I'm with you. He's a douche but it's characteristics I see in myself looking back at that age and I want to give him both a hug and a slap upside the head.
Very much agreed... its such a realistic portrayal of complete ass-ness... and also a fairly good representation of the sometimes-justified but still annoying arrogance of an actually clever person. I remember that it mostly avoids the traps of 'Hollywood genius' portrayal, which was a welcome change... and the satisfaction of showing that this doesn't automatically solve all problems
Yeah, if anything the book series they should be comparing to Harry Potter is The Dresden Files. Elite British boarding wizard vs. Good ol' American GED wizard.
As someone whose only seen the show, it feels like less of "depressed Harry Potter" and more a a bastardised and horrific Chronicles of Narnia. It takes the things you like about Narnia and Hogwarts and adds the worst parts of reality to it.
I would characterize the series as sort of a hate parody of the Chonicles of Narnia. That sounds pretty negative but really isn't. You could also call it Harry Potter on acid. The TV adaptation was really good.
@@richardrose2606 Yeah, I agree. The TV show took some real risks in adapting the work, and ended up doing something extremely different than the book, but also something equally good. As opposed to me kinda hating the whiny main character, but in a way I could completely relate to, I got to _really_ like the ensemble cast, who were all fun in their own very broken way and developed WAY beyond what they were in the books, to the point where the character Quintin wasn't even needed anymore. It was somehow managed to both encapsulate the look and feel of a stupid WB-type show while being one of the most thought provoking things airing on television at the time. A few of the episodes (Especially A Life in the Day) are some of my favorite single episodes of _any_ television show.
I liked this book, but I liked the second and third even more. Quentin's overall character arc is extremely satisfying. If you liked Quentin in book 1, you should keep reading. Lev Grossman goes somewhere with this.
I loved the whole Magician series. It's darkness, the magic, the world, the storyline, the story within the story and especially the characters. Even the characters I loved to hate! When the tv series came out I started watching but then had to take a break because it was too soon after reading the books and a lot of things were different. The one thing they did get totally right with the show in my opinion was the casting. If you are thinking about watching the show, wait until you have read the other two books though.
I hated the tv series when it came out because it was so different from the books haha I finally got over it earlier this year and tried again and I loved it so much!
It's different but so good. What other show has its leads forced to sing Under Pressure in order to get out of a jam, and it makes perfect sense in-universe? (very mild spoilers sorry)
@@coryhartley6135 i respectfully disagree. Normally, I don’t mind adaptation and i understand you can’t just transfer a book to a screen. But my favorite scenes from the book were just done horribly in the show They made the school look awful, the headmaster didn’t have a shitty fake english accent or any of the character, and the break in to the tiny house were just yuckily done. I didn’t get past the first season. Plus they really screwed with the timeline.
That Dune cover is so distractingly beautiful. Every time I see it in Daniel's videos, it just steals the show lol. Haven't read these book a yet but have heard of them a lot for years. I have watched the first season of the show and absolutely loved it. It gets very heavy and it's excellent.
Consider watching the SyFy channel's adaptation. It was good while it lasted. I also love Brakebills being a college. I mean there are tons of high school stories, already
I hated the idea of it being college. College is a continuation of previous education but in this world magic is supposed to be hidden. So how do you continue an education in something that doesn't exist? At least with Harry Potter starring to learn the basics as a kid made sense.
@@robertblume2951 The magic is incredibly difficult. They did learn the basics as children, mathematics, languages, etc. You can't teach actual magic to kids when the fundamentals include Old Church Slavonic and Quantum Physics and performing things slightly wrong opens black holes or turns people inside out. That's why the main students are all hyper-book-smart, and even still they can create disasters.
@@juliabaphomet5439 how did they learn the right languages and the right mathematics? Quantum physics is already a masters level course. If you need that and a dead language you ain't doing magic in your first 3 years much less your first semester.
@@robertblume2951 The opening chapter establishes that these are the gifted elite of the gifted elite, the school is looking for the type of study-geniuses who can learn Old Church Slavonic (and several other languages) and Quantum Physics (and several other fields) in their first year. The whole concept of Lev's magic system was "what if magic exists, it's just incredibly difficult and requires the most extreme study?" He took Dark Academia, and maximized both the Dark and the Academia aspects. I'm not saying it's true-to-life believable, but it's the whole point of what he was going for.
I love that characters aren’t always likable, it’s so challenging in a refreshing way. The books are great but I would venture to say that the TV show is even better- the characters feel more fleshed out and consistent. I love the exploration of mental health and I read it at a time when I was in same mental state as Quentin (in fact I think I might have been the same age) so it was incredibly cathartic to read and watch
Okay spoilers for the show (and kind of a trigger warning) I loved Quintin in the show as he was more fleshed out but his death really hit me. I love how he dealt with his mental illness and emphasised with him hugely but then to have him die by sacrificing himself at a time when he was mentally in a decline was awful and disheartening. Just a warning for anyone thinking about watching it.
It is rare for a screen adaption to be better than the books. ... But I agree, 100%. I absolutely love how the tv show handles the characters. The one thing I do wish the show did was bring over Julia's badass hedge witch club from the books over to the show, but I guess turning it into a support group wasn't too bad. My favorite change from novel to screen, though, was Margo's desert scene. Her desert arc in the TV show did it infinitely better than the book scene where Margo dryly explains to Q about how she got bored one day, went to the desert, and came back with a couple of axes.
@@halliehurst4847 I kinda liked show because od that spoiler. I mean it's very sad I agree, but I also appreciated it because it was realistic and unusual choice. Idk it's really sad also
Even acknowledging the TV show injects that End Of The World element that didn't burden the books, I'd say on the whole the TV did a great job of adapting the material. All the narrative tropes are there, but cut up and recombinded in ways that (IMO) make it stronger.
Never read the book. Just the tv series. Gave up on season three because they were all out of material. It was just going back and forth in some new quest, each more outrageous than the last. No character arcs or relationships by then. Just trying to see how outrageous and whacky they could be. It was like the show was cannibalizing itself. It got old really fast. Thumbs down.
@@AAAAAAAAAA225 She doesn't make specific dedicated video reviews to 90% of what she reads, most of her reviews on books are during her reading vlogs and wrap up videos. It's confirmed Brittany I know for a fact.
I'm watching the show atm, just started Season 4. Holy shite man. After The Expanse, the first few episodes were rough, but man, I am SO in love with this show, might be better than Expanse for me. Such good characters, Elliot and Margo are my favorite hahaha
Elliot during the Brakebills phase is such a mood. Loved the Magicians, the rest of the series is really good too. I like that the sequels really follow Quentin growing into a man instead of a magical depressed teen.
I saw the first 3(?) seasons of the show and thought it was interesting. Its been a long time. Last I remember the annoying girl was queen of fantasy land and was annoying. Does it get better? I remember something of turning magic off and finding keys, but don't really know
I've only read the 1st book (which I liked very much) and watched (I think) 4 full seasons of the show (edit: *SPOILER* I remember them releasing something imprisoned at some obscure end of the world and then losing memories and/or living alternate lives and that's when I stopped *SPOILER* ), and although I can't tell how much of that was the fault of the later books, I felt like the plot coherency/logic rather devolved in time in later seasons to the point I wasn't interested in watching the last one
I’m seeing a lot of love for the show but if people have triggers please look up the *content warnings* .It’s darker than the books and made some choices that were arguably badly handled and sometimes not received well. Just something to be aware of for those that need it.
