Favorites: The Magicians

Book Favorites

The Magicians
Lev Grossman

Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn't real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of college-friendship, love, sex, and booze- and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesn't bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentin's yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than they'd imagined.

(Please note that all judgments and opinions expressed are my own. This is simply a rundown of why the book means so much to me, but in no way reflects directly on other fans of the book or the author's intention)

I first read The Magicians when I was sixteen or seventeen, and for so many reasons, it has remained my firm, unwavering favorite. Now to prevent this blog post from turning into a twenty page essay on why this particular book (in fact, this particular trilogy) means so much to me, I'm going to break it down.

But first, I need to address something...

The Magicians is set in a universe where magic and non-magic world's coexist, and before you go and compare it to Harry Potter, let me set the record straight; I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series, but in no way, other than the most basic premise, is The Magicians anything like the Magical Wizarding World. Some critics have described it as the "grown-up Harry Potter", another pet peeve of mine, because that would imply again a fundamental similarity in the characterization, the world building, and the writing style's of these two book series, which simply (at least in my eyes) does not exist. Both series are incredible, and entirely deserving of their own merit, but I feel that any comparison between Harry Potter and The Magicians detracts from their wonderful uniqueness.

So, now that I've got my obligatory moaning out of the way...

The characters

Somehow, Lev Grossman has managed to create a world filled with damaged, repugnant, and painfully human characters, and yet every single one of them is likable on some level. Many suffer from some form of unmedicated mental illness, including the protagonist Quentin Coldwater, and none of them have any real idea what they're doing with their lives. Where some authors try to create antihero's, those who have duty thrust upon them but always unceremoniously manage to save the day, Grossman creates characters who, by the end of the book, still retain exactly the same qualities they started off with. This may seem strange to some readers, as a characters' development is an essential element in moving the plot forward. However, in my eyes, Grossman acknowledges that change does not come conveniently in order to wrap up every last plot hole, or even at all. His characters are so flawed, and so incredibly real. The only character who demonstrates any real heroic aptitude is killed off, which in my eyes was refreshing; in life, it is not often the heroes who survive, hence the symbol of the Martyr.

The setting

A wizarding university/finishing school tucked away in New York. I mean its essentially the best of both worlds. The beauty of New York is dimmed completely in the eyes of the protagonist, and the eyes of the viewer, after he comes back from Brakebills, which seems an accurate portrayal of what the ordinary world must look like from a magicians point of view. On top of all this, Grossman deals with the very adult themes of drug use, sexuality and relationships, all of which create a stark contrast with what the audience has come to expect from a quaint Anglophile school. To top it all off, the fictional storybook world of Fillory is shown to be real, and perhaps even more corrupted than reality, which adds an interesting intertextuality to the The Magicians.

The Magic

The magic in The Magicians is not easy. It's not as simple as learning a few spells and uttering them with intent. The magic in the Magicians is gruelling, it's pulling all nighters, it's people being so overwhelmed by pressure that they can barely function. To me, the fact that magic does not come easy to a school filled with natural born magicians is oddly satisfying. By vicariously living through the characters trials, the reader comes to truly appreciate it when true magic is performed in the book, simply because it feels like the character's have earned it. Grossman is able to preserve the 'specialness' of the magicians in the book by isolating them from non-magical society, and yet simultaneously is able to show the audience that they have truly earned it. This makes the plot seem more worthwhile, because it truly shows the extent of the journey that has been undertaken before the books denouement.

And why it's my favorite...

Quite simply, I was in the right (or wrong) place at the right time. This book gave me something honest and real to relate to when I was suffering from a similar mindset to Quentin, one which left me feeling down and despondent. It provided genuine escapism without ever really letting me ignore real life. On top of that, it's just beautifully written, the plot is painfully but perfectly resolved, and Elliot Waugh is a god amongst men (read the book, you'll understand what I mean). 

Thank you for reading!

Book Review: Ten

Book Review

Ten

Gretchen McNeil

SHHHH!

Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend.
Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

                                        Review

Ten by Gretchen McNeil is a book that I had on my summer reading list for probably around 3 summers in a row. It was just one of those books that I was really looking forward to, but in an apprehensive sort of way, to the point that I was scared to read it. This was just because I knew that realistically, it probably wouldn't live up to my high expectations, which all stemmed from one fact; this book, apparently, was loosely inspired by Agatha Christie's and then there were none". Now Agatha Christie was my introduction to the crime genre, and while I don't really revisit my well thumbed copies of my old Miss Marple paperbacks anymore, they still have a really special place in my heart. Which is why, when I did finally get around to picking up, and two days later, putting down a copy of Ten, my mind was so abuzz with criticism and praise that I knew I had to vent it somewhere.

So now that I'm done rambling, let's get on with the review!

Immediately, the setting of the book was like an echo of "And then there were none". Set on a near deserted island, this book mimics the isolation and the ominous undertones that Agatha Christie achieved from the start of her novel, and for that I was strangely thankful. What this book really needed was suspense, and I feel like the setting, throughout the whole book, really aided in creating this foreboding atmosphere that was one of the true high points of the novel. The whole island, the red herrings with the neighbors, and the environment, was so clearly thought out, I had no trouble imagining it, which really helped carry some of the weaker points of the book.

However, almost immediately after the environment is created, the characters completely ruin it. Imagine all of the stereotypes from high school movies and TV shows. Now, put them in a big house, on a deserted island, in the middle of a murder mystery, and there you have the premise of Ten. It felt overdone and stereotypical, and occasionally borderline offensive. The protagonist was the typical plain Jane with hidden appeal. All of the male characters merged into one.  Minnie, the 'best friend' figure in the book, but also somehow one of the major antagonists throughout the plot, is revealed to be bipolar, a revelation which then of course leads to her medication being stolen by the 'killer', because what could be more scary than a girl off her meds. Most of the romance and character interaction felt forced, and as though it was so clearly leading to something. I understand that characters are basically devices used to move the plot forward, but in this case, I feel that the book relied to heavily on them to do so. 

One thing I will say is that this book, while being predictable to anyone familiar with the story on which it was based, was quite suspenseful. I definitely wanted to keep reading, because while the plot is slightly derived, it is REALLY fast paced. I would say that for anyone who hasn't read much Agatha Christie, and is just getting into thriller novels, this would be great. However, I can't tell you whether this is because it is a good book, or because it is so heavily based on an excellent book. 

Now for the cover!

I absolutely love this cover. It was what originally drew me to the book for sure. I appreciate the cold background contrasting with the red letters, anything with a careful and minimalist color scheme is *good in my books*.

Thanks for reading!