The Magicians

A Novel

By: Lev Grossman

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 17 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

A thrilling and original coming-of- age novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world.

Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he's still secretly preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels he read as a child, set in a magical land called Fillory. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the craft of modern sorcery.

He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. Something is missing, though. Magic doesn't bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he dreamed it would. After graduation, he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real. But the land of Quentin's fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he could have imagined. His childhood dream becomes a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart.

At once psychologically piercing and magnificently absorbing, The Magicians boldly moves into uncharted literary territory, imagining magic as practiced by real people, with their capricious desires and volatile emotions. Lev Grossman creates an utterly original world in which good and evil aren't black and white, love and sex aren't simple or innocent, and power comes at a terrible price.

©2009 Lev Grossman (P)2009 Penguin

Critic reviews

"This is a book for grown-up fans of children's fantasy and would appeal to those who loved Donna Tartt's The Secret History. Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)
"Provocative, unput-downable....one of the best fantasies I've read in ages." ( Fantasy & Science Fiction)
" The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea." (George R.R. Martin)

Very enjoyable for fans of ASOIAF

Needing some kind of adult oriented fantasy while suffering the wait for more from GRRM, I gave this a shot and really enjoyed myself .

Gorgeously written character driven portal fantasy

Much like my other favorite fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss, the readers and their reviews of this book are wildly controversial, often sitting at polar opposite ends of the spectrum on loving it or hating it. I'm glad to count myself among the ranks of those who recognize the beauty and brilliance of this book. Don't compare it to Harry Potter or Narnia, because it's not. Grossman certainly borrows from and plays with the tropes of a magical school, as well as godly animals in a magical world that can only be accessed by portals, but that's where the similarities end. Like some reviewers have said disgustedly, this is not a children's book. I'm not sure why they were expecting it to be one in the first place, but whatever, that assessment is true.

What this book is, is a fascinating coming of age tale about a group of teenagers/twenty-somethings that get to live the dream and learn that magic is real and how to do it themselves. Then they learn that magic doesn't solve their problems, and often creates more problems. What they might initially have thought of as an escape has its own drama and bureaucracy and rules.

This is a story about complex characters that are flawed and that make mistakes. They make stupid choices and must suffer the consequences and try to learn from them to do better. They often take things and each other for granted, until it's too late. It's a story about people being people, fallible creatures that are prone to selfishness and destruction.

It's also a story of unlikely heroes and characters growing into the roles and situations they were forced into. It's about beautiful and believable friendships that wax and wane and take work to maintain and cultivate. It's about people confronting their mistakes and their dark pasts and overcoming them to move forward and be there for those they care about when they need them most.

As another reviewer said, this is a story about people, first and foremost, but it also certainly is about magic. Every inch of the book is concerned with magic and the implications it has on people's lives and the world in general. All the different ways that people use magic and rely on magic for certain things, or hate or despise magic alternatively for various reasons. Grossman takes "what if magic was real" and then takes it ten steps further, explicating perspectives and philosophies on its use and meaning. You can tell that he really considers the ramifications, good and bad, of what people might do with magic at their disposal.

Grossman's voice throughout the book is brilliantly cynical and witty, full of dark, hilarious humor and clever and topical references. His dialogue is authentic and brimming with characterization, and the story moves at a steady, brisk pace that never drags.

Finally, I have to mention that I love Mark Bramhall's narration of the book. His character voices are unique and well-crafted, and he has the chops to deliver Grossman's spectacular prose and humor flawlessly.

It just hits me

Great book. I identify with Quentin more than I should probably admit publicly. Narrator matches the tone.

30 minutes in.....

Okay... The story is interesting thus far, but the Narrator is hard to get used to. He reminds me of that flat, unemotional robot voice that used to read text to you on those first generation Mac computers. I don't know...... How long... I can last...

Dare to not compare.

If you go into The Magicians comparing it to other books, you may find yourself disappointed. But if you accept it on its own level, you may, as I did, find yourself enjoying it. This book is very well written. Grossman can really spin a tale. And the characters are starkly contrasted and interesting in their flaws and strengths. I will be (happily) reading book two. And likely any more that come along in the series.

Downhill

Starts off great, but unravels a bit in the last quarter.

Incredible voice actor, mediocre novel

The setup for the novel is fun, but doesn't get very far. It suffers from many of the flaws of fantasy fiction written by men: the setting is detailed, the battle scenes richly imagined, and none of the relationships are believable. Not the romantic ones, not the parental ones, not ones with teachers - not one relationship rings true. But oh, the voice actor! Possibly the very best voice actor I have yet listened to on audible. Wow.

didn't like it

the characters were completely unsympathetic and we're more like antagonists. I was interested because of the TV show but I'm sorry I got this book

DON'T BE FOOLED...THIS IS NO HARRY POTTER!

What did you like best about this story?

I have to say that I did like this audiobook and I'm glad I bought it. The writing is sharp, clever and witty with genuinely surprising twists but to those who might think this is a lighthearted fantasy novel, don't be fooled. The title may sound fun and harmless but this book is not for kids. The Magicians is more for young adults and adults. It does contain humor and fantasy but it is essentially a dark novel. The characters are complex, spoiled, bratty and very cynical and almost all of them have their dreams and expectations shattered at some point.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending (I will not spoil it) was my favorite because I love strong women!

Any additional comments?

The story starts off with Quentin, a brilliant but depressed teenager, who is dissatisfied with his life, his friendship(s) and his future. His outlook is bleak and so he finds solace in a group of beloved children's books, about a magical land called Fillory. One day Quentin and his friends are on their way to a college interview when a tragic turn of events lands Quentin in a very different but very special sort of exam. Thereafter he finds himself enrolled in Brakesbills, a secret magic college hidden away in upstate New York. Brakesbills has cliques and power circles, and people stuck on the outside while life on campus is like any other college. There’s a good amount of booze, fighting, profanity and also casual sex. The first part of the book deals with Quentin’s and his friends’ magical education but we also get glimpses into the bitter afterlife Brakebills graduates can look forward to.

When the newly graduated students leave Brakesbills they go to live in New York City where they quickly become bored and disillusioned. Having no direction or guidance they easily fall into a hedonistic lifestyle. Quentin and his friends have time, money and magic with all its limitless power. All except Alice become reckless in their pleasure-seeking habits; getting drunk, using drugs, clubbing, having meaningless sex and other such excesses. It is only after a long-lost fellow Brakesbillser shows up that the group finally decides to do something other than drown themselves in debauchery.

Quentin and his friends finally embark on a true adventure and it is their journey through the heart of darkness that changes them all. They are all searching for happiness, worthiness and value in their lives. Unlike Harry Potter the Magicians has a much darker, almost satiric edginess. It breaks conventions in its grim but realistic portrayal of the way the magic world and the real world might interact if a magic world truly co-existed with ours. Quentin and his friends are the ‘heroes’ but they are obnoxious, arrogant, complex and absolutely flawed heroes. Unlikely and as unsuitable as they may seem, this tainted group of wizards, in spite of their imperfections, make this book noteworthy and interesting. I truly enjoyed this audiobook and I do recommend it...as long as the listener/reader is not fixed on a happily-ever-after ending.

Not for Kids

I was suprised at the beginning when it was introduced as Audible for kids since I wasn't expecting a childrens book, however it turned out NOT to be for kids. The book moves from the story of students at school to a much more mature theme as the book developes. It was a great to listen to and always left me wondering what was going to happen next.