelings to explore the world that their never thought, discovering on the go that anything is possible and everything is inevitable. I initially thought that the story calls for more adventure in some chapters, although the story grew in suspense at some point from one chapter to another.
Overall, the story wasn't predictable and grew in intensity and quality by the end of the book. The story depicts friendship and love in the characters life that brings magic starting from real life to a supernatural world.
Overall, the story wasn't predictable and grew in intensity and quality by the end of the book. The story depicts friendship and love in the characters life that brings magic starting from real life to a supernatural world.
tregina's review against another edition
2.0
There are a lot of things to like about this novel, things that I normally gravitate towards like magical schools and realistic relationships. But there came a point where it was just gross to be in Quentin's head with him, with his entitlement and his misogyny, and I never got past that. The novel itself is an unholy marriage between Harry Potter and Narnia with a level of grit over the whole thing, but the pacing and structure were off and so even the elements that I did like never came together for me into a satisfying book.
dcliz's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure what to make of this book. I was definitely irritated by the Brakesbill portion, which despite the fact that the author was "playing with the trope" of Harry Potter--including a couple of cheeky references--was, in reality, clearly indebted to the world J.K. Rowling's artfully created. I am annoyed by an unresolved detail:
And if Book I was inspired by Harry Potter, then the other books clearly borrowed elements from other classics: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Alice and Wonderland; a Wrinkle in Time. But it didn't bother me as much, perhaps because by this point it had become clear that the entire novel was almost an homage to these earlier works. I'm not sure whether the author was trying to insert himself into this anthology, and if he was, whether he succeeded.
I will say that the themes of the search for happiness and meaning in life resonated, making the novel as a whole more satisfactory. I'm also curious whether the circumstances in which I read the book--almost all at once, on the 6th & 7th day of being home sick--influenced my reaction to it. In any case, I suppose I will pick up the next book in the series, to see if the story gets better now that the foundation has been laid.
Spoiler
What DID happen to the two people in the 2nd year whose spots Quentin and Alice took?And if Book I was inspired by Harry Potter, then the other books clearly borrowed elements from other classics: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Alice and Wonderland; a Wrinkle in Time. But it didn't bother me as much, perhaps because by this point it had become clear that the entire novel was almost an homage to these earlier works. I'm not sure whether the author was trying to insert himself into this anthology, and if he was, whether he succeeded.
I will say that the themes of the search for happiness and meaning in life resonated, making the novel as a whole more satisfactory. I'm also curious whether the circumstances in which I read the book--almost all at once, on the 6th & 7th day of being home sick--influenced my reaction to it. In any case, I suppose I will pick up the next book in the series, to see if the story gets better now that the foundation has been laid.
kellyb's review against another edition
3.0
It amazed me how much of this book I did not even remember a little bit upon re-reading it. There were times when Quentin got a little too emo for me, and I totally love emo, but in general this was a wonderful story. Given how much of this book I forgot, I really look forward to re-reading [b:The Magician King|10079321|The Magician King (The Magicians, #2)|Lev Grossman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316177353s/10079321.jpg|13362064] before I can finally get around to [b:The Magician's Land|19103097|The Magician's Land (The Magicians, #3)|Lev Grossman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386012841s/19103097.jpg|24330801].
catiew's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like this book can be summed up in three points
1. Every single character is a terrible person
2. It features a scene where everybody is turned into Arctic foxes and then have sex with each other (as Arctic foxes)
3. I'm completely unclear as to whether this is satire of or homage to the "classics" of high fantasy
I'm glad I didn't buy this one - I borrowed it from the library. And despite my major misgivings about some of what happens, I might read the sequels - but again, I'll be borrowing them from the library. I recommend it if you want to think "wtf?" at the end of every chapter.
1. Every single character is a terrible person
2. It features a scene where everybody is turned into Arctic foxes and then have sex with each other (as Arctic foxes)
3. I'm completely unclear as to whether this is satire of or homage to the "classics" of high fantasy
I'm glad I didn't buy this one - I borrowed it from the library. And despite my major misgivings about some of what happens, I might read the sequels - but again, I'll be borrowing them from the library. I recommend it if you want to think "wtf?" at the end of every chapter.
raygainford's review against another edition
5.0
This is just what I needed to read after finding out that the tv adaptation is being finishing after the current season (I highly recommend watching it). It's gonna be hard not to read all 5 of these in quick succession!