The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Author: Lev Grossman
Published: January 1, 2009
Pages: 402
Goodreads

Synopsis

Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn't real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of college-friendship, love, sex, and booze- and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesn't bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentin's yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than they'd imagined.

Review

I have heard really bad things about this book from a friend whose taste I trust, so naturally when I found a copy of it at my local thrift store, I just had to buy it, almost out of spite because that's just how I roll. When I told her about it, she requested that I write a 5 star review for the book, so that's what I'm going to do (because one can only be so spiteful before they have to be a little bit accommodating.) 

In case you don't know, I'm a huge Potthead (I'm currently wearing a shirt that says "Don't be such a muggle.") I'm an even bigger fan of wizard stories than I am of chocolate cake and I AM the fat kid in that saying about the fat kid who loves cake. I was really torn about this book though. I wanted to love it because wizards...but at the same time, it always sucks when you really enjoy a book that one of your friends really didn't because it makes you question your entire relationship (and this friend and I are supposed to be getting married according to one of those tests that are always floating around Facebookland, so it's pretty serious). In the end, wizards won out. 

I was so caught up in this book that one night when I was drinking with my husband, I'm pretty sure I turned water into wine (although my husband might have just switched out my water for wine to get me drunk now that I think about it.) I'm definitely going to try some of the spells in my every day life and I really hope that leads to me finally getting into Hogwarts for real. 

Now I can finally watch the t.v. show! 5 stars. 

Buy the Book

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About the Author

Lev Grossman is the author of the New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy. The third book in the trilogy, The Magician's Land, was published in 2014 and was a #1 bestseller. An hour-long TV drama based on the series will begin airing on Syfy in early 2016.

Grossman has been Time magazine's book critic and lead technology writer for over a decade, and he has also written essays and criticism for the New York Times, Salon, Slate, the Wall Street Journal, Wired, the Village Voice and the Believer, among others. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and three children.

Alternate Reviews

If you would like to read some legitimate reviews of The Magicians, just click on any of the links below. 

The Book Geek // Far Beyond Reality // Big City Bookworm

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