Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

3 reviews

csmall73's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad 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

3.0

 
 
Its a strange story. Quentin is swept into a magical world of breakbills and magical college essentially. His entire time at breakbills is encompassed in the first part of the book. There’s no threats or quests. Seems more like a diary of his time there. 
 
Reading about some of the sexual encounters of his peers was odd and detached. I found Quentin’s and Alice’s fox encounter weird and borderline SA. I say borderline because it appears so but also he was unprepared for his animal brain at the time. Then the ensuing relationship seems detached like a friends with benefits but not? 
 
All seem lost in fucking, philosophical discussion, wine and lack of real motivation. Like bunch of rich kids that never had a job or purpose in life. Existential crisis. Amidst this existential crisis Quentin cheats on Alice. 
 
Fillory, keeps popping up in passing as well as other worlds but no real connection with the story other than a childhood fascination with the world. 300/402 pages with nothing insight. Then all of a sudden a forgotten side character happens upon a way to Fillory. Out of the blue. I don’t understand why penny would come to them specifically after having issues in school with one another and distancing himself from them specifically. 
 
Alice is an underestimated queen. Quentin is a petty asshole about the breakup and the consequences that come his way. 
 

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ksheathebrave's review against another edition

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It’s abundantly clear what the author’s race/gender and corresponding perspective are within the first few pages of the book, and that perspective dominates at least the first third of the book. The way the author talks about women and POC is uncomfortable and gross to say the least. It’s too bad because the tv series is really great. Book Quentin‘s character may grow as does the TV Quentin but frankly the book is too bad to find out. 

As for the writing, the story itself is fine, just slow. The author uses unnecessarily highfalutin language, which constantly takes the reader out of the story (using “gonfalons” instead of “banners” is just obnoxious and makes you sound like a tool). 

Won’t be coming back to finish. 
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ireadinbed's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I cannot in good conscience give this book higher than a 3 rating. Despite definitely planning to read on. 

Lev Grossman is a deeply weird person. There's way too many weird phrases about balls and people fucking animals. . .or being animals fucking. . .idk it's weird. 

Also I fucking hate the main character. He's getting a bit more bearable at the end, and no one says the main character has to be likable(I love the poppy war and the main character is an insufferable drug addicted war criminal), but it's like reading catcher in the rye with magic and I can't explain how much I hated Holden in that book. They are the same. 

I do however love some of the supporting cast and the way that the books never feel like they are going to let you see the point. The only dance around it. Interested to see where they go. 
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