The Magicians

#350
Title: The Magicians
Author: Lev Grossman
Year: 2009
Publisher: William Heinemann
406 pages 

Better as an idea than in the execution. Grossman uses a fantasy frame and tropes to tell a story of youth alienation. Unfortunately, Grossman seems more contemptuous than admiring of the genre. The jokes (many Harry Potter and Narnia-based) quickly become brittle, then stale. It's too bad, because the possibilities are excellent, and Grossman's inclusion of Jewish imagery brings a fresh perspective to the genre (imagine Harry Potter thinking a magical text looks like the Talmud). The story itself is simply not able to deliver on its compelling premise, degenerating into a jumbled, boring blur of drinking and immaturity. The characters remain flat and grow unlikeable over time. Plot points amble and some are ultimately dropped, perhaps out of an authorial ennui that parallels that of his world-weary 20-something characters. The ending is pat, disappointing, and unearned.