The Fantasy Books

The Magicians

by Grossman, Lev

Description

School fantasy is often aimed at children, and it's very successful at hitting that market. It's much harder to appeal exclusively to adults, and that's where The Magicians shines. Rather than the typical twelve-year-old protagonist, it tells the story of a high-school student not yet aware of his powers. Quentin Coldwater is obsessed with fantasy books, an outcast, and somewhat depressed. When given the opportunity to study magic, he jumps on it, but quickly learns it’s not as fun as it seems. In The Magicians, spells are hard. Learning magic is tedious and requires background knowledge of language and history. Quentin finds himself frustrated at his progress, no longer the prodigy he used to be. From there, the book only gets darker. The antagonist has no mercy, magic can kill simply through accidents, and drug use is rife. Lev Grossman stands in stark defiance of convention, refusing to sugar-coat magic and creates a tense and compelling story as a result.

About the Author

Grossman, Lev

Lev Grossman is an American author and journalist, best known for his Magicians Trilogy, which consists of the novels "The Magicians," "The Magician King," and "The Magician's Land."The Magicians Trilogy is often described as a deconstruction of traditional fantasy novels, with a focus on the psychological and emotional struggles of the characters as they navigate a magical world. The series has been compared to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, but with a darker and more adult tone.In addition to his fiction writing, Grossman is also a prominent journalist and critic. He has worked for publications such as The New York Times and Time, and has written about a variety of topics, including books, technology, and popular culture.Grossman's writing style is often praised for its wit and intelligence, and his work is known for its depth and complexity. He is also known for his willingness to tackle difficult and taboo subjects in his writing.Overall, Grossman is a versatile and talented writer whose work has garnered critical acclaim and a devoted following.

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