The Magicians 3

After doing research for my reception report on The Magicians, I find myself having difficulty enjoying this book as a simple fantasy novel. I guess you can say I say blinded by all the conventional fantasy tropes: miserable boy discovers magic, escapes an old life and enters into a new life, makes friends and enemies, and sets out on a quest that takes more than magic to solve. From the sounds of the online discussion about Lev Grossman’s book, the overabundance of connections to Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnina, and Alice in Wonderland blinded me from this “quasi-deep” meaning of the book.

Majority of the reviewers said this book could not be labeled as a simple fantasy book, because of the adult themes and the realistic characterization: "The characters that inhabit Grossman’s worlds are flawed and very, very realistic. The thoughts and behaviour of the late teen / early twenty-something’s whose lives we follow are excellently, and sometimes uncomfortably accurate. From the casual alcoholism to the hormone-controlled behaviour, the way these people behave will leave many cringing as they recognise themselves amongst the far-from-perfect ensemble." - Fantasy Book Review. Many bloggers argue that fantasy and reality are two contradictory elements and therefore, cannot work together in the same story.

As an adult fan of young adult and adult fantasy novels, I was kind of insulted by the response of the literary critics. One critic in particular gave the impression that Grossman’s novel couldn’t be fantasy novel and it was more a piece of literature!!!

I like The Magicians but....

I really think Erich enjoys watching us suffer with these reading assignments. It’s not that I do not like The Magicians, the opposite is true. In fact, I cannot seem to be able to put the book down; literally, I am eating up this book. And being assigned to read up until the action or some big reveal in the plot is really tough. This weekend many projects and papers have taken a back seat because of my need to discover this book’s plot-shattering secret.

 It is pretty obvious that Quentin and Brakebills have some sort of connection with Fillory and the mysterious sixth book in the Plover series. Later on in the novel, there is a scene where Quentin and the rest of the Physical kids are told a story about a fountain.  According to this tale, the school was built to be near the fountain because of its magical properties. The fountain is rumored to show images in the water’s reflection that belong there and Janet suggests that the fountain may transmit images from different places. With all the references to Alice in Wonderland, I believe that the fountain will resemble Lewis Carroll’s transporting pool from The Pool of Tears. The fountain will most likely be a portal that takes Quentin into the world of Fillory.

Even though I really enjoy this book, there are still some elements that slightly annoy me. For starters, I can’t stand how fast past the book is traveling. Quentin basically finishes all four years at Brakebills within a hundred pages. Lev Grossman really had the potential to make this novel into a series like Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia by illustrating Quentin’s encounter with magic but he just ignored that aspect. Another factor that I don’t particularly care for is the element of elitism that Grossman has added to the fantasy realm. In many instances, Quentin gives off the impression that he is better than mere mortals or his parents because of his magical abilities.

Do You Believe in Magic...

So, I am convinced that I was Quentin in a past life and no one can tell me otherwise. Just reading the beginning of Quentin’s tale reminds me so much of my younger years.  I remember as a child constantly re-reading my favorite fantasy books with so much reverence, as if they were holy books. I longed for something more: a transporting antique wardrobe or the discovery of a magical amulet that granted me mystical powers. Till this day I am positive that I have some untapped ability that I just can’t figure out how to unleash, lol!

With my deep love for all things magical, I was quickly enraptured by the tale spun by Lev Grossman. It is the coming to age story that combines elements of Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narina (especially The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). Quentin resembles Harry Potter because he is the main character and has some innate ability that makes him the leader. Alice favors Hermione because both heroines are magical ingénue and can come off as socially awkward. Penny is the Ron Weasley of this trio. He is the odd man out that completes the trio. Quentin’s trip to the school in upstate New York and the Fillory element was very reminiscent of the transporting wardrobe from C.S. Lewis’ work. Even though The Magicians reminds me of other fantasy novels, this story doesn’t come off as a remake and can stand on its own ground in the literary world.

 Good news for those who enjoyed the book as much as I did, Lev Grossman has signed on to doing a sequel to this book, entitled The Magician King¸ which will be released late summer 2011. The sequel will leave off where the first book ended with the trio several years’ older, living in Fillory.

The Hunger Wars

Hooray, for saving the best books for last! From Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to Hunger Games, the books have increasingly become more interesting and intriguing. I can only hope for this trend to continue with The Magicians. I have always been a total fan of the science fiction – fantasy genre and Hunger Games did not let me down. The book was a very fast read and kept my attention all the way through (I read it all in one sitting instead of studying and attending some classes).

Even though the book is labeled as children’s fiction or young adult, I found it surprising that the novel contained such a mature subject matter: post-apocalyptic setting, sacrifice, death, government control, and “big brother”. The one element to the story that may cheapen the plot or make it more juvenile would be the presence of the love triangle between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta. Some of the members of our class feel as if the romance angle has no purpose in the story, but I tend to disagree.

We have to take notice of this book’s genre and target audience. Not a class of college aged students but teenagers between the ages of 12-17 are catered to in this book. This novel contains such dark subject matter that it would seem comparable to a Stephen King book. The book would be more appropriate for adults without the young love element.

Some argue that the romance subplot was only included to market the book to the young female reading base. But when this book is compared to other books that use this tactic like Twilight or Vampire Diaries you can tell that this was not the author’s intention. The book clearly focuses more on the “action” or the anti-big brother theme than the romance theme. I believe the young love plot was included just to keep the book appropriate for young adults. The romance scenes are always positioned after a very graphic and unsettling event to distract the young reader from the adult-like themes.