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• Good start but could have been better

  I came by The Magicians from the show, so much of my review is going to be a little biased based on my love for the show - some things good, and some things bad, and them being compared to how they are on the show. Blanket statement - after reading this book, I love the show better, and I am at a 3.5 stars for this book (but this doesn't have half stars so I rounded up from my love for the show to a 4). I will advise discretion for alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and for mention of sexual assault. Now, while the Magicians has mostly been said to be a Narnia meets Harry Potter kind of tale, or an adult Harry Potter, the thing is that it explores the darker side of both settings. What if Narnia wasn't the idyllic quest that it was? What if a whimsical land had it own set of problems, and the humans who get roped into those are out of their depth? What if you get your wish and go to Hogwarts, but you still aren't happy? The book superficially glides over the topic of Quentin's depression (which is better handled in the show, IMO) but it also talks about how magic, though seemingly a miracle, is not always a solution. Sometimes your problems are because of what you are, and not where you are. The world of Brakebills and Fillory, while explained in much detail, still feels surreal when it comes from Q's POV. Perhaps it is his failing as a protagonist, but we don't get much characterization for other characters either. The story's sole focus is Q and how his journey of being a brilliant student, a talented magician and a questor doesn't ever end - he is always on the lookout for the next adventure, thinking it will fill some hole inside him. Parental neglect is slightly touched upon with regards to him, as well as Alice, his best friend and girl friend. The other characters, Penny, Eliot, Josh and Janet get more prominence from part 2 of the book - as well as the various relationships between them, and how they affect the dynamic between Q and Alice. The overall mood of the book, though is sombre, and like a downward spiral - it doesn't have much humor, and doesn't evoke much emotions on the part of the reader (or I am just too cold a person to care much). Now, while this is about magic, the mythology of the magic itself comes across as clinical. There is no wonder as there is in Harry Potter - it is simply a tool that they study hard at, and succeed at. As my reading buddy pointed out - 'I wish there would have been more magic'. People who read the book only will perhaps be disappointed by how the magic is presented, without much description unless it is something major. It is like the book is saying - the magic? that is not important! And in some ways I agree with it - the story is not about the wonder that is magic, or the haven that is Brakebills, it is how all these kids who hit the jackpot and get to manipulate reality itself react to the powers. It is mainly about the magicians and what magic does TO THEM. Even in the case of the Beast, it is presented as the cause for his creation from what was before, though I kinda like the show's version better. (Don't blame me - I vastly prefer the show over this book, especially because how it handles some storylines better). Overall, a decent start to the series, but I need something to make me invested in the characters too, not just the storyline.

• 質感最高

  なんで英語読めないのに買ったんだろう。質感最高

• One of the best books I've read in the last decade.

  Let's get on thing clear. This book is not for kids or even teenagers who don't know what they want. No, this book is something special. The characters, the settings, the things that happen are like a fantasy we all have had at some point but fantasy never stays pure. Without spoiling much, I'll just say this. Read the book, watch the first season of the show, watch the rest of the show and then read the other two books. They have different plots altogether. Warning, spoilers follow. Here's my review on it: This book is NOT for the innocent. The opening page or two of the book are bland, but with a dark undertone that kept me reading. Then, the book actually begins and holy shit is it amazing. People have called this book alot of things like Harry Potter for adults, dark fantasy etc but it's none of that. If you're self obsessed, glass half empty Kind of person, then this book is for you. If you're a kid or someone who thinks Harry Potter is the best fantasy series ever written, this is NOT the book for you. The plot is something like this: Quentin Coldwater, our MC, is the smartest person in his school and he's headed to a man for an interview into a prestigious college with his two friends. But when they get there, they find the man murdered and he's left a suspicious package for Quentin containing a never seen before manuscript of his favourite book series. He opens the package and starts to read it but a few pages fly away and he starts to chase them and while chasing them, he stumbles across a college for magic: Brakebills. Here, he learns, he has magical abilities and must hone them to become a Magician. The tone: Well, it's pretty depressing and guess what, I like depressing. There aren't many depressing books put there when compared to the number of books with a good message like Harry Potter. Through the entire book, Quentin feels empty,like he always did back in the real world. The magic he learns at Brakebills seems to fill some of the holes but it's still there. The rest is spoilers so I'll abstain from mentioning them. The pacing: you know, I think Lev Grossman looked at the book and said, "You know what, I'm gonna do this at my own pace." and the book is better for it. Lev takes his time to paint Brakebills in our mind as clearly as he could since well, 3/4ths of the book takes place there. It's a great thing he did it because we often see writers hurry the story along because the readers don't care about the place. They just want a general description of the place and then move on with the story. Books are meant to be savoured and this book proves it. There's not alot of plot in the book that's immediately apparent. Random things happen while he's living there and some more random things happen. There's no clear villain either. Or at least not until the ending chapters of the book. Quentin is fascinated by the magic and starts school there and some days are just accounts of what happened. Some school days are just plain boring. He studies, competes with others because they were the most smartest people in their school as well. Everyone at Brakebills is basically a genius. And thankfully, Grossman understands magic isn't easy. At least, not as easy as some books make it seem. Like in Harry Potter, all you had to do was say a few words and wave a stick. In other books, you did something similar. In the Magicians, magic is not simple. There's over ten complex hand gestures (sometimes over 50 gestures) that need to be utter perfection to be cast or you start all over again. There's weather conditions to be taken into account, the magnetic vibrations of the place you're in, there's over a hundred things to take into account when casting a spell and the gestures change accordingly. I LOVE this magic system. It's not something shallow for the plot to revel in. It IS the plot. The entirety of Brakebills is just filled with competetive people, struggling to be the best at everything. I can't say much without spoiling the book but a lot of epic shit happens when they're in school. The prose isn't flowers and rainbows, it's raw and it's supposed to be. The entire atmosphere is gloomy and there's always the sense that something bad will happen at any moment and it's great. It's like the sense of dread you get when reading Stephen King's books which I do enjoy alot. But that's not all. IN FACT, some scenes of the book were just accounts of Quentin going from class to class, like a mindless drone. But it was written so masterfully that I didn't once think to put it down. I gobbled this masterpiece up in 7 hours the first time I read it. Since then, I've read it 28 times. It's that good. And hopefully, you'll like it too. Anyway, if the book isn't your speed, try the show. Yes, there's a show, that's how I found the book in the first place. The show's got the same basic idea but diverges in a completely different path from episode 2 or so onwards. The show is good in its own right but the book is one of the closest things to my heart, right alongside The Gentleman Bastard Series, the Miss Peregrine Series, IT, The Running man and the beautiful creatures series. It's a great book. So are all these. Check them out if you get the time. The Characters: Nobody in the book was made to be likable. They were made to be relatively relatable. Quentin: He's selfish, shy, a know it all, a brat, self obsessed, horny all the time and naturally adept. Alice: Extremely smart (much more so than Quentin), amazingly ahead in magic than half her class and has been through the death of her brother. I'd tell you about the rest of the characters but that'll ruin the book. So go, read the book.

