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)

Love this book

Second time to finish the book— a delight and loving homage/critique of Narnia written for adults who’ve always wanted to go there and go to magician school.

Good story and not

story has so many plot holes that it makes the moon look flat. needs more books to explain.

Good contrast from the show

I happened to watch the show first before I knew there was a book. I really enjoyed the show besides the fact that it went rather quickly, too many things happening all at once to the point where consequences lost their meaning. This book is the absolute antithesis of that, the parts in brakebills feel like they go on forever with no conflict (I didn't find this boring, it's a slice of life thing. Plus, it forces the reader to feel how Quintin feels in those moments). I would suggest any reader to watch the show and vice versa because both can offer you different stories told in different ways respectively.

Wonderful

I thoroughly enjoyed the show, as expected, the book was even BETTER!! True narrative genius!

The show brought me here.

I like to see how the books and shows /movies are different. I can't quite say which one I prefer yet. Its interesting to see what they chose to change or leave out.

Not Like The Show (Duh)

Let me start by saying that I love the TV series and, I know, that was a different set of writers. I love what they took from this show and how they twisted it to help it become its own piece.

For what the book is, it is an amazing story with characters who you can understand and magic that exists in a real world. It's a dream, but somewhere this one also became a bit of a nightmare - Q isn't the lovable goof, he tends to be an arrogant asshole when he isn't self-deprecating. Margot/Janet isn't as brusque and strong as she should have been. Elliot is far too stereotypical when he does get time on the page and Julia, for all she can be, is vaguely featured so her entire story is a blur.

If you want this to be like the show, don't hold you breath. It's a good version, and some parts of it really sing! But this is its own story and it definitely isn't always as wonderful as adaptation is.

loved it

i think this was an excellent read (listen) and i highly recommend. much different than the netflix show.

Excellent! Left me wanting more.

Recommend to me by my Aunt. Great book, beginning to end. Ready for the next adventure.

Couldn’t slog through fast enough

Might be the first time I enjoyed a tv adaptation more than the book series. Unfortunately I will not be continuing with the books. I hated all the characters, including my two favorites from the tv series, Penny and Elliot. The schooling was rushed through and yet seemed to go on forever about nothing. If you’re going to spend time talking about it, might as well go into some interesting detail. Then they finally got to the “adventure” and rushed through that. I’m disappointed.

Gets better each time

One of my all time favorite stories. Read the books and watched the shows over and over and it only gets better each time.