The Magician's Land
(Magicians 3/3)
by Lev Grossman
fantasy, subadult
copyright 2014
read in April 2018
rated 6/10: read to pass the time
I think it was in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy where someone said, Let's see if this time we can do it without having to nail somebody to a cross. Not the right words, probably not the right book -- but that was the concept. Let's do great things without having to have a blood sacrifice.
This book has the depressing and pointless blood sacrifice.
The book is a children's moralistic fable. Very similar -- in concept -- to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. For a while I thought, oh well, it's different, the religious underpinnings are not Christian. Then the author throws in the sacrifice. What a pity.
The book is aimed at pre-teenage children... I think. The plot, the characters, the fantasy world are childish. Yet there is plenty of swearing and sex. Definitely sex though not explicit. Perhaps the author aims at young teenagers -- with sex and swearing and self-doubt and insecurity. Yet the main characters are simple-minded children playing at simplistic plots. Idiot teenagers, or crude sub-teens? I'm not sure.
There is also the pre-teen and young teen concept that the hero is male but the females are stronger and far more sensible.
There's a lot of soul searching -- and that is the point of this book, the moral of the story is in the soul searching. Although it's possible that the moral is intended to be in the actions -- in which case the moral is a sad and sorry travesty.
Despite all this the book is readable, even for an adult. Childish characters, minimal plot and -- in my opinion -- pushing an amoral yet well-meaning barrow.
Oh, and all but one of the characters are from the previous two books. Luckily the plot is so lightweight that that doesn't really matter. This is a book which can be enjoyed (sort of) without having read the first two in the trilogy.
And be warned: The ending is definite and conclusive. In a way which allows the author to start another follow-on series.
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
===
"Il est bon que le cœur soit naïf et que l'esprit ne le soit pas." … Anatole France
===
No comments:
Post a Comment