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magician In 2010, Lev Grossman’s “The Magicians” was billed as a grown up Harry Potter. The story centered around a magical college called Brakebills where the students engaged in typical collegiate activities including sex and drugs. I personally find the books have more in common with C.S. Lewis’ Narnia novels than Harry Potter. The story takes place in present day and stars Quentin Coldwater. Quentin is a young man who is recruited to attend Brakebills. He has a tendency toward depression and is deeply unsatisfied with his life, seeking solace in his favorite childhood series, “Fillory and Further.” Like C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia,” the Fillory books star siblings who have adventures in a magical world. The books’ simplicity and innocence are something that Quentin craves. Naturally Quentin (and the reader) are quite surprised to learn that Fillory is a very real place and a very deadly one.
Quentin is a difficult character to like and he is my biggest complaint about the series as a whole. He is impossible to please and is constantly searching for the meaning of life when it’s clear to the reader that he simply can’t give in and enjoy the happiness right in front of his face. Even magic, which seemed to offer him a place in the world, fails to satisfy him in the long run. Grossman’s world-building is impressive and other characters certainly are interesting but given that Quentin is so inherently unlikeable, the first two books are a bit of a struggle to get through. Fortunately, the second novel, “The Magician King,” also highlights the character of Julia, who was not chosen to attend Brakebills and instead sought dangerous avenues to pursue her own magical studies. Her character and story are far more compelling than Quentin’s.
The concluding novel, “The Magician’s Land,” was by far my favorite. Taking place around a decade after the first book, all of the characters have grown up, especially Quentin. Expelled from Fillory in the last book, he ends up taking on a short-lived teaching gig at Brakebills. When he is fired due to a student prank gone wrong, he joins a gang of magical thieves, which draws him back to both Brakebills and Fillory. In the book, Quentin matures, finds some peace and happiness in his life, and finally discovers his place in the (magical) world. Grossman also rounds up all of the supporting players from the previous books and gives each of them closure.
The Magicians trilogy sought to inject very adult themes into the innocence of typical children’s fantasy. However, in the end, it was really a story about a childish adult who grows up enough to finally find and enjoy the things in life he always craved. That in and of itself makes the series worth reading.
Stick with it until the end. It’s truly a thing of magic.
Dorothy Sasso is a former Soap Opera Digest writer and a private school teacher. She is busy reading books and raising her daughter.