If anything, at least the show didn’t vilify all of its characters who are victims of you-know-what. The books cast those same characters in a very nasty light.
I'll be the first to admit I adored the show. It brought complex characters to light and a representation of love that I identified with and also don't really see often. Sometimes the show is over the top and just edgy for edgy sake, but it's really worth it 9 times out of 10. I'll never really understand that backlash that hit after somethings happened. I felt it was honest. Sometimes things don't end the way you want, and that pain pushes you forward to become a better person. Anyway trying to avoid spoilers as best as possible here, lol. It was an A to me.
I really love these books and reread them every 2 years or so. I first studied it at University for an English class on fantasy & science fiction genre. *Never* forget the moment my professor asked the room, "Ok, so who here thought at the end that everything that happened was Quentin's delusion and he has been in the hospital this entire time?" 200 students stare at her in fixed horror. *" The...what?"*
Oh my gosh I love this boooooook! Edit: The sequels are really good in my opinion, there is some perspective shifting in them though. The reason Grossman wrote the sequels is because his mom thought the MC killed himself at the end and he didn't want people to think that.
@@dailyplanet354 the first novel came out in 2009, it's decently assumed that the ending is known if the person even knows the book exists and even with just knowledge of the tv series, that started airing in 2015 and ended this past april so...
I found the books transitioned too much into the big picture. I didn't really understand how some characters tapped into divinity and it felt inconsistent. Book 3's a slog.
I read the book when I was in Junior High. I remember three things: 1. They have a fox orgy? 2. "I can't choose to be happy." "You can choose to be miserable." (Quoting from memory) 3. "She was, from my modern expertise, a lesbian." (...Again, memory...)
It really depends a lot on what you like. I remember what convinced me to buy it when I did was a 1 star review/rant that listed all the thing they hated about the book and I was like....this sounds perfect! Haha
I'm not going to bash on anyone who doesn't like the book. I could see why people might not like it. On the other hand I thought it was incredible and is well worth the read. highly recommended.
Finally, I love how you've designed the scoring system now! It makes WAY more sense to me now. Please continue! Also, characters DO NOT need to be likeable, they just need to be interesting 💯
Love the show (although I haven't seen Season 4). I can't read this anytime soon (I have a lot of other things to read) but I'm glad there's a review out. Also, it's more mental illness Narnia than depressed Harry Potter.
The first one is definitely my favorite of the trilogy, but I think the other two are worth reading. And I 100% agree with some of the pacing / flow issues you mentioned in the first half. It's a little odd how quickly Quentin goes through Brakebills, though presumably this is to simulate how the "newness" of college soon wears off, and it becomes a rote job like any other.
I loved the whole series. I like that you can tell it was written with all the magical school tropes in mind, but it doesn't waste a lot of time winking at the reader about it. There were times where I felt like I knew what was coming because of established tropes, and then the story just went in a different direction. And those different directions felt right for the story and not "hey look at me doing something new!". I was jarred at first by how much time the book covers, but it didn't break the story for me.
The strength of a book I've found is how it stays with you long after you've read the final page. This book has stayed with long, long after I finished it. It took me a long time to understand that Quentin is in fact me. He is all of us who deal with depression. The Magicians is so much more than just a book. It is also an exercise in self reflection
I LOVE The Magicians with all my heart and all my soul... and actually many of the times I have re read it (specifically the first book) has been in times of struggling with depression very badly... and the book truly helps me to get out of those dark places.
I really loved this triology, specially the last book (though the second one was a bit slow) 10/10 always recommend Lev Grossman is kind of a staple for me.
Great review. I've only seen parts of the show(which I liked) but I may give the book a chance. I find it interesting how you found the first book to be a good one off with its ending because I actually had a similar experience with a series I am watching Re;Zero. Season one ends in such a way that you could be content with just it being a one off. The reason for this is because the writers didn't know they were getting a second season(there's a ton of books which is the source material) so it was written in that way. It was only after it got mega successful that the series was rereleased as a director's cut and adds in an extra scene at the end to setup the second season. But take on face value, the ending of season one of Re;Zero very much seems like what The Magicians book one is like. And I appreciate that.
I haven't read these recently, so my memory is a little shoddy. I remember liking the second because it tried, at times, to present a classic adventure tale from the perspective of a secondary character. I thought this was a really interesting take and was surprised that it kept me engaged.
I love this series. It was probably my first exploration of fantasy characters that deal with a lot of messed up things. The kind of things you would expect if you fell head first into a very alien fantasy world.
The show is updated to make BrakeBills a Grad School, making it fit the millennial generation as of when the late middle portion of it would have started grad school. The story of the show was supervised by Lev Grossman and a variant of the Book Universe makes an appearance in Season 3. Well worth the watch.
I loved these books. They're what kinda got me back into reading after not for years. I also liked the show (although vastly different) when it came out too. The characters are very flawed and some people can't get over that but I loved it.
You have become one of my favourite new youtubers. I have been considering getting into more fantasy so your channel has definitely helped. Will be trying dresden files.
I went into the book as a lover of the show, bracing myself for a rough time since I saw a lot of negative reviews from people I respect on Goodreads. But I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, barring a few aspects of the plot, pacing and Quentin's intense male-gazing through the whole book. But it was amazingly written and quite a realistic portrayal of how magic changes but doesn't actually fix anything
I really love the show. The characters in it are flawed, and often jerks, like you said, and over the course of the series I felt I got to know them so well that I really found myself missing them when the series was finished. I highly recommend it. I haven't actually read the books. I've been unsure if I should, because I've been warned about some of the differences, and I've been told that the show actually fleshes out the characters more. But after this review, maybe I'll give the first book a try.
This is one of my favourite books, and it took me years to pick up the sequel, and then another few to pick up the third book. The second was fantastic, but the last one kind of dissapointed me. But I do think the second is worth picking up, and even if you never read the third book you still get a full story. I also want to say, that ín my opinion, it is one of the best structured trilogies i've read, because while we have the classic three act stucture, also each book can stand on it's own, and no matter where you start reading, or after wich book you stop reading you will always have a full, finished story.
This series is what I picked up randomly when I was in a really bad spot in my life. It is now one of my favorite series ever. I have such an emotional connection to it. I am so happy you gave it a read Daniel!
The Magicians is high on my TBR list; I loved the TV series adaptation, and even though I know they made a lot of changes, I'm still really intrigued to experience it as the author originally wrote it.
This book, and this series is my absolute favorite. Something about what Lev created plugs directly into my soul. I've never had the sort of connection to a book/series that I do to the Magicians. The sense of humor, the outlook of the characters, the way they think, the pop references and deep cut easter eggs, the construction of the plot throughout the series, the coming of age, the literary fiction approach to the writing of fantasy, the subversion and sort of meta subversion back to the traditional, the real life experiences that are so relatable, even the things I dont like make me like it even more. I totally get why a lot of people don't like it, but when I read this book it feels like me on a page.
I read this book and i didn't like it much . The book was okay but its different from my taste or mood . I don't like the character and i was searching for a good and sweet character and i pick the wrong book. Will read this in future again may be i'll like it
Whoa! That was a very pleasant surprise on a Monday. The Magicians is a decent read, I personally think the show did a very good adaptation, especially since they aged everyone up.
It’s been a while since I’ve read it, but I recall the book really had a lot that touched on being an outsider. Being an outsider on various levels, even with characters that were insiders on other levels.
