52 {Books} in 52: The Magicians

The Magicians by Lev Grossman is another book I came across because of a review I had read on it. I was intrigued by what Amazon.com described as "Mixing the magic of beloved children's fantasy classics with the sex, excess, angst, and anticlimax of life in college and beyond." Was the book about real magicians living amongst normal people? Magicians who aren't awed by their powers?

The story follows Quentin as he becomes a trained magician, deals with the reality of being a magician, and as he confronts the notion of fairytale and the world of the fantastical Fillory books. The book does not necessarily explore the ugly side of magic, but it's more like the book explores the realistic side of magic. Magic is not this amazing gift that enhances your life; magic is this thing that makes you realize how boring and uninteresting life can be. This is definitely not a book for children as sex and drugs are rampant. The book gets you thinking about multiple dimensions, time, and the lives you are willing to risk in the name of the perceived good. Overall, The Magicians was a good read but I was left feeling like Quentin does at the end: kind of empty and like I had lost a sense of awe in wonder in the thought of magic.

Here's what I've read for my 52 {Books} in 52 challenge:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
4. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
5. Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace by Ayelet Waldman
6. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
7. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
8.  Misery Loves Cabernet by Kim Gruenenfelder
9.  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
10. Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
11. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
12. Best Day of Someone Else's Life by Kerry Reichs
13. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
14. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson
15. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
16. The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
17. Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
18. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
19.  The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
20.  Bossypants by Tina Fey
21. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
22. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
23. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carré
24. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
25. Maze Runner by James Dashner
26. Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton
27. The Magicians by Lev Grossman