The Magicians

(Very general spoilers)

“The Magicians” was an interesting twist on portal fantasy. Ordinarily, I don't like the genre because it has been done so many times and I can never stand how the hero always has to, or even wants to, go home at the end of the story. This book uses the “be careful what you wish for” trope in a unique way. I enjoy how Quentin gradually gets all the things he never thought possible, up to and including the portal fantasy of his dreams, and finds all of them eventually give way to the mundane. While Quentin is frequently an unlikable character and untrustworthy point of view, I did identify with his drive to succeed even if he wasn't particularly passionate about the avenue of success. He's driven, but every destination he reaches just drives him right back out. I've heard some people call it an allegory for academia, but I think it's a broader metaphor than that. To me, it's the idea that anything, no matter how wonderful, unique, or unbelievable, can become mundane with enough time.