Title: A Common Language of Desire: The Magicians , Narnia, and Contemporary Fantasy
Abstract: ROBERT OLEN BUTLER WINNER OP THE PULITZER PRIZE for writes about humanity: yearn. We are creatures of this planet. There are superficial yearnings, and are truly deep ones always pulsing beneath, but every second we yearn for something. And inescapably, is art form of human yearning (40). He also writes that, while authors of highbrow, more head-focused literary fiction may have forgotten this fact, Writers who aspire to