But. I just started reading Lev Grossman's The Magicians.
Some years ago there was a spate of body-switching movies (it's a whole genre at this point, I think there's a new one out now that's being panned). It began with the book Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers in 1972. That was turned into a movie with a young Jodie Foster and so we began. Then one day I heard of a movie, Big, that was coming out. I had a long discussion with my friend, Allen, the fantasy illustrator about it. Why did we need another stupid movie like this. It's been done before. And not well.
Then we saw Big and understood. This is what thinking things through does for an idea. An idea may be good, it may be great, but it can't stand on its own. The writer is there for a reason. And contrary to the Peter Gallagher character in The Player these things really do not write themselves.
Grossman's The Magicians is the demonstration of that. Of thought and skill, ability to handle the language, the ability to see into character not just see character. To read the first page is to know you are in the presence of someone who can write.
Someone will say hey, Potter is for kids and The Magicians is for adults.
And I say So what's your point?
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