The Magicians by Lev Grossman (on CD)

The Magicians
by Lev Grossman [Compact Disc Grossman]

I started off reading this one for my science fiction club's monthly book discussion, then ran out of time and switched to the audio book-on-cd adaptation, which I ended up enjoying far more than the traditional printed version. Narrator Mark Bramhall brings a perfect narrative tone to all the characters in this modern-day fantasy tale. Often described as "Harry Potter for adults", this is the story of a group of disaffected young adults, who were all "discovered" in their youth and given the opportunity to go to a school for magicians in the eastern United States. The first third of the book chronicles their education -- and their rebellious nature -- while the latter two thirds follows their lives after their schooling is over and they have to find a way to integrate into a mundane society, when they've got the wonders of the magician world at their fingertips. There are parts of this novel that I enjoyed tremendously, and other parts that were completely off-putting -- the sex and drug abuse for example. There are many fascinating characters, although you'll end up being annoyed at many of them. In the end, I find myself grudgingly recommending this book -- it is exceptionally well-written -- but with the caveat that many readers will ultimately be either offended or exasperated by both the characters and the plot. Let the reader beware! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Scott's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the two sequels, The Magician King and The Magician's Land.]

[Also available in traditional print format.]

[ official The Magicians page on the official Lev Grossman web site ]

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