I read The Magicians several years ago with my husband. As we were reading it, neither of us liked it. But once we finished and we started discussing it, the more we really liked it and appreciated it. I've now reread it 3 times and thoroughly enjoy it and the sequels!
Idk I really like the show and I appreciated the focus on mental health in the books, but I also always felt like I was getting an overview, setting the reader up for "the real story" that never came. I felt there was a lot more telling than showing going on. Maybe this is intentional as it's written from a first person perspective and a real person telling a story wouldn't remember the specifics of every conversation or encounter in their lives but I never really felt immersed in the story. That being said, I liked the world and actually did appreciate the characters and the realities of people getting everything they wanted and still feeling life is kind of pointless. I'm glad it's out in the world I just wish it got like 15% deeper into day to day of life for Q and his friends.
Thanks for the good review Daniel. I had this on my TBR but then heard some negative stuff about it being very depressing and that the MC is very unlikable. As someone that struggles with depression I thought that I don't need more of that in my escapism... However, your review is making me reconsider reading it. Good job.
I first read this book series when I first got into reading about 4-5 years ago. I only read harry potter just this past summer. I did in fact really really enjoy the magicians and I really appreciate your review here. I found myself nodding to literally every comment you made about this book and I wish more people would see this before maybe looking on goodreads to decide to read or not based on other people's reviews. I find it strange how many people give it a bad review and I'm sure it's mostly due to the fact that people may have the requirement that they need to like the protagonist (like you've said). For me, I found Quintin undeniably relatable and I found most of his decisions to be close to maybe what I would've done in those situations even if I hated myself for thinking that's what I would've done. Great review Daniel.
Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise. I've been a fan of the channel for awhile now, and going based off certain discussions and reviews you've done, not to mention the sort of characters you usually tended to gravitate towards in stories, I was under the impression The Magicians wouldn't be up your alley. More than happy to see I was wrong. I've never been someone who was necessarily picky over the likability of characters. For me, it was almost always a matter of whether or not they were compelling enough as leads to follow, and especially if the circumstances for them being the way they were made sense within the context of the narrative. Quinten fit this for me perfectly. It's established early on the reasons for why he's the way he is, and how ultimately it negatively affects the relationships that he forges throughout because of it. The Magicians serves as a cautionary tale in certain regards. I love the discussions on mental illness and codependency, and how if left unchecked, people can unfortunately succumb to their worst traits as a result. Despite his personal failings, I rooted for Quinten, hoping he'd learn his lesson before too severe of a punishment struck him down. Lev seemed to know how to make Quinten feel understood, even if aspects of his personality wouldn't make an audience particularly fond of him. And I think that's very important for characterization. Having a character be understood holds more weight than making them appealing, in my eyes. Although, I do think it's fair to mention that over the course of the trilogy work is done to make Quinten a bit more of an endearing guy as he slowly matures for the better. I think one of my main complaints of the first book is Quinten's relationship with Elliot, specifically with how it's conveyed. Quinten talks a lot about how much he admires him, finding Elliot compelling and slightly mysterious, but it's not something I ever actually saw being shown to us as readers. We're given several moments and instances of Quinten interacting with Alice, and how she as a person eventually grabs his attention, but that same sort of work I felt was never done to the same degree with Elliot. It's an issue I run into occassionally in fiction where an author will tell you that "these two characters are friends", but then never really follow up with on screen examples of them actually being friends, and displaying the chemistry between them. Really enjoyed this review and the conversation sparked around it. If you happen to read the sequels, I'd definitely be interested in your take on them, and even if not, keep the good work up. Your channel has exposed me to several authors and series I never would've given a second glance to otherwise, like The First Law and Rage of Dragons, so much appreciated.
I’m glad you liked it! Admittedly I was nervous to hear what you had to say because I love the trilogy. To be honest, I just finished book two and as someone who had a love/hate relationship with the first book, I thought the second book was leaps and bounds better. Will be starting the final book ASAP
This is a book that I thought I didn’t like when I first read it, but I have found it to be emotionally resonant and one that I find myself thinking about a lot.
Great review! I loved the whole trilogy--definitely continue!!!! Book 2 gets even darker and weirder and I loved the new narrative structure Grossman employs. The whole series is unpredictable and rewarding with how intelligent the writing is. Mark Bramhall was an absolute master of an audiobook narrator for these, up there with Pacey and Marsters and Kramer for me--I kept it on late into the night by my pillow while my wife slept--I just could not stop listening for the life of me.
Omg! I watch your videos all the time (I’ve been subscribed for month now), and The Magicians is a show I really like, and I’ve read the first book, so it’s shocking, in a good way, that you made this video.
The sequels are amazing and complete too. I think I can say without spoiling anything--that when you read the sequels you understand that this trilogy is a variation on the coming-of-age fantasy arc. Instead of the more typical fantasy universe where a character's coming-of-age goes from like 14 to maybe 19, Quentin starts at 18 and ends at 30. The sequels are just as good at capturing the ethos of the mid twenties and early thirties as the first one is at capturing late teenhood. At the same time, by the end of the series Quentin isn't "done." He's still a person with a long way to go. I was so grateful to see the complex and difficult realities of maturing in an uncertain (and sometimes purposeless) universe reflected back to me. It was so much more meaningful than that classic fantasy journey where you go from like an ignorant apprentice, to a knight with a quest to being like a fully actualized king or something, in the span of like 5 years.
I love this series, she takes influences from a lot of popular other fantasy books but she turns it around, grows it and makes into her own beautiful thing. Her character worker is interesting I have never been more invested in characters that I was annoyed about. The writing has tons of Witt, color and creativity. I have enjoyed every time I’ve read it
One of the things I liked most about this was that the Magic System was complex...and based on different cultures and what they would have discovered about magic on their own
I read it when I was 17 and re-read it when I was 22, I think. This was the first series I liked (when I read this series I hadn’t read Harry Potter). I remember liking the atmosphere of the setting, the dismal characters, the dichotomy of the idea of fantasy and reality. The dangers that lurked in this book also intrigued me.
I've read all three books. For me, it's Harry Potter meets Chronicles of Narnia with a college frat boy twist. I don't see Quentin as having a mental illness; I see him as just being insecure with low self esteem. Nice job on the review.
This series had me pulling all nighters turning pages my sophomore year of high school - I will never feel how I felt the day after I finished the series again. I felt like I was walking through a dream
As someone who LOVES the TV show, I was a bit hesitate to read the books because I've heard it diverges so hard from the show but with your recommendation, I'll definitely add it to the list
That's funny, back when I read this I also didn't expect sequels until I saw the second one at the library. It's been quite awhile since I read it, but I remember enjoying it a lot. It's got a lot of poor reviews and I think that's because of what you said near the beginning about people needing to like their protagonist. The poor reviews kinda made me question if I'd still think it was good if I read it again ~8 years later. Nice to see such a positive review from someone I trust on fantasy writing.
Quentin is a lot more likeable in the TV show than in the books, especially in the later seasons. The show is VERY different from the books but is still good. The whole book trilogy is well worth reading. Daniel, you would definitely be missing out if you didn’t read the sequels...in later books, the school element is a lot less important and there are some other cool plots involving magic. The last book has the perfect ending.
COMPLETELY unrelated comment: For anyone who hasn’t tried one before, a little travel clothes steamer is a great thing. Cheap, and you can get the wrinkles out of a tshirt in less than 3 minutes. So much easier than ironing!
