BOOK REVIEW: THE MAGICIANS

A few months back, we kicked off a new feature we are pretty jazzed up about over here at You Me Oui- the monthly Book Club. For September- we read The Magicians by Lev Grossman. This was one of my picks, and I really didn't hear too much about it before hand- but I was excited to read it! So we did!

WARNING: post may contain spoiler alerts!!! Read ahead with caution!!! You have been warned!

What was you favorite part or parts of the book?
CARLY: I definitely think one of my favorite parts of the book was the way they described transforming into animals. It was more unique in that they had elements of the animal's brain, it wasn't just their exact thought process in the body of another creature.

SINA:  I really enjoyed the different world aspects of the book. First- that there is a magical world. Second- that they can travel between worlds with the push of an enchanted button. And third- FILLORY!

What was your least favorite part or parts of the book?
C: I really did not enjoy the references to real world things. Particularly because they were so few and far between. The beauty of the Harry Potter books is that contextually you don't know exactly when they take place, because there are no cultural references of any kind. But the random mentions (somewhat indirect) relating to Harry Potter, and the Sorry! game piece, were just kind of out of place.

S: That the book is so similar to Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Who was your favorite character?
C:  This was another book that for me didn't have any redeeming characters. I feel like Lev Grossman doesn't quite develop any character besides Quentin to a point where I could say that I "know" them. And that can really keep characters at arms length for me. If I had to choose I might say Eliot, simply because he knew who he was. Even if that person was a drunken mess.

S:  I have really thought long and hard about this questions- and honestly- I think this is one of the first books I have read- or at least that I can think of- that I do not have a true favorite, or someone that I like a little more that anyone else. I don't think that that is a bad thing either! I think each of the characters is flawed in their own way, and because of that, there is no front runner to make one of them my favorite.

Who was your least favorite character?
C:  Well, as mentioned since I don't feel like I knew any of the character's especially well, I don't know that I could name a least favorite either. I mean, Penny is unlikeable, but mainly through Quentin's eyes, and I don't always agree with Quentin. Otherwise Penny is kind of one dimensional and never really explains himself.

S:  Again, I think the author writes the characters in such a way where they are truly honest and flawed- that they are not great or horrible, but they seem more like people you actually could know. I don't actually have anyone I really like less that anyone else- there are parts of each of them that I don't like, and I think that makes it a great "true" story.

What are your thoughts on the characters as a whole?
C:  I felt like some of the characters were loosely described. Like we would get snippets of a physical description for Alice, but not really. And at odd later points in the book. Which isn't a big deal but if the book is from Quentin's perspective and he's so in love with her, I was just surprised to realize she had dark hair around page 300 or so. Seemed late in the game for that detail. Otherwise I guess they were pretty realistic for a college wizard plot.

S:  I think the author does a pretty good job of writing a set of characters that seem pretty realistic. Even though the story is clearly ficitional and the characters are all very flawed, I like that they are not all perfect. I like that there is not one real hero and one damsel, and so one so fourth... That being said, I also thing that Mr. Grossman sort of stretches out how far he can push each of the characters, and tests where he can make their limits be.

What surprised you most about the book?

C: I was surprised that the second half of the book was as engaging as it was. After spending half the book going all the way through school with them, I wondered what would come next.

S:  That Fillory was real! But seriously- who would have thunk it! :)

Was there anything else that you found particularly unexpected?

C: Um, the fox sex. Not a fan of that. 

S:  Then changing in to animals was pretty neat and unexpected! But like Carly- their "animal urges" taking over was not my favorite...

Did you like how the book was written?

C: I liked the straightforward style the book was written in, but I felt like the author tried to cram too much into one book. It felt like half the Harry Potter books and a couple of the C.S. Lewis books all smushed into the first half of this one book. So there were constantly new concepts, ideas, and vocabulary being introduced. It was dizzying at times.

S:  It was a very basic writing style that made it easy to read and didn't help to complicate the story at all- which I liked. That being said, having different worlds and different types and sets of characters in each one made it a little tough to follow at times, but I suppose it's no different than reading Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones- you just need to adapt your reading style a bit.

Was there any particular part of the book that really stood out to you?

C: The spring semester of their fourth year. Again, because it felt least like the other magical style books it was clearly inspired by. And that made it feel clever. I forgot for fifty pages or so about all of the similarities to HP and C.S. Lewis. 

S:  I really enjoyed the magical enchanted button that could transport them to different worlds. Also- that you could be allergic to another world.


What did you all think of the book? Do you have any answers to these questions, or have any questions of your own? Let's start a dialogue!!!

Please comment! We would LOVE to start a discussion!!!

Also, we will be announcing the book for October on Thursday. Stay Tuned!!!