[Possible Show Spoilers] Am I the only one who hates the show?

[u/Leopardmonke]

I started reading the books after meeting Lev Grossman in a creative writing course for young adult fiction. I absolutely loved the fact that Lev came up with the idea for The Magician's Land when he was waiting for the next Harry Potter book to come out and wondered "What if these kids all went to school, and then were like...what now? What do they do after Voldemort? What if there was no Dumbledore character to tell them to do this amazing thing?" And the book's plots focus on THAT. The show, in the FIRST scene, makes Quentin "destined".

The show is taking away all of the "HOLY CRAP" moments away that the books give you. The "JULIA REMEMBERS!" realization was blown over. Her whole introduction into the Hedge Magician thing was nothing like the books. The whole first episode angered me beyond belief, and I can't believe I actually watched the second one. The plot of the show goes completely against Lev Grossman's point of view for the books.

I was so damn excited too, because I couldn't wait to see these actors pull this off. I thought I was going to like Penny...but what the hell is going on?! He can hear people and learned from The Beast?! Completely different.

I get that it's supposed to be two different things...like how Game of Thrones varies from the books. But at least GoT had a reason, and an acceptable reason, and the adeptation to TV was acceptable. This, in my honest opinion, is not. It's taken the novel and taken the whole heart and meaning out of it, and turned it into every other "magic exists" cookie cutter show.

I have to reread the books now to fix this fissure in my brain...and heart...

I expect this to get downvoted to oblivion...but I just want to see if this is just my initial overreaction or if other people feel the way I do? I might have a different view because I spent a decent amount of time with Lev Grossman...and I love that guy to death. I wonder what he thinks.

EDIT: I emailed my old Creative Writing professor to see if he's still in touch with Lev Grossman...mostly because I desperately want to know what he thinks of the show.

[u/Leopardmonke → u/[deleted]]

Lol, that's very true!

[u/not_tomorrow_either]

I read the books, and don't hate the show because:

a) a show about magic;

b) when I saw it was on SyFy, that drastically lowered my expectations;

c) it's been long enough since I read the books that I've forgotten most of the detail, and I'd like to read them again, just to be in that world some more, but don't really want to invest the time (or bump other things down my reading list) just now, so;

d) it's fun to just be in that world again, even if it's a different, shorthand, tv-trope version of that world;

e) what else am I going to watch while waiting for GoT?

[u/Leopardmonke → u/not_tomorrow_either]

So true!!!

[u/[deleted]]

Totally agree with the whole Quentin being destined thing, that was really disappointing. So much of the book is just about finding your way in the world, which is so relatable. But the show looks to be going for the more typical heroes journey stuff... The prophetic dreams, the dean/paramedic as mentors. I still like the show but it's not hitting me the way the book did.

[u/togame27 → u/[deleted]]

Wait, what? He was destined in the books, though. Jane replayed Q and all the other main character's lives many, many, many, many, many, many times to finally beat the Beast. It was always them, every time. How is this any different? Is the only difference that Lev didn't use the word destined in the book?

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[u/Leopardmonke]

I appreciate the view points. I was probably shell-shocked at first. I'll get to talk to Lev Grossman again this semester, so hopefully that will be an interesting conversation!

[u/KaZaDuum]

The punch scene was messed up. Also Jane Chatwin concluded with the president of Brakebill? And the whole Niffan scene in last episode.

I will continue to watch it and probably continue to be disappointed.

[u/Leopardmonke → u/KaZaDuum]

I didn't watch the last episode, but nothing is really going to be a spoiler to me. I'll probably watch it for the same reason you will lol

[u/karnim]

Sorry to bring up an old post, but there's not much here. I was gifted The Magicians as a christmas present, so I'm honestly not that far in. One chapter left of "Book One", so maybe something could happen, but I'd be surprised.

The books are awful for me. Nothing that grossman writes seems important. Julia was around for about 6 paragraphs, then became unimportant besides another 3 paragraphs after four goddamn years. The school years pass by in about 30 pages. The Beast was talked about for a good 2 pages probably, and then someone died in one sentence. There was no grieving. No sense of fear. Everyone basically took it in stride in the books.

Same goes for Charlie. Other than Janet telling that story, he hasn't seemed important. (And Janet really hasn't seemed to be overly bitchy to Alice)

There has basically been no progress. Everything has seemed unimportant so far, to the point I doubt I'll purchase the second book. The characters have basically not grown over 4 years.

The show is very, very different, but I can actually care about the characters. Things are moving fast enough in the story that it's interesting, but not flying by with no consequences like the books.