These books have some of the best one lines that really capture something. Where you are like 'wow, yes, that perfectly puts a feeling or situtation into words'.
Dude I did not even know that the show was an adaptation! I absolutely love the show! I have even watched it about 3 times already. Last time I watched it, I even did so in reverse! There's like a fair amount of time in between each time I rewatch the series. And I gotta say, it was so much fun watching it in reverse! Why? I tend to forget the details about why a certain thing happened, or what did it affect afterwards. So for me it was a journey about how I try to recall the reason behind some things that occur in the later seasons. And when I finally get back to watching the earlier episodes, and find out the cause of said things, I get this feeling that I can't really describe. All I gotta say is that it gives me this sort of satisfiction, weird, but it is what it is haha. It was only later on when I was rewatching the series last time that I realized Quentin does almost the exact same thing to books that he read! Overall, it was definitely one of my fav shows! I'm also now planning on reading the books since I really want to know more about what would happen to them because the show just ended when the it just started to introduce so much more elements to it!
Thanks for giving your thoughts on this! The second book in the series expands the world. Each book has a different aim and feel, and the trilogy all together has a feeling of completeness.
One of my top 5 series. And its one of those where THE SHOW is so different you get 2 similar stories for the price of one! :D I recommed the way I did it - watch the show first and read the books second. I like how I had a good visualisation of hand gestures for magic while reading because I watched the show :)
I heard from people that love this series that they didn't enjoy reading this first installment but love the series overall. It's a start that many don't read past because it's not necessarily a pleasant read. Or so I heard.
I absolutely adore The Magicians! Lev's writing is very clever and made me laugh out loud several times. It's definitely Quentin's story above all else so people searching for a grand adventure won't find it but if you are looking to truly understand a character and see him actually grow and mature through hardships and sadness while also having a good laugh about it this is the series for you.
@@1siddynickhead Definitely adult. Some younger people might still enjoy it but I feel like the series deals with a lot of more mature themes later on that an older audience could appreciate and relate to more
When you finish the first book you think it feels pretty complete, then you read the other two and you realize everything else you were missing. One of my favorite series of all time!
When I read that one, it looked to me like a young-adult darker version of a mixture of Narnia and Harry Potter. But the final third makes it a different thing, which continues to go into a different part in the second book that surprised me
This is my favorite book ever! Quentin is far from being my favorite character even in this book but he is the character I relate to most in all of fiction and I love the books for giving me that haha The Magicians was meant to be a stand-alone book and it really shows but I still think the other two books are worth reading c': I enjoyed them a lot.
Wow I just finished the third book 3 days ago. The TV show is very good too. The MC goes on some side quests is the TV show. But it actually benefits the characters. The reason the first one seems finished is because the author did finish the book! He at first was going to make it a stand alone. So it is funny that you felt that way.
Like the review. I really liked the magicians. I had to take breaks reading it because things would get heavy and too much heavy would start to make me feel like I was Quentin! It was a breath of fresh air though!
Grossmen actually intended it to be a single book but changed it later for whatever reason I loved this book and the show. The characters just felt so real to me and I loved all the references to other fantasy books and the last scene and the "final battle". Yet to read the second book but hoping for the best.
Main character is kinda a bag of ass but I like it for that reason? That's weird but eh.
I'm with you. He's a douche but it's characteristics I see in myself looking back at that age and I want to give him both a hug and a slap upside the head.
He grows quite a bit over the trilogy. Quentin turns into kind of a serious bad ass.
Agreed.
I wasn't bothered by the dark mood or the flawed main character, it's the lack of plot in the story that ruined the book for me.
Very much agreed... its such a realistic portrayal of complete ass-ness... and also a fairly good representation of the sometimes-justified but still annoying arrogance of an actually clever person. I remember that it mostly avoids the traps of 'Hollywood genius' portrayal, which was a welcome change... and the satisfaction of showing that this doesn't automatically solve all problems
I don't get why people compare the book to Harry Potter. It's more of an ironic take on The Chronicles of Narnia
Yeah, if anything the book series they should be comparing to Harry Potter is The Dresden Files. Elite British boarding wizard vs. Good ol' American GED wizard.
Yeah, Fillery was a clear Narnia knockoff but with pagan influences instead.
@@theatheistpaladin I won't really call it a knockoff. More of a pessimistic take. The author manages to make Filliory a unique world
@@theatheistpaladin Narnia has pagan influences as well. Just not in a good light.
He did his own spin, didn't just steal the entire idea, but he clearly took the story and world of Narnia and reworked it for his series.
As someone whose only seen the show, it feels like less of "depressed Harry Potter" and more a a bastardised and horrific Chronicles of Narnia. It takes the things you like about Narnia and Hogwarts and adds the worst parts of reality to it.
Yep
I would characterize the series as sort of a hate parody of the Chonicles of Narnia. That sounds pretty negative but really isn't. You could also call it Harry Potter on acid. The TV adaptation was really good.
@@richardrose2606 Yeah, I agree. The TV show took some real risks in adapting the work, and ended up doing something extremely different than the book, but also something equally good. As opposed to me kinda hating the whiny main character, but in a way I could completely relate to, I got to _really_ like the ensemble cast, who were all fun in their own very broken way and developed WAY beyond what they were in the books, to the point where the character Quintin wasn't even needed anymore. It was somehow managed to both encapsulate the look and feel of a stupid WB-type show while being one of the most thought provoking things airing on television at the time. A few of the episodes (Especially A Life in the Day) are some of my favorite single episodes of _any_ television show.
I liked this book, but I liked the second and third even more. Quentin's overall character arc is extremely satisfying. If you liked Quentin in book 1, you should keep reading. Lev Grossman goes somewhere with this.
Yup. Character progression is brilliant. Quentin is... Someone else in the third book!
Completely agree, low-key hated Quentin at the beginning and he ended up being my precious bean at book 3 xD
yea I couldn't agree more. The absolute insanity of Quentin's arc is something to be admired but the ending is so incredibly beautiful for him.
I loved the whole Magician series. It's darkness, the magic, the world, the storyline, the story within the story and especially the characters. Even the characters I loved to hate! When the tv series came out I started watching but then had to take a break because it was too soon after reading the books and a lot of things were different. The one thing they did get totally right with the show in my opinion was the casting. If you are thinking about watching the show, wait until you have read the other two books though.
I hated the tv series when it came out because it was so different from the books haha I finally got over it earlier this year and tried again and I loved it so much!
@@ddrcc22 Yes, I feel that 😹.
I loved the casting, true
I watched only the series as of now, but planning on reading the books sooner or later :3 The show was amazing to me, I loved it.
I actually enjoyed the tv series more than the books. In the later seasons they start doing their own thing and it brings so much more to the series.
"I've met teenagers. I remember being friends with teenagers, that are brilliant, but also idiots" You just earned a like.
Highly recommend the TV show if you haven’t watched it. My wife read the book and we binged the show together. Very good stuff
It's different but so good. What other show has its leads forced to sing Under Pressure in order to get out of a jam, and it makes perfect sense in-universe? (very mild spoilers sorry)
The TV show was horrible. They butchered that story.
@@DerKooze it was different but I wouldn’t say horrible at all. It was a loose adaptation that a different story.
