Best books ... chosen by Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman is Time magazine’s book critic and the author of The Magicians, a novel about a secret college for students of magic. Below, he lists his choices for &lsq
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (HarperCollins, $7). A shoo-in. Whether you’re young or old, Christian or whatever, Lewis’ tale of children crossing from one world to another—and discovering their power there—is pure Turkish Delight: The more you read, the more you want.
The Once and Future King by T.H. White (Ace, $8). Underrated to this day. White brought the story of King Arthur—the ultimate English epic—out of its medieval crypt and breathed life and power back into it in a modern idiom. Even his second lead, Lancelot, is a tragic masterpiece: a passionate lover of God whose very passion makes God cast him down.
Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories (Dark Horse, seven volumes, $13 each). Two men. One big, one small. One brutal, one subtle. Both haunted and hardened by their tragic pasts. Leiber writes high fantasy with a touch of the Shakespearean, but his heroes are pure hard-boiled noir. A founding work in American fantasy.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (Mariner, $20). I was never a Tolkien fanatic, but he is indisputably the first and greatest of the great modern fantasy-world builders. The mines of Moria alone would put him on this list: “The Dwarves delved too greedily and too deep ...”
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury, $16). Two 19th-century English sorcerers and their troubled frenemy-ship, rendered in gorgeous, bittersweet Regency prose. Clarke’s novel reads like the work of one who has seen magic done, for real, in front of her, and has come to tell you about it. This is one of the first masterpieces of the 21st century in any medium.
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link (Harvest, $14). If I had to pick the most powerfully original voice in fantasy today, it would be Kelly Link. Her stories begin in a world very much like our own, but then, following some mysterious alien geometry, they twist themselves into something fantastic and, frequently, horrific. You won’t come out the same person you went in.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Sarah Langan recommends 6 women-centric horror books
Feature The horror novelist recommends works by Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Amanda Montell's 6 favorite books that will expand your knowledge
Feature The linguist recommends works by Mary Roach, Alice Carrière, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Rowan Beaird recommends 6 compelling books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Stephen Graham Jones' 6 scary books with deeper meanings
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Sara Gran, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Keith O'Brien's 6 must-read books about significant moments in sports history
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Laura Hillenbrand, Jonathan Eig and more
By The Week US Published
-
Lauren Oyler's favorite collection of essays that will leave you deep in thought
Feature The author recommends works by Elif Batuman, Mark Greif, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Rebecca Serle's 6 favorite books about interpersonal relationships
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by J.D. Salinger, Dolly Alderton, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Cristina Henríquez's 6 popular books with historical themes
Feature The novelist recommends works by Min Jin Lee, Kurt Vonnegut, and more
By The Week US Published