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A review by dcliz
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
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.