@@coryhartley6135 i respectfully disagree. Normally, I don’t mind adaptation and i understand you can’t just transfer a book to a screen. But my favorite scenes from the book were just done horribly in the show They made the school look awful, the headmaster didn’t have a shitty fake english accent or any of the character, and the break in to the tiny house were just yuckily done. I didn’t get past the first season. Plus they really screwed with the timeline.
@@DerKooze that’s fair. I actually didn’t read the books so I can’t speak to it’s adaptability I just found the show itself to be solid
That Dune cover is so distractingly beautiful. Every time I see it in Daniel's videos, it just steals the show lol. Haven't read these book a yet but have heard of them a lot for years. I have watched the first season of the show and absolutely loved it. It gets very heavy and it's excellent.
Consider watching the SyFy channel's adaptation. It was good while it lasted.
I also love Brakebills being a college. I mean there are tons of high school stories, already
I loved season 1
I hated the idea of it being college. College is a continuation of previous education but in this world magic is supposed to be hidden. So how do you continue an education in something that doesn't exist? At least with Harry Potter starring to learn the basics as a kid made sense.
@@robertblume2951 The magic is incredibly difficult. They did learn the basics as children, mathematics, languages, etc. You can't teach actual magic to kids when the fundamentals include Old Church Slavonic and Quantum Physics and performing things slightly wrong opens black holes or turns people inside out. That's why the main students are all hyper-book-smart, and even still they can create disasters.
@@juliabaphomet5439 how did they learn the right languages and the right mathematics? Quantum physics is already a masters level course. If you need that and a dead language you ain't doing magic in your first 3 years much less your first semester.
@@robertblume2951 The opening chapter establishes that these are the gifted elite of the gifted elite, the school is looking for the type of study-geniuses who can learn Old Church Slavonic (and several other languages) and Quantum Physics (and several other fields) in their first year. The whole concept of Lev's magic system was "what if magic exists, it's just incredibly difficult and requires the most extreme study?" He took Dark Academia, and maximized both the Dark and the Academia aspects. I'm not saying it's true-to-life believable, but it's the whole point of what he was going for.
I love that characters aren’t always likable, it’s so challenging in a refreshing way. The books are great but I would venture to say that the TV show is even better- the characters feel more fleshed out and consistent. I love the exploration of mental health and I read it at a time when I was in same mental state as Quentin (in fact I think I might have been the same age) so it was incredibly cathartic to read and watch
note: I was the same age as book Quentin (high school senior)
Okay spoilers for the show (and kind of a trigger warning)
I loved Quintin in the show as he was more fleshed out but his death really hit me. I love how he dealt with his mental illness and emphasised with him hugely but then to have him die by sacrificing himself at a time when he was mentally in a decline was awful and disheartening. Just a warning for anyone thinking about watching it.
@@halliehurst4847 oh God, yeah the latter seasons are 🥴🥴🥴🥴 I’d say the show peaks in season 3 but it also ends on a cliffhanger so it’s annoying.
It is rare for a screen adaption to be better than the books. ... But I agree, 100%. I absolutely love how the tv show handles the characters. The one thing I do wish the show did was bring over Julia's badass hedge witch club from the books over to the show, but I guess turning it into a support group wasn't too bad. My favorite change from novel to screen, though, was Margo's desert scene. Her desert arc in the TV show did it infinitely better than the book scene where Margo dryly explains to Q about how she got bored one day, went to the desert, and came back with a couple of axes.
@@halliehurst4847 I kinda liked show because od that spoiler. I mean it's very sad I agree, but I also appreciated it because it was realistic and unusual choice. Idk it's really sad also
Daniel: The stakes aren't very high we're not dealing with end of the world stuff.
tv show viewers: oh honey
There is always a new f up when they "FIX" something.
Even acknowledging the TV show injects that End Of The World element that didn't burden the books, I'd say on the whole the TV did a great job of adapting the material. All the narrative tropes are there, but cut up and recombinded in ways that (IMO) make it stronger.
I kinda love the show for it. Especially the later season. Oh we gotta move the moon, alright.
Never read the book. Just the tv series. Gave up on season three because they were all out of material. It was just going back and forth in some new quest, each more outrageous than the last. No character arcs or relationships by then. Just trying to see how outrageous and whacky they could be. It was like the show was cannibalizing itself. It got old really fast. Thumbs down.
“My girlfriend loves it” why does that sentence bring me so much joy?????
He's dating Brittany from the channel Books with Brittany. So happy for them, great couple.
bit britanny dosent have a review of the magicians , i thought that first but she dosent have a review of it
@@AAAAAAAAAA225 She doesn't make specific dedicated video reviews to 90% of what she reads, most of her reviews on books are during her reading vlogs and wrap up videos. It's confirmed Brittany I know for a fact.
I'm watching the show atm, just started Season 4. Holy shite man. After The Expanse, the first few episodes were rough, but man, I am SO in love with this show, might be better than Expanse for me. Such good characters, Elliot and Margo are my favorite hahaha
I just finished rewatching that season and the season finale will crush you, fair warning
Ah, yes... The show might as well be titled: "How can we magically screw up our lives next!?"
Is the Expanse a good show? I've heard about it but I haven't checked it out.
I watched the show while it was being aired and I loved it so much! Margo is the best :P
@@prometheus3498 The Expanse is the best SF show out there. Definitely worth a watch
Elliot during the Brakebills phase is such a mood.
Loved the Magicians, the rest of the series is really good too. I like that the sequels really follow Quentin growing into a man instead of a magical depressed teen.
Daniel: the mental illness is not solved just by discovering magic.
Tim doesn’t seem to be here to say this so
“Life is not cured, life is managed”
I was SO expecting a "MENTAL ILLNESS IS COMPLICATED"
*Sad Thanos noises*
As a fellow depressed millennial, that sounds right up my alley.
If you are depressed please be sure to talk to someone you trust about it
I think the television series is amazing, liked it better than the books
I saw the first 3(?) seasons of the show and thought it was interesting. Its been a long time. Last I remember the annoying girl was queen of fantasy land and was annoying. Does it get better? I remember something of turning magic off and finding keys, but don't really know
I've only read the 1st book (which I liked very much) and watched (I think) 4 full seasons of the show (edit: *SPOILER* I remember them releasing something imprisoned at some obscure end of the world and then losing memories and/or living alternate lives and that's when I stopped *SPOILER* ), and although I can't tell how much of that was the fault of the later books, I felt like the plot coherency/logic rather devolved in time in later seasons to the point I wasn't interested in watching the last one
@@MissMokate They really change the plot from what the (second) book was- so I wouldn't blame it on the books.
Same. The characters were way more fun on the show.
@@OkamiRose that's actually great to know because I've been considering reading the later books for some time now, thanks!
I’m seeing a lot of love for the show but if people have triggers please look up the *content warnings* .It’s darker than the books and made some choices that were arguably badly handled and sometimes not received well. Just something to be aware of for those that need it.
If anything, at least the show didn’t vilify all of its characters who are victims of you-know-what. The books cast those same characters in a very nasty light.
The thing is, the books are dark in a complex and beautiful way. The tv series is plain edgy.
@@diegominero29 definitely a lot of shock value, and some gross ones 🐐 💦 🤢
I think a certain character handled their MASSIVE issues with understandable actions. I too would wish to sometimes stop caring.
