The Magicians (re-read)

It is rare for me to re-read any book because there are so many books I need to read for the first time. I can think of only three books I have read more than once and two of those were as audio books (THE STAND, OLD MAN'S WAR, and DUNE)

With the arrival of THE MAGICIAN KING, the sequel to THE MAGICIANS, I felt obligated to re-read the first book because I was so ambivalent about it the first time. I thought it was a nice read, but not my first pick for book of the year. It still isn't my first pick, but I did wind up liking the book much more.

I think the first time around, I had some difficulty imagining the locations and scenes. That northeastern vibe never really resonated with me. The story read to me like a cross of Narnia, Hogwarts and THE RULES OF ATTRACTION. A notable mash-up, but not much more.

In re-reading it, the scenes and the characters began to grow on me. The Fillory segment finally made sense (although I think I was burned out by that point in my last reading). And I truly enjoyed the novel. I could admire the craftsmanship to pull all those elements together and make them a sohesive and original story. It may still read like Sean Bateman's trip through the wardrobe, but there is more to it than that. Sean is a geek and is lucky to find a girl, but the lesson is still that life is hard if you want to live it. Still, how about another glass of wine?