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The Magicians: A Novel Audiobook, by Lev Grossman Play Audiobook Sample

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The Magicians: A Novel Audiobook, by Lev Grossman Play Audiobook Sample
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Author: Lev Grossman Narrator: Mark Bramhall Publisher: Penguin Audio Audio Length: Series:The Magicians Trilogy Release Date: August 2009 Format: Unabridged Audiobook Delivery: Instant Download ISBN: 9781101079423
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Publisher Description

The New York Times bestselling novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world, now an original series on SYFY “The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea. . . . Hogwarts was never like this.” —George R.R. Martin   “Sad, hilarious, beautiful, and essential to anyone who cares about modern fantasy.” —Joe Hill   “A very knowing and wonderful take on the wizard school genre.” —John Green   “The Magicians may just be the most subversive, gripping and enchanting fantasy novel I’ve read this century.” —Cory Doctorow “This gripping novel draws on the conventions of contemporary and classic fantasy novels in order to upend them . . . an unexpectedly moving coming-of-age story.” —The New Yorker “The best urban fantasy in years.” —A.V. Club Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A high school math genius, he’s secretly fascinated with a series of children’s fantasy novels set in a magical land called Fillory, and real life is disappointing by comparison. When Quentin is unexpectedly admitted to an elite, secret college of magic, it looks like his wildest dreams have come true. But his newfound powers lead him down a rabbit hole of hedonism and disillusionment, and ultimately to the dark secret behind the story of Fillory. The land of his childhood fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he ever could have imagined. . . . The prequel to the New York Times bestselling book The Magician King and the #1 bestseller The Magician's Land, The Magicians is one of the most daring and inventive works of literary fantasy in years. No one who has escaped into the worlds of Narnia and Harry Potter should miss this breathtaking return to the landscape of the imagination.

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Quotes

  • “Sly and lyrical, [The Magicians] captures the magic of childhood and the sobering years beyond.”

    - Entertainment Weekly

  • “An irresistible storytelling momentum makes The Magicians a great summer book, both thoughtful and enchanting.”

    - Salon

  • “While this story invariably echoes a whole body of romantic coming-of-age tales, Grossman's American variation is fresh and compelling.”

    - Washington Post

  • “Grossman skillfully moves us through four years of school and a postgraduate adventure, never letting the pace slacken...beguiling.”

    - Seattle Times

  • “This is a book for grown-up fans of children’s fantasy...Highly recommended.”

    - Library Journal

  • “Very dark and very scary, with no simple answers provided—fantasy for grown-ups...Very satisfying indeed.”

    - Kirkus Reviews

  • “Mark Bramhall, a smooth baritone with a supple speaking voice, reads carefully, with a slight air of heaviness and sorrow. He pauses frequently and freights the silences with a tenderness well befitting a coming-of-age novel.”

    - Publishers Weekly (audio review)

  • “As Bramhall depicts this Narnia-like land, he fully portrays the heroes, villains, even the secondary characters such as the cruel mage, a drunken bear, and a timid tree person. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.”

    - AudioFile

Awards

  • A New York Times bestseller
  • Selected for the August 2009 Indie Next List
  • Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
  • Winner of the 2010 YALSA Alex Award

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Customer Reviews

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  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " As a previous said, too pessimistic for a main character. Made the book very painful to get through. "

    - Scott, 2/15/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " The story is engaging, though slow to start; I'm 3/4 through and it's just now starting to pick up. I've heard the second book is better so I will persevere "

    - Erica, 1/17/2014
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " I gave up. Awful, awful book. I hated everyone and everything in it. "

    - Dinsdale, 1/11/2014
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " an interesting concept , several of them actually, are shoehorned into this book with an extremely unlikable lead character and scarcely fleshed out secondary characters. ugh could have been so much better. didn't live up to the hype. at all. "

    - Kirsty, 12/29/2013
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " This is kind of an unfair book for me to rate. It was fine, I guess, but pretty much the opposite of what I look for in a fantasy novel. I liked (view spoiler)[the scene where the otherworldly wizard appeared in the classroom (hide spoiler)] but not really anything else. "

    - Ash, 12/26/2013
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " I honestly was ready to like this book, until the ending came around. I kept waiting for our main character to be satisfied with what he had or to grow or something! He didn't change at all, started out depressed..ended up still depressed and complaining. The guy needs to go to therapy!I just couldn't stand him and the only character I actually liked ended up sacrificing herself for this pathetic guy after he cheated on her. The book would have been better from her point of view honestly. I just felt empty and indifferent after I finished reading it and that's not what I expect from a good book. I don't think I will be reading the next one because I expect he will not go through any personal growth. This book just wasn't for me. "

