The Magicians First Impressions

Currently, I am half way through the novel, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman.  This book portrays a 17 year old boy, named Quentin, throughout his life at a college for magicians.  Instead of attending Princeton, Quentin attends a college for magicians called Brakebills for five years instead of four.  There, they learn basic magic.  Normally, they are placed into their "disciplines", something like a major, and they get placed into their specific housing area.  For some strange reason, Quentin didn't place in any of the Disciplines.  Then in their fourth year, they go on a trip to prove who is fit to become a first class magician.  They set off on a trip to Antarctica, and there, they make a five hundred mile run to the South Pole, without any clothes on or food.  Only Alice, Quentin's girl friend and he made it.  They were the only ones that tried.  During their fifth year, they graduate.  This school hidden from the outside world and the people stay concealed from the outside world.  This school reminds me of Hogwarts, and the book reminds me of Harry potter. 

It reminds me of Harry Potter because it is about magicians going to a concealed, mystical school.  There are some major differences though.  They use hand gestures to cast spells, instead of wands.  I really liked how Grossman referenced the Harry Potter series in his book because throughout reading it, I always thought to myself, “this reminds me of Harry Potter”.  He reference how the magic in each story is difference:

“He’d look at the kids with an obvious flawed feature… and wondered why they didn’t get somebody to fix them up, like Hermione with her teeth in Harry Potter.  But in reality it always ended in a disaster.”(page 188)

This was interesting to hear a reference to my favorite series in what seems like my new favorite book.  This book also reminds me of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in the fact that there is a whole new world living right in front of our eyes, but we don’t notice it.  I like these types because I feel like it can actually happen to me.  It can turn my boring life into a life of adventure and excitement.  I know; I’m a nerd.