Point of View

Lev Grossman tells his novel “The Magicians” in the third-person limited-omniscient narrative mode, centered around the life and actions of main character and principal protagonist, Quentin Coldwater. The third-person narrative mode allows the narrator not only to follow the life and actions of Quention, but allows the narrator to probe the minds and considerations of other characters as well, adding additional layers of depth to the novel, and dimension to the characters themselves. The limited-omniscient perspective puts the reader at the level of a character, learning and understanding so much only as the characters learn and understand things. The limited-omniscient perspective also lends a sense of mystery and suspense to the novel, in that the readers do not know everything, or what is going to happen next.

Language and Meaning

Lev Grossman tells his novel “The Magicians” in language that is simple and straightforward. This...