    - Nadia, 12/15/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " A good story, but clearly a rip off of Rowling, Tolkein, and Lewis. "

    - Eryn, 12/3/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I liked both these books. Quick reads and very engaging. "

    - Loretta, 11/30/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Adult Harry Potter. An equally inventive magical universe with more drama and serious subject matter. "

    - Terence, 11/27/2013
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " So far the main character reminds me of my sister's ex who I hated and is a loser...I hope my opinion changes soon. "

    - Holly, 11/10/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " I liked this book for the first half and then really hated the second half but I'm somehow left with this need to continue the series. While I was reading it, I was so distracted by the fact that it was so much like other books i could almost not get into it. "

    - Allison, 11/4/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Again, maybe the magic of audiobooks makes me love it, but I really, really loved it. I want to go to Brakebills and then disappear into Fillory forever. "

    - Thara, 8/30/2012
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " A quirky, strange amalgamation of the Harry Potter and Narnia books, with a little dose of The Talisman, but written by/for jaded hipsters. That may sound like an insult, and it kind of is, but I still enjoyed the book for the most part. "

    - Brian, 7/13/2012
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Literary fiction trying too hard to pass itself off as genre fiction and instead falling flat at both. "

    - Andrew, 3/28/2012
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I put off reading this book because I've seen lots of bad reviews. I'm glad I finally read it. This book is brilliant! Great characters, great story and beautiful writing. "

    - Katerina, 3/25/2012
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " The entire time I was reading this, I couldn't tell if I hated it or loved it. For those of you who have seen the Silver Linings Playbook, the scene where Pat throws the book out the window is precisely how I felt at the end. Nonetheless, I will be proceeding to the Magician King. "

    - Hannah, 1/29/2012
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Like Harry potter, but with drugs and sex "

    - Rohit, 8/31/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Extremely interesting premise and first half of the book, but it seemed to become incredibly boring and fell back into the cliches which it tried so hard to avoid. Not bad, though. "

    - Kaworu, 5/22/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " It took me some time to get going on this novel, but once I was into it, I loved the story. I wanted to see where Quentin and the rest of the magicians went and how they got there. Really compelling. "

    - Miriam, 5/22/2011
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Lev's writing is beautiful. The story combines magical realism and fantasy, and I dare say that it took a bit of magic to turn out a story this layered and thoughtful and emotionally satisfying. I am looking forward to the sequel, and I'm searching out Codex, Lev's previous work. "

    - Melissa, 5/19/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " liked but didn't love. must be getting old. "

    - Birdy, 5/17/2011
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " I'm ambivalent about this book. Some parts were excellent (the first scene with the Beast freaked me out) but it didn't quite hang together and felt like three books smooshed together. I would have preferred more interesting characters and more world building. "

    - Emily, 5/17/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " This was a good fantasy read - it is definitely it's own unique story although the back cover of the book compares it to a Harry Potter for adults. It is not like Harry Potter. The book really picks up steam toward the end of the story and leaves you hanging - now to wait for the sequel. "

    - Mary, 5/17/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Interesting and a bit strange - sort of like The Chronicles of Narnia mixed with Harry Potter and a bit of gratuitous violence. "

    - Rachel, 5/13/2011
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Stunning, wonderful book. It's a fantasy book for obsessive fans of fantasy, and it's a fantasy book for anyone who dislikes fantasy. I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved it, and I've been waiting for the sequel since the night I stayed up all night to finish reading it. "

    - Jolene, 5/12/2011
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " There were parts of this book that I truly enjoyed, the setting, supporting characters, and overall plot were great; however the main character was not hard to overcome. I was very unhappy with him as a character and his growth (often lack there of) throughout the novel. "

    - Michael, 5/12/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Overall I liked this book. I liked the adventure. I liked it as part thriller, part teenage angst novel. There really isn't one character that I could say I related to or even liked. Each one had some some self imposed agony. "

    - Letty, 5/11/2011
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " I couldn't finish it. Quentin, the main character was a pompous jerk and I was getting tired of his whining. Maybe fantasy isn't my thing; the plot was too slow to arrive and just got too cheesy for me. "

    - Molly, 5/10/2011

About the Author

Lev Grossman is a senior writer and book critic for Time magazine. His books have been New York Times bestsellers, and in 2011, he was awarded the John W. Campbell Award from the World Science Fiction Society. A graduate of Harvard and Yale, he lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters.

About the Narrator

Mark Bramhall has won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, more than thirty AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has repeatedly been named by AudioFile magazine and Publishers Weekly among their “Best Voices of the Year.” He is also an award-winning actor whose acting credits include off-Broadway, regional, and many Los Angeles venues as well as television, animation, and feature films. He has taught and directed at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.