The Magicians: A Novel

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews for this product are not available at this time.

Author Information

Bio of Lev Grossman

No bio available for Lev Grossman.

Customer Reviews

• Meh.

  Posted August 28, 2009 by Heather, Alberta

  I was hoping for a lot more with this book...the reviews were good and it was recommended to me by a friend as a 'more grown up Harry Potter.' I think that's the problem with the book: that the author tries to pull together Harry Potter, the Narnia books, Fiovonar Tapestry, and a bit of Dungeons

• Great Read!

  Posted August 29, 2009 by Shelly, Woodbury, CT

  I really enjoyed this story. The only negative comment I have is that I wanted more!

• Dreamy and Magical, but Sad

  Posted August 29, 2009 by W, Washington, DC

  This is as realistic as a book about teenage magicians can get. It's beautiful and gritty in places, and touches on a particular sort of teenage angst you don't always find in fantasy novels. I hesitate to even call this one fantasy; it's so brutally realistic in so many ways that the magic is almost an afterthought. It sounds a bit like Harry Potter for grownups in the jacket description, but it's as much an homage to CS Lewis and Diana Wynne Jones as it is one to JK Rowling. I couldn't put it down, but I didn't thorougly love it, and I think that's because the protagonist is ultimately not a particularly likeable guy. But it's absolutely worth a read.

• Not Necessarily for the Harry Potter Set

  Posted August 30, 2009 by John L, Sacramento CA

  If you like slightly melancholy, introspective magical fantasy then you will probably like this book a lot (I know I did). It actually has a distinctive theme and character arc which invites contemplation rather than being the sort of passive reading experience that you get from a lot of fantasy adventure. On the other hand, if what you want is lots of action and plot development then this may not be the book for you.

• Not Very Stimulating

  Posted November 04, 2009 by Angela, Floresville

  This is like an adult version of the Harry Potter books, but without the captivating plot and adventures. I found it very difficult to keep my interest to finish it.

• Not the spell bounding novel I was hoping for

  Posted November 16, 2009 by Francoism, Regina, SK

  GQ highly recommended this novel and to be honest, my excitement decreased as the story unfolded. Book One introduced the characters and set the stage. I was intrigued and interested in getting to know the young and miserable magician. Book Two saw Q through college and that was also interesting. I still enjoyed the read. Book three was a bore and I was impressed with the lack of plot. To be honest, I was skipping pages a lot, trying to stay awake. Book Four introduced a bear in a suit and a talking tree. I couldn't help but feel that these magical characters were old school and had been done before. Still no real plot either. I was scanning pages for dialogues all the way to the end.
  
  Too bad, it could have been a good read with a dusting of originality and a better plot.
  

Additional Info

Imprint

Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

Filesize

1.69 MB

Number of Pages

416

eBook ISBN

9781101081440