The Magicians (novel)
The Magicians is a fantasy novel by Lev Grossman, published in 2009 by Viking Press. It tells the story of Quentin Coldwater, a teenager from Brooklyn who discovers that the magical world of which he's read in books is, in fact, real. The Onion's AV Club gave it a grade A in its review, calling it "the best urban fantasy in years, a sad dream of what it means to want something badly and never fully reach it."[1] The New York Times review said the book "could crudely be labeled a Harry Potter for adults", injecting "mature themes" into fantasy literature.[2] The Plume paperback edition was released on May 25, 2010.
Grossman's sequel to The Magicians, titled The Magician King, was published in August 2011. The new novel picks up two years after the conclusion of the first one.[3] [4]
Fillory
Christopher Plover, a fictional writer referred in The Magicians, is the author of the "Fillory and Further" series,[5] comprising five books. In The Magicians, the Fillory books were published in Britain in the 1930s and are about the five Chatwin children—Martin, Fiona, Rupert, Helen, and Jane—and their adventures in Fillory.[6]
Quentin Coldwater, one of the magicians of the book's title, grows up a huge fan of the Fillory and Further series, which he assumes are fiction, much like The Chronicles of Narnia. Upon graduating from Brakebills, his Hogwarts-like magical college, however, Quentin discovers that Fillory is real. The kingdom features mobile trees with clock faces, a talking bear with a predilection for alcohol, and giant animals wielding medieval weapons.[6]
Fillory was "a place stuffed with wonder, from the enormous velveteen Cozy Horse that can convey all the children at once to a group of talking bunnies who like to take tea."[7]
Within the fictional universe of The Magicians, there are five books in the "Fillory and Further" series:
- The World in the Walls (book one) – Martin and Fiona have to prevent the Watcherwoman from stopping time at 5:00 on a rainy September afternoon. (Excerpt)
- The Girl Who Told Time (book two) – Helen and Rupert are magicked out of their boarding schools and into Fillory – but also back in time. Rupert secretly helps Martin and Fiona battle the Watcherwoman (without their knowing it), while Helen hunts the mysterious Questing Beast.
- The Flying Forest (book three) – Rupert and Fiona search for the source of a mysterious ticking sound that is troubling their friend Sir Hotspots, a noble leopard.
- A Secret Sea (book four) – Set adrift on the Outer Ocean by the Watcherwoman, Rupert and Jane seek out the remnants of the Great Shark Army to help them take back Fillory.
- The Wandering Dune (book five) – Helen and Jane find a mysterious sand dune blowing through Fillory. It carries them out into the desert, where they discuss morality. Then, the bunnies show up.
Each of the books loosely bases its plot on The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Many of the plot themes of The Magicians are also very similar to The Chronicles of Narnia. The Neitherlands from The Magicians is nearly identical to the Wood between the Worlds from The Magician's Nephew except that the pools of water that lead to other worlds are substituted with fountains of water situated in a city. It is implied that these two worlds are one and the same, with the Grossman city being paved over the original Lewis wood. The buttons from the The Magicians perform the same function as magical rings from The Magician's Nephew.
Major characters
- Quentin Coldwater – The novel's protagonist. When the novel begins, he is living in Brooklyn and preparing to enter college. He is recruited by Brakebills, an elite college of magic in upstate New York, after he passes a test to prove he has the potential to be a magician. Quentin has long been a fan of the "Fillory and Further" book series and yearns to fill his life with the same adventures found in those books. He studies with the Physical Kids (Eliot, Josh, Janet, and Alice) at Brakebills.
- Alice Quinn – A talented and natural magician whom Quentin meets while attending Brakebills. They are in the same year, and they both study the same discipline once their specialty areas are decided. She lives with Quentin, Eliot, Josh, and Janet while at Brakebills and later in New York, following graduation.
- Eliot Waugh – One of the Physical Kids. Another very talented magician, perhaps the most natural at Brakebills. Eliot's sexuality is a minor plot point throughout the novel, as is his over-dependence on alcohol. He is particularly keen on esoteric wines. He is seen to be the unofficial leader of the group of five (along with Quentin, Alice, Josh, and Janet) throughout the novel. He, Janet, and Josh are a couple years older than Quentin and Alice.
- Josh Hoberman – Another of the Physical Kids. The overweight jokester-slacker of the group, Josh offers much of the novel's comic relief. He is likely the least natural in his skills, but also flirts with an untapped power throughout. He struggles with his studies but excels at socialization. He grows close to Anaïs during the course of the novel.
- Janet Pluchinsky – The final Physical Kid of the novel. The party animal of the group, Janet seems to be attached at the hip to Eliot. Janet is portrayed as both deeply insecure and surprisingly strong. She is outspoken and sometimes causes controversy but is also fiercely loyal.
- Penny – A student who enters Brakebills at the same time as Alice and Quentin. He is shown to be one of the three most adept magicians in that year, and begins to study very archaic and untested magic during his time at school. The novel hints that his real name is William.
Minor characters
- Anaïs – A Luxembourgish magician whom the others meet during an intercollegiate game of welters (a kind of hands-on magicians' chess). She travels with the core group to Fillory where she demonstrates her bravery and penchant for battle. She also has an affair with Josh.
- Richard – A Physical Kid who graduated before the main five, Richard lives with them all after they graduate. He also accompanies them to Fillory, but proves to be the cautious one. He is the only Christian magician described in the novel.
- Dean Fogg – The dean of Brakebills who is shown to be alternatively severe, kind, wise, and cynical throughout the novel. His words often prove influential on Quentin's thinking.
- Martin Chatwin – One of the Chatwin siblings who are the central characters in the Fillory and Further series. The siblings are rumored to have been real and to have lived next door to the author. In the books, Martin finds a way to remain in Fillory forever, and Quentin makes it his mission to find Martin, if he is still alive.
- Julia – Quentin's unrequited love throughout high school, Julia dates Quentin's best friend instead. Quentin stays loosely in touch with her throughout the novel as she goes through changes of her own.
- Other minor characters – Jane Chatwin, Emily Greenstreet, Dint, Fen, Professor Van Der Weghe, Professor March, Professor Sunderland, Professor Mayakovsky.
Notes
- ^ VanDerWerff, Todd (August 8, 2009). "The Magicians". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/articles/lev-grossman-the-magicians%2C31495/. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ Agger, Michael (September 8, 2009). "Abracadabra Angst". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/books/review/Agger-t.html. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ Deahl, Rachel (January 11, 2010). "Viking Re-ups Grossman". Publisher's Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/deals/article/41554-deals-1-11-2010-.html.
- ^ The Magician King at Lev Grossman's website
- ^ "The Magicians by Lev Grossman". Bookforum.com. 2009-08-14. http://www.bookforum.com/review/4167. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
- ^ a b Grossman, Lev (2009). The Magicians. New York: Viking Penguin. ISBN 978-0-670-02055-3.
- ^ Patrick, Bethanne (August 17, 2009). "'The Magicians' by Lev Grossman". The WETA Book Studio. http://www.thebookstudio.com/blog/bethanne/magicians-lev-grossman. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
External links