The Magicians by Lev Grossman

“[F]or just one second, look at your life and see how perfect it is. Stop looking for the next secret door that is going to lead you to your real life. Stop waiting. This is it: there's nothing else. It's here, and you'd better decide to enjoy it or you're going to be miserable wherever you go, for the rest of your life, forever.”

Let’s take Narnia and add chronic depression.

I feel like that’s what Grossman was thinking when he wrote this best-selling novel about a chronically depressed teenager who finds a magic school in the middle of New York. Then with the help of his friends, he finds the magical land he’s been obsessing over for his whole life -- Fillory.

While Narnia has it’s dark moments, and this book has many, many similarities, it’s nothing like The Magicians flare for darkness, gore and misery. Quentin, the main character, at times was insufferable, but I admired that Grossman wrote a character that struggled daily with chronic, oftentimes crippling, depression that I’m sure many could relate to. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where I completely despised the main character, Quentin, at times. Funny.

The world created by Grossman is one that is perfect for those of us not quite ready to grow up. Who are still looking for that spark of magic we knew so well as children. In many ways Quentin is the most relatable character I’ve known as well as one whom I could ring the neck of. He wants what the majority of us want -- magic. Adventure. Love. A sense of heroism.

And like a refreshing slap in the face, he finds it -- but it bites. Just like the “real” world.

This book was incredibly well-written, and though the magic school of Brakebills was completely original, I had a hard time getting past the glaring Narnia undertones and found it hard, and yet delightfully challenging, to follow a main character such as Quentin Coldwater. I have to confess that I am a blasphemer and watched most of the TV series before reading the book, and I found myself searching for Julia. Julia is my favourite character, and to not have such a rich storyline for her in the book as it is in the TV show was a huge disappointment.

But alas, I finally read it! On to the next.

What’s Next: I’ll be starting off my #RereadingChildhood series with Lynne Ewing’s The Summoning. Stay tuned!