I'll be the first to admit I adored the show. It brought complex characters to light and a representation of love that I identified with and also don't really see often. Sometimes the show is over the top and just edgy for edgy sake, but it's really worth it 9 times out of 10. I'll never really understand that backlash that hit after somethings happened. I felt it was honest. Sometimes things don't end the way you want, and that pain pushes you forward to become a better person. Anyway trying to avoid spoilers as best as possible here, lol. It was an A to me.
Damn it, the handsome Goblin has a gf. My dreams are shattered
He's dating Brittany from Books with Brittany. She's awesome and has a great channel!
@@coleton7048 How do you know he's dating her?
@@WolvenBolt That's Valint & Balk..... they know everything...
I thought the same...😔
@@WolvenBolt Check her IG. There is a pic of them together :)
I really love these books and reread them every 2 years or so. I first studied it at University for an English class on fantasy & science fiction genre. *Never* forget the moment my professor asked the room, "Ok, so who here thought at the end that everything that happened was Quentin's delusion and he has been in the hospital this entire time?"
200 students stare at her in fixed horror.
*" The...what?"*
Oh my gosh I love this boooooook!
Edit: The sequels are really good in my opinion, there is some perspective shifting in them though.
The reason Grossman wrote the sequels is because his mom thought the MC killed himself at the end and he didn't want people to think that.
I did not know this. I guess that's why the other books just feel different.
Write "Spoilers ahead" next time, please! Oh, kinda my fault as well, I guess, because everybody knows internet is spoilerland.
I actually think I like both the other books more than the first
@@dailyplanet354 the first novel came out in 2009, it's decently assumed that the ending is known if the person even knows the book exists
and even with just knowledge of the tv series, that started airing in 2015 and ended this past april so...
I found the books transitioned too much into the big picture. I didn't really understand how some characters tapped into divinity and it felt inconsistent. Book 3's a slog.
I read the book when I was in Junior High. I remember three things:
1. They have a fox orgy?
2. "I can't choose to be happy." "You can choose to be miserable." (Quoting from memory)
3. "She was, from my modern expertise, a lesbian." (...Again, memory...)
Considering i have no further context i find this humorous.
Great series! And I love your videos, thanks for cranking them out at an astonishing rate while we're all stuck at home!
I've considered reading this book but I was nervous because it doesn't have great reviews! So glad you did a discussion on this book!
The plot in the Magicians is bad. The characters and prose were pretty good, but nothing interesting was happening.
@@TomFranklinX Ahh that's good to know, thanks for the advice!
It really depends a lot on what you like. I remember what convinced me to buy it when I did was a 1 star review/rant that listed all the thing they hated about the book and I was like....this sounds perfect! Haha
@@ddrcc22 haha thats funny. Sounds like you like to read books that have some controversy.
I'm not going to bash on anyone who doesn't like the book. I could see why people might not like it. On the other hand I thought it was incredible and is well worth the read. highly recommended.
the second book is meh for me but the third book is my favorite in the trilogy and probably one of my favorite series conclusions in general
does it still have the drinking of god cum from the show? if so imma pass
@@OnionBun No. The show is a garbage adaptation (while being an okay show by itself).
Finally, I love how you've designed the scoring system now! It makes WAY more sense to me now. Please continue! Also, characters DO NOT need to be likeable, they just need to be interesting 💯
Love the show (although I haven't seen Season 4). I can't read this anytime soon (I have a lot of other things to read) but I'm glad there's a review out. Also, it's more mental illness Narnia than depressed Harry Potter.
The first one is definitely my favorite of the trilogy, but I think the other two are worth reading.
And I 100% agree with some of the pacing / flow issues you mentioned in the first half. It's a little odd how quickly Quentin goes through Brakebills, though presumably this is to simulate how the "newness" of college soon wears off, and it becomes a rote job like any other.
Grossmen gave a great lecture and interviews on Tolkien and CS Lewis and their influences on this book
Hey, wait a minute. This is not the Chronicles Of Amber.
I loved the whole series. I like that you can tell it was written with all the magical school tropes in mind, but it doesn't waste a lot of time winking at the reader about it. There were times where I felt like I knew what was coming because of established tropes, and then the story just went in a different direction. And those different directions felt right for the story and not "hey look at me doing something new!". I was jarred at first by how much time the book covers, but it didn't break the story for me.
The strength of a book I've found is how it stays with you long after you've read the final page. This book has stayed with long, long after I finished it. It took me a long time to understand that Quentin is in fact me. He is all of us who deal with depression. The Magicians is so much more than just a book. It is also an exercise in self reflection
Early for a review, yesh! I loved this series. The show is a different breed altogether, best enjoyed if you separate it from the books.
I LOVE The Magicians with all my heart and all my soul... and actually many of the times I have re read it (specifically the first book) has been in times of struggling with depression very badly... and the book truly helps me to get out of those dark places.
I really loved this triology, specially the last book (though the second one was a bit slow) 10/10 always recommend
Lev Grossman is kind of a staple for me.
Great review. I've only seen parts of the show(which I liked) but I may give the book a chance. I find it interesting how you found the first book to be a good one off with its ending because I actually had a similar experience with a series I am watching Re;Zero. Season one ends in such a way that you could be content with just it being a one off. The reason for this is because the writers didn't know they were getting a second season(there's a ton of books which is the source material) so it was written in that way. It was only after it got mega successful that the series was rereleased as a director's cut and adds in an extra scene at the end to setup the second season. But take on face value, the ending of season one of Re;Zero very much seems like what The Magicians book one is like. And I appreciate that.
Daniel this book sounds awesome. Thanks for the review, I'm excited to move this up my ever-growing TBR!
I haven't read these recently, so my memory is a little shoddy. I remember liking the second because it tried, at times, to present a classic adventure tale from the perspective of a secondary character. I thought this was a really interesting take and was surprised that it kept me engaged.
I love this series. It was probably my first exploration of fantasy characters that deal with a lot of messed up things. The kind of things you would expect if you fell head first into a very alien fantasy world.
The show is updated to make BrakeBills a Grad School, making it fit the millennial generation as of when the late middle portion of it would have started grad school. The story of the show was supervised by Lev Grossman and a variant of the Book Universe makes an appearance in Season 3. Well worth the watch.
Could you do a video focused on magical schools?? I'm always looking for books in that setting, but I don't know which ones are worth the read.
If you don't mind YA check out the Tapestry series by Henry Neff.
@@darthsnowball3157 just looked it up. That looks interesting. Thanks for the rec!
@@readwithtalia Have you heard of Harry Potter? /s
@@milospollonia1121 haha rings a bell
@@readwithtalia it was mildly popular I think
I loved these books. They're what kinda got me back into reading after not for years. I also liked the show (although vastly different) when it came out too. The characters are very flawed and some people can't get over that but I loved it.
You have become one of my favourite new youtubers. I have been considering getting into more fantasy so your channel has definitely helped. Will be trying dresden files.
Should try First Law since it is the best.
@@coleton7048 thanks for the recommendation. I will give it a shot😀
I went into the book as a lover of the show, bracing myself for a rough time since I saw a lot of negative reviews from people I respect on Goodreads. But I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, barring a few aspects of the plot, pacing and Quentin's intense male-gazing through the whole book. But it was amazingly written and quite a realistic portrayal of how magic changes but doesn't actually fix anything
I really love the show. The characters in it are flawed, and often jerks, like you said, and over the course of the series I felt I got to know them so well that I really found myself missing them when the series was finished. I highly recommend it.
