Quentin Coldwater has never had much self-confidence and has always felt out of sync with everyone, including his friends
James and
Julia. A scheduled interview to get into Princeton strangely ends up in a discovery of a dead body. Afterwards, Quentin is handed an envelope that contains the supposed sixth volume of his favorite
fantasy book series
"Fillory and Further" and a note, which the wind unfortunately forced him to chase. Much to his surprise, the chase ends up in the sunnier location of
Brakesbill College for Magical Pedagogy, where he is accepted as part of a small group of students who can learn actual magic.
I have to admit that it took me a while to get into the groove of reading
The Magicians. It's not because Quentin or his experiences learning magic is not interesting... I made sure not to set expectations that this would compare to
Harry Potter, as some articles online claim. I felt that it would have been a great reading material for me several years ago. It would have resonated more with me if I were nearer Quentin's age, when there was less certainty about what I wanted in my life... you know, the whole teenager to young adult phase we all had to go through. Quentin has a tendency to wallow in doubt, whether it's in his abilities, in how he compares with his peers despite being gifted among the gifted, and in how he thinks that Brakesbill and magic can be taken away from him at any time.
Again, this doesn't mean that it's a bad
book.
The Magicians is actually a great read, I just needed to warm up to it. Author Lev Grossman is detailed in his descriptions, particularly of the subjects that Quentin had to study in Brakesbill, which helped give definition to how magic is conducted in the world he created. Quentin's observations and account of his time in Brakesbill allow readers to understand a little bit of how their magic works, the pastimes that only magicians can enjoy and how magicians live among those who are without. There are stories of successful magicians and those who have done horrible things using their talents. Despite keeping his characters in a single location for most of the book, there's some pretty good world-building that happens in its pages.
But what truly makes a book about magic compelling is what the people who have it do with it. In other titles in the fantasy genre that features those with magic, there's always the conflict borne from individuals who would prefer to use their magic for evil or for gain. While this is also true in
The Magicians, there is a different kind of conflict at play for Quentin and, to a certain extent, his peers at Brakesbill. Quentin has never felt like he belonged in his old life pre-Brakesbill, and while there's the expected elation and excitement at his new life as a magician-in-training, there's always that nagging thought that he won't be completely happy with it. Quentin constantly questions the permanency of his ability to do magic and to call himself a magician, that he forgets to prepare for his life as one. It's both fascinating and frustrating to read about. Quentin isn't alone in this, I think. There's a sense of entitlement among many of the students of Brakesbill, often leaving the school without an idea of what role they will fulfill in the bigger world and just as often disappointed with what they end up with, which in turn leads to destructive behavior.
Quentin ends up interacting with some Brakesbill students more than others, such as fellow freshmen
Alice Quinn and
Penny, and Physical Magic group members
Eliot Waugh,
Janet Way, and
Josh Hoberman. This particular core group would figure heavily throughout Quentin's five year stay in Brakesbill and his life after graduating, with some working to help him with his insecurities and disillusionment, while others sharing in or enabling his destructive tendencies. The group dynamic featured in the book changes as time passes, especially when they are forced to grow up and face the dangers they so blithely walk into, confident in their abilities and luck.
And then, there's
Fillory. The setting of Quentin's favorite fantasy books, which might not be completely fiction after all. It is when the story turns to the myths relating to Fillory that elicits the most reaction from Quentin, so the possibility of its existence could very well be the key to his finally growing up. But Fillory, even in the books, was never a place of safety. And when
The Beast makes his first appearance in Quentin's classroom, the lesson that magic doesn't mean immortal is driven home. Hard. I spent the rest of my reading of the book dreading his next appearance.
The Magician turned out to be a wonderful mix of magic culture both familiar and inventive, the magical young adult brand of identity crisis and self-destructive tendencies, and a layer of danger that turned out to be truly terrifying for everyone involved. At its center is a narrative voice that commanded your investment in his character growth, but doesn't shy away from making you dislike or even hate his choices.
No, it's not
Harry Potter, but that's completely fine.
The Magicians is its own brand of fantasy storytelling and should be judged as such.
Happy reading!!
