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A review by brennanaphone
The Magician King by Lev Grossman
3.0
Quentin continues to be an insufferable, entitled, myopic prick, but I am continually fascinated by how he manages to be deeply unhappy after getting everything he wants, over and over. The Narnia parallels are still fun, especially with the addition of religion in the mix.
I would have been excited about a new perspective, but Julia's chapters just didn't feel enough like a different voice. Every character in these books has the same kind of misanthropic, sarcastic, snobbish tone. And after the horror that happens to Julia, Quentin's big sacrifices and male sadness feel so paltry and insignificant. It'd be interesting if that were intended by the author, but I don't think it was.
That said, Grossman has some really evocative descriptions and nice turns of phrase.
I would have been excited about a new perspective, but Julia's chapters just didn't feel enough like a different voice. Every character in these books has the same kind of misanthropic, sarcastic, snobbish tone. And after the horror that happens to Julia, Quentin's big sacrifices and male sadness feel so paltry and insignificant. It'd be interesting if that were intended by the author, but I don't think it was.
That said, Grossman has some really evocative descriptions and nice turns of phrase.