I haven't actually read the books. I've been unsure if I should, because I've been warned about some of the differences, and I've been told that the show actually fleshes out the characters more. But after this review, maybe I'll give the first book a try.
This is one of my favourite books, and it took me years to pick up the sequel, and then another few to pick up the third book. The second was fantastic, but the last one kind of dissapointed me. But I do think the second is worth picking up, and even if you never read the third book you still get a full story.
I also want to say, that ín my opinion, it is one of the best structured trilogies i've read, because while we have the classic three act stucture, also each book can stand on it's own, and no matter where you start reading, or after wich book you stop reading you will always have a full, finished story.
This series is what I picked up randomly when I was in a really bad spot in my life. It is now one of my favorite series ever. I have such an emotional connection to it. I am so happy you gave it a read Daniel!
The Magicians is high on my TBR list; I loved the TV series adaptation, and even though I know they made a lot of changes, I'm still really intrigued to experience it as the author originally wrote it.
This book, and this series is my absolute favorite. Something about what Lev created plugs directly into my soul. I've never had the sort of connection to a book/series that I do to the Magicians. The sense of humor, the outlook of the characters, the way they think, the pop references and deep cut easter eggs, the construction of the plot throughout the series, the coming of age, the literary fiction approach to the writing of fantasy, the subversion and sort of meta subversion back to the traditional, the real life experiences that are so relatable, even the things I dont like make me like it even more. I totally get why a lot of people don't like it, but when I read this book it feels like me on a page.
I read this book and i didn't like it much . The book was okay but its different from my taste or mood . I don't like the character and i was searching for a good and sweet character and i pick the wrong book. Will read this in future again may be i'll like it
I get you. Sometimes I just want to read about characters who are easy to like.
@@kobbyquayson yep
The characters get better in the next two books. Or I should say the story around the characters, gets better. Which elevates the characters.
Well characters are really likeable in tv show and the mood is not depressing, if u are interested in watching a tv show
@@lostinfantasy yeah definitely but after exam
Whoa! That was a very pleasant surprise on a Monday. The Magicians is a decent read, I personally think the show did a very good adaptation, especially since they aged everyone up.
It’s been a while since I’ve read it, but I recall the book really had a lot that touched on being an outsider. Being an outsider on various levels, even with characters that were insiders on other levels.
I read The Magicians several years ago with my husband. As we were reading it, neither of us liked it. But once we finished and we started discussing it, the more we really liked it and appreciated it. I've now reread it 3 times and thoroughly enjoy it and the sequels!
Idk I really like the show and I appreciated the focus on mental health in the books, but I also always felt like I was getting an overview, setting the reader up for "the real story" that never came. I felt there was a lot more telling than showing going on. Maybe this is intentional as it's written from a first person perspective and a real person telling a story wouldn't remember the specifics of every conversation or encounter in their lives but I never really felt immersed in the story. That being said, I liked the world and actually did appreciate the characters and the realities of people getting everything they wanted and still feeling life is kind of pointless. I'm glad it's out in the world I just wish it got like 15% deeper into day to day of life for Q and his friends.
Thanks for the good review Daniel.
I had this on my TBR but then heard some negative stuff about it being very depressing and that the MC is very unlikable.
As someone that struggles with depression I thought that I don't need more of that in my escapism...
However, your review is making me reconsider reading it.
Good job.
The Magicians - Harry Potter meets The Chronicles of Narnia as imagined by Stephen King
I first read this book series when I first got into reading about 4-5 years ago. I only read harry potter just this past summer. I did in fact really really enjoy the magicians and I really appreciate your review here. I found myself nodding to literally every comment you made about this book and I wish more people would see this before maybe looking on goodreads to decide to read or not based on other people's reviews. I find it strange how many people give it a bad review and I'm sure it's mostly due to the fact that people may have the requirement that they need to like the protagonist (like you've said). For me, I found Quintin undeniably relatable and I found most of his decisions to be close to maybe what I would've done in those situations even if I hated myself for thinking that's what I would've done. Great review Daniel.
Wait i thought there no videos on Monday?
Not that I’m complaining!
I would like to just appreciate how accurately (and weirdly precisely) you summed up my thoughts on this book series.
I love this book. I literally can never forget it whenever people ask me what series I love and I then remember I have the 2 sequels too
Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise. I've been a fan of the channel for awhile now, and going based off certain discussions and reviews you've done, not to mention the sort of characters you usually tended to gravitate towards in stories, I was under the impression The Magicians wouldn't be up your alley. More than happy to see I was wrong.
I've never been someone who was necessarily picky over the likability of characters. For me, it was almost always a matter of whether or not they were compelling enough as leads to follow, and especially if the circumstances for them being the way they were made sense within the context of the narrative. Quinten fit this for me perfectly. It's established early on the reasons for why he's the way he is, and how ultimately it negatively affects the relationships that he forges throughout because of it.
The Magicians serves as a cautionary tale in certain regards. I love the discussions on mental illness and codependency, and how if left unchecked, people can unfortunately succumb to their worst traits as a result. Despite his personal failings, I rooted for Quinten, hoping he'd learn his lesson before too severe of a punishment struck him down. Lev seemed to know how to make Quinten feel understood, even if aspects of his personality wouldn't make an audience particularly fond of him. And I think that's very important for characterization. Having a character be understood holds more weight than making them appealing, in my eyes. Although, I do think it's fair to mention that over the course of the trilogy work is done to make Quinten a bit more of an endearing guy as he slowly matures for the better.
I think one of my main complaints of the first book is Quinten's relationship with Elliot, specifically with how it's conveyed. Quinten talks a lot about how much he admires him, finding Elliot compelling and slightly mysterious, but it's not something I ever actually saw being shown to us as readers. We're given several moments and instances of Quinten interacting with Alice, and how she as a person eventually grabs his attention, but that same sort of work I felt was never done to the same degree with Elliot. It's an issue I run into occassionally in fiction where an author will tell you that "these two characters are friends", but then never really follow up with on screen examples of them actually being friends, and displaying the chemistry between them.
Really enjoyed this review and the conversation sparked around it. If you happen to read the sequels, I'd definitely be interested in your take on them, and even if not, keep the good work up. Your channel has exposed me to several authors and series I never would've given a second glance to otherwise, like The First Law and Rage of Dragons, so much appreciated.
I’m glad you liked it! Admittedly I was nervous to hear what you had to say because I love the trilogy. To be honest, I just finished book two and as someone who had a love/hate relationship with the first book, I thought the second book was leaps and bounds better. Will be starting the final book ASAP
Thanks a lot of making this review. I was unsure if I wanted to read this book because of all the bad reviews. Now I'm ready to jump into it.
Glad you liked this! I loved The Magicians, and the second book, The Magician King, is still one of my all-time favorites!
This is a book that I thought I didn’t like when I first read it, but I have found it to be emotionally resonant and one that I find myself thinking about a lot.
Great review!
I loved the whole trilogy--definitely continue!!!! Book 2 gets even darker and weirder and I loved the new narrative structure Grossman employs. The whole series is unpredictable and rewarding with how intelligent the writing is.
Mark Bramhall was an absolute master of an audiobook narrator for these, up there with Pacey and Marsters and Kramer for me--I kept it on late into the night by my pillow while my wife slept--I just could not stop listening for the life of me.
Omg! I watch your videos all the time (I’ve been subscribed for month now), and The Magicians is a show I really like, and I’ve read the first book, so it’s shocking, in a good way, that you made this video.
