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The Magicians - Lev Grossman

Magicians Trilogy Book 1

Reread: Jul 2022

Well apparently once I start craving magical school shit I just will go out and buy it haha. After Carry On I couldn't resist picking this up. I've read this trilogy before and loved it so it really wasn't a "am I gonna like this?" situation. This is a great magical school story.

For one this is not the magical school for precious children. It's the magical school for one percenter IQ, workaholic, emotional damaged young adults. Becoming a magician is described in all the worst terms used for a very difficult academic program. And it is, but, the pay off is magic. It's really incredible how different Grossman was able to make from previous entries into the magical school genre. I guess if you start with "magic school is actually a university" you can and will draw some much different conclusions about its students.

Secondly I like the magic system in this book. Sure it comes off as completely exclusive to those who's brains are the peak of human brain function, but that's kind of alright. Magic is difficult and it definitely isn't for just anybody. The system itself is like ritualized magic, chants in many languages, hand gestures, what phase is the moon, drawing symbols, etc. It's fun because Grossman took from witchcraft and other spiritual practices in reality and formed them into a magic system for his world.

Thirdly Grossman takes the Narnia idea and slaps some realism and pessimism right on it. It's not all sunshine and happy endings, but it has a dark side, twisted and sometimes monstrous. I don't know anything about C.S. Lewis as person, but I got the feeling Grossman was kind of throwing shade at him. I really don't care enough to find out, but that's what it feels like.

This book is not really happy, but it is good, and I like reading it everytime. Also it spawned a really good TV show. Both are totally worth checking out.

Info: Penguin Books, 2009

#the magicians #lev grossman #magicians trilogy #fantasy #fiction

The study of magic is not a science, it is not an art, and it is not a religion. Magic is a craft. When we do magic, we do not wish and we do not pray. We rely upon our will our knowledge and our skill to make specific change to the world.

The Magicians, Lev Grossman

#the magicians #lev grossman #I'm pretty disappointed in this book but some good has come from it #magicians trilogy #magic #witchcraft

Petition to have Ember narrate everything from now on.

#the magicians #magicians #the magicians syfy #the magicians trilogy #magicians syfy #magicians trilogy #live blog #magicians live blog

i think quentin coldwater and john sims would get along well. maybe even be friends

#that's book quentin‚ idk anything about show quentin. he seems to have different vibes #magicians trilogy #magnus archives #bri.txt

LEV GROSSMAN WROTE A BOOK-BASED GRAPHIC NOVEL ADAPTATION OF THE MAGICIANS FROM ALICE’S POINT OF VIEW AND NO ONE TOLD ME???????

#IT'S GORGEOUS #ALICE HAS BLACK HAIR AND JANET IS NAMED JANET AND FILLORY IS BEAUTIFUL #AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH #the magicians #magicians trilogy #bri.txt

[Image text: I should be happy, Quentin thought. I’m young and alive and healthy. I have good friends. I have two reasonably intact parents—viz., Dad, an editor of medical textbooks, and Mom, a commercial illustrator with ambitions, thwarted, of being a painter. I am a solid member of the middle-middle class. My GPA is a number higher than most people even realize it is possible for a GPA to be.

But walking along Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn, in his black overcoat and his gray interview suit, Quentin knew he wasn’t happy. Why not? He had painstakingly assembled all the ingredients of happiness. He had performed all the necessary rituals, spoken the words, lit the candles, made the sacrifices. But happiness, like a disobedient spirit, refused to come. He couldn’t think what else to do.]

Fuck I forgot I’d underlined passages in my copy of The Magicians

#the magicians #quentin coldwater #lev grossman #magicians trilogy #bri.txt

I think my real problem is that when the pilot for The Magicians came out, I was totally ready for it to be a 100% unfaithful adaptation of the series I loved. I was excited about the fact that since it was so different, I wouldn’t have to compare it to the books! If I watched it I could enjoy it as a totally new thing, and if I didn’t I wouldn’t feel like I had missed out on anything.

But what I wasn’t prepared for was looking in the tags and seeing fans of the show talking about how bad the books are :/

#i just googled quentin to see how old he was in the first book #and one of the top results was 'reasons the show is so much better!' :/#the first time i saw a reviewer call the show sexy i knew it wouldn't be anything like the books lmao #but that was a good thing... i thought #magicians trilogy #bri.txt

Anyway I unashamedly adore Quentin Coldwater because he reminds me of my younger self, and loving him despite his obnoxiousness makes it easier to forgive my younger self for being a depressed, socially-inept nerd with a complete inability to moderate my interests

#book!quentin is good actually #also brakebills is a college and not a grad school and that's important—it puts his obnoxiousness in context #and that's the tea #quentin coldwater #magicians trilogy #bri.txt