• Realistic and gritty

  I adore this book. It is one of my all time favorites. Reading it again was a treat. I’m already wondering when I’ll have time to read it again, along with the rest of the trilogy. The trilogy itself is an all time favorite, but this book will always have a special place in my heart. I have always shipped Quentin/Eliot and going through the story again it's not all that surprising. Quentin spends a good portion of the book, if not all of it, obsessed with Eliot. He also seems to look up to Eliot. He has a very different relationship with Eliot. We know they've at least kissed, but did something more happen that night? I like to think it did. It makes me unbelievably happy to think that way so I will stick with it. I never did enjoy the Quentin/Alice relationship. It was very self-destructive and it felt like they were going down the same path that Alice’s parents were, which was something Alice didn’t want to do, but neither of them could see it. They were terrible together. However, as much as I don’t ship them and I don’t think they belong together, I love that this relationship is in the book. It felt like an important part of Quentin's journey. Quentin is an a-hole. For the most part, he is a very unlikeable character. He is horribly unhappy and he is always waiting for something more to happen with his life. He is never satisfied with what he has. And when he gets something he thinks is going to make him happy, he tosses it to the side. Honestly it's part of what makes this book so fun. It's from Quentin's POV. He's very blah as a person but he's so wonderfully written. Not that any of the other characters are necessarily people you want to be friends with. But it works here. Their friendships and their personalities? They are real. Eliot is my favorite. I always want more Eliot, and more than that, I always want more interactions between Eliot and Quentin. There is just something about those two. Even if it’s not the sex scenes that I’m dying to see, there’s an undeniable chemistry between Quentin and Eliot. One of my most favorite things about this book is the magic itself. It's a lot of HARD WORK. Magic always seems too easy in books, even when the characters have to work for it. They don't have to work for it like they do in The Magicians. They work their butts off for some of the most simple spells, until it does become easy for them to do. It's like a combination of Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia for adults, but it's also not. There's something more to it, and there's definitely something darker to it. There’s also something more real to it. It’s a fantasy, yes, but not only are they dealing with magic in a very real way, but they are also dealing with problems that people deal with on a daily basis. And while other books like Harry Potter might touch on more real life problems, it still doesn’t have that gritty feel like The Magicians does. Harry Potter is definitely fantasy. The Magicians could be happening right now to people that you know. Like I said, one of my favorite books ever. I couldn't even really tell you why. There's just something special about for me. It speaks to me.

• The magicians

  Lo empecé a leer impulsado por la serie de televisión, de la cual solo tiene por parecido el título y poco más.

• A very nice read.

  Sometimes got the feeling I was reading Harry Potter, but it was not disturbing. Looking forward to reading part 2

• A fast paced ride that tugs on your nostalgia

  The Magicians is what kids who grew up reading Harry Potter in grade school should be reading as they prepare to leave high school. Playful with the tropes of Narnia, Hogwarts etc., the book overlays the life we experience every day in a big city on top of these worlds. Drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships - there is a grittiness to this world of magic I have never read before and I very much enjoyed it. It took two months to read only because life has been, with the recent wedding, obviously, quite busy. :) The main thing I like about this book is that it moves fast. Book One alone has enough plot points to carry through three Potters and four Narnias and enough throwaway observations in the world of Fillory to fill up another seven. When the magical world is depicted as both wondrous and blasé, sometimes in the same sentence, it is an engaging place to be as you are constantly smirking at your own previously held assumptions and guilty pleasures.

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