All right, I cheated. I actually started the challenge three days ago, but without a computer at home blogging has become a labor–a labor of love–that requires me walking to the university.
My first book was by Lev Grossman, a rather famous American novelist and journalist. My appeal to this book was that is was a bestseller and it fell under the fantasy genre that I have always enjoyed.
The book follows a boy’s journey as he tries to find himself, which is a challenge in Brooklyn, where he lives without much zeal. He feels like he is missing some crucial part of himself; a part of himself he only sees reflected in books from his childhood about a magical land called Fillory.
In an odd turn of events he finds himself deported to a magical school called Brakebills that offers him a position at their academy and he takes a daring leap into the life of a magician.
The rest of the book describes his years at Brakebills, and the difficultly most people have adjusting to real life after the shelter of academia is pulled away.
Yes, it does sound an awful lot like Harry Potter, and I think Grossman does this on purpose. Probably partly to cash in on the success of Rowling’s novels, but also to show the real hardships of life in a fantasy world. The Magicians is much more realistic in its view of life, relationships, and success.
It is also much more adult. The book is definitely not aimed at the young reader, with it’s language use and its sexual and violent content. I would call it the adult version of Harry Potter. But not just Harry Potter, but Harry mixed with Narnia, mixed with Tolkien’s Middle-Earth–with allusions or mentions to all. It is determined to be a different, angsty, rebellious version of the famous fantasy we are accustomed to.
Grossman is pretty successful at this. Although perhaps a tad too quick-moving: brushing over details and leaving some gaps, the novel’s quick pace is engaging. I really couldn’t put it down.
Book 1 = a success.