The sequels are amazing and complete too. I think I can say without spoiling anything--that when you read the sequels you understand that this trilogy is a variation on the coming-of-age fantasy arc. Instead of the more typical fantasy universe where a character's coming-of-age goes from like 14 to maybe 19, Quentin starts at 18 and ends at 30. The sequels are just as good at capturing the ethos of the mid twenties and early thirties as the first one is at capturing late teenhood. At the same time, by the end of the series Quentin isn't "done." He's still a person with a long way to go.
I was so grateful to see the complex and difficult realities of maturing in an uncertain (and sometimes purposeless) universe reflected back to me. It was so much more meaningful than that classic fantasy journey where you go from like an ignorant apprentice, to a knight with a quest to being like a fully actualized king or something, in the span of like 5 years.
I love this series, she takes influences from a lot of popular other fantasy books but she turns it around, grows it and makes into her own beautiful thing. Her character worker is interesting I have never been more invested in characters that I was annoyed about. The writing has tons of Witt, color and creativity. I have enjoyed every time I’ve read it
One of the things I liked most about this was that the Magic System was complex...and based on different cultures and what they would have discovered about magic on their own
I read it when I was 17 and re-read it when I was 22, I think. This was the first series I liked (when I read this series I hadn’t read Harry Potter). I remember liking the atmosphere of the setting, the dismal characters, the dichotomy of the idea of fantasy and reality. The dangers that lurked in this book also intrigued me.
One thing I can say about this series is that, as you said about being satisfied with reading just the first one, the second wraps up in a similar way
I've read all three books. For me, it's Harry Potter meets Chronicles of Narnia with a college frat boy twist. I don't see Quentin as having a mental illness; I see him as just being insecure with low self esteem. Nice job on the review.
This series had me pulling all nighters turning pages my sophomore year of high school - I will never feel how I felt the day after I finished the series again. I felt like I was walking through a dream
As someone who LOVES the TV show, I was a bit hesitate to read the books because I've heard it diverges so hard from the show but with your recommendation, I'll definitely add it to the list
There are always two separate graphic novel spin offs one following a completely separate class, and one that tells Alice's story
I have been waiting for years for you to review this book, it's one of my favourites. I am glad you liked it.
That's funny, back when I read this I also didn't expect sequels until I saw the second one at the library. It's been quite awhile since I read it, but I remember enjoying it a lot. It's got a lot of poor reviews and I think that's because of what you said near the beginning about people needing to like their protagonist. The poor reviews kinda made me question if I'd still think it was good if I read it again ~8 years later. Nice to see such a positive review from someone I trust on fantasy writing.
Quentin is a lot more likeable in the TV show than in the books, especially in the later seasons. The show is VERY different from the books but is still good. The whole book trilogy is well worth reading. Daniel, you would definitely be missing out if you didn’t read the sequels...in later books, the school element is a lot less important and there are some other cool plots involving magic. The last book has the perfect ending.
COMPLETELY unrelated comment: For anyone who hasn’t tried one before, a little travel clothes steamer is a great thing. Cheap, and you can get the wrinkles out of a tshirt in less than 3 minutes. So much easier than ironing!
I’m reading this book right now and I’ve been enjoying it thoroughly. Like you said it was very different from what I’ve heard but I’m glad it was.
I haven't read the books, but the show is one of my TOP 5 favorite shows. It makes me so happy. and sad. and good.
"Quentin's conversations with his parents were so circular and self-defeating, it was like experimental theatre."
These books have some of the best one lines that really capture something. Where you are like 'wow, yes, that perfectly puts a feeling or situtation into words'.
Dude I did not even know that the show was an adaptation! I absolutely love the show! I have even watched it about 3 times already. Last time I watched it, I even did so in reverse! There's like a fair amount of time in between each time I rewatch the series. And I gotta say, it was so much fun watching it in reverse! Why? I tend to forget the details about why a certain thing happened, or what did it affect afterwards. So for me it was a journey about how I try to recall the reason behind some things that occur in the later seasons. And when I finally get back to watching the earlier episodes, and find out the cause of said things, I get this feeling that I can't really describe. All I gotta say is that it gives me this sort of satisfiction, weird, but it is what it is haha. It was only later on when I was rewatching the series last time that I realized Quentin does almost the exact same thing to books that he read! Overall, it was definitely one of my fav shows! I'm also now planning on reading the books since I really want to know more about what would happen to them because the show just ended when the it just started to introduce so much more elements to it!
A great series that has some good twists and ending. I like how Fillory is Narnia and the book explores that land for adults.
Thanks for giving your thoughts on this! The second book in the series expands the world. Each book has a different aim and feel, and the trilogy all together has a feeling of completeness.
One of my top 5 series. And its one of those where THE SHOW is so different you get 2 similar stories for the price of one! :D
I recommed the way I did it - watch the show first and read the books second. I like how I had a good visualisation of hand gestures for magic while reading because I watched the show :)
This is my absolute favorite fantasy novel of all time. Read the whole series. It’s the only, genuine coming of age story I’ve ever read.
I heard from people that love this series that they didn't enjoy reading this first installment but love the series overall. It's a start that many don't read past because it's not necessarily a pleasant read. Or so I heard.
I absolutely adore The Magicians! Lev's writing is very clever and made me laugh out loud several times. It's definitely Quentin's story above all else so people searching for a grand adventure won't find it but if you are looking to truly understand a character and see him actually grow and mature through hardships and sadness while also having a good laugh about it this is the series for you.
Would you classify this as an adult fantasy or YA?
@@1siddynickhead Definitely adult. Some younger people might still enjoy it but I feel like the series deals with a lot of more mature themes later on that an older audience could appreciate and relate to more
@@LabelWatch great! That's what I was hoping! Thank you!
@@1siddynickhead Happy to help! I hope you enjoy it
Everything is in a name and naming a book, The Magicians is right down there with calling it The Book.
When you finish the first book you think it feels pretty complete, then you read the other two and you realize everything else you were missing. One of my favorite series of all time!
When I read that one, it looked to me like a young-adult darker version of a mixture of Narnia and Harry Potter. But the final third makes it a different thing, which continues to go into a different part in the second book that surprised me
This is my favorite book ever! Quentin is far from being my favorite character even in this book but he is the character I relate to most in all of fiction and I love the books for giving me that haha
The Magicians was meant to be a stand-alone book and it really shows but I still think the other two books are worth reading c': I enjoyed them a lot.
I enjoyed that series more than I thought I would back in the day xD I reread it two years ago and enjoyed it even more ahah
Wow I just finished the third book 3 days ago. The TV show is very good too. The MC goes on some side quests is the TV show. But it actually benefits the characters. The reason the first one seems finished is because the author did finish the book! He at first was going to make it a stand alone. So it is funny that you felt that way.
Like the review. I really liked the magicians. I had to take breaks reading it because things would get heavy and too much heavy would start to make me feel like I was Quentin! It was a breath of fresh air though!
The Magician King is one of my favorite fantasy novels. It handles what it means to be a hero better than anything else in the genre I've read
6 comments, 1 view, 28 thumbs up. Makes perfect sense, TH-cam.
Grossmen actually intended it to be a single book but changed it later for whatever reason
I loved this book and the show. The characters just felt so real to me and I loved all the references to other fantasy books and the last scene and the "final battle".
Yet to read the second book but hoping for the best.