Huh I had seen this show listed on Netflix but didn’t connect it to the books, of which I read two. I recall having mixed feelings about them but I don’t remember why.
I had very mixed feelings about the first two as well. More polarizing than normal for me, really. Whether that speaks to author’s intent or skill or lack thereof, I’m not sure - it certainly held my attention. But I recommend finishing the trilogy because the third book is a satisfying wrap up of Quentin’s story line. It’s one series that really does work as a whole better than in its individual parts IMHO.
I figure you should either read just the one (in case you are skeptical about the potential quality of sequels added to a standalone work, or just find you plainly don’t care for it) or all three. The second novel ends on a depressing beat, but in any case it was already conceived as part of a trilogy, and it is the third book that reaches a satisfying conclusion; you kind of have to read the whole thing to get an entire story, and find out what kind of people the characters ultimately grow up to become.
All this talk about Grossman’s stuff is getting me curious about that King Arthur book he keeps mentioning…
PS the end of that interview makes clear, if it wasn’t before, that he had little to do with the writing on the TV series, beyond making occasional suggestions.
Aight it’s on my library list. They’re quick reads and I remember liking them more than I didn’t. I don’t remember why I never read the last one.
And maybe I should give those first two a re-read while I wait. I checked out the synopses on Wikipedia and clearly don’t remember much.
I would break Magicians the show into two sections:
Season 1-2: A good, but only OK show. Some great moments.
Seasons 3-5: Amazing, one of the best shows on TV.
“Grow the Beard” is the term for shows that improve in clear ways. In our house, Magicians is now the main example of this. “Be The Penny” in early Season 3 is probably the turning point and is an all-time great episode of TV.
Vaguely on topic is, there are also The Magicians comix/graphic novel, “with Lilah Sturges”. Anybody read these? I’m getting the same vibe I did 10 years ago, which is that he seems to be trying to get a lot of mileage out of what was originally supposed to be a single novel, and did it really NEED a sequel? (OTOH , as I said, I did eventually read and enjoy the sequels).
OK, I took one for the team and read “The Magicians: The New Class”. It’s a short standalone adventure set at Brakebills College, nothing epic going on, nor does it have anything to do with the characters from the novels or tv show. Read it if you want a quick Magicians fix.