I just finished Lev Grossman's The Magicians today, and I loved it! To put it simply, the novel reminds me of Harry Potter, except aimed for a more adult audience. Okay, well to be honest, I never actually read Harry Potter, but based on the few clips of the movies I've seen here and there, I'm claiming that they are similar in several ways. If nothing else, it's the realm of wizardry that correlates the two--a story centering around a boy who pursues a life of magic and encounters strange, sci-fi like characters along the way, all while trying to figure out his life's purpose. Quentin, the main character, is moody and self-destructive. The oscillating first and third person narrative causes the reader to become frustrated with him because he has so much potential and has all the tools he needs in front of him, yet he is never satisfied. Essentially, the novel is about Quentin's quest for happiness. I felt so invested in his character by the end of the novel that even I was wondering what had to be done for him to finally be complacent. I guess I'll just have to wait until the next novel to find out. The sequel, The Magician King, will be released next summer. Although the novel is about 400 pages, it was a pretty fast read. I recommend Lev Grossman's The Magicians to anyone who likes a Bildungsroman combo of action intertwined with a love story. I give it 4.5/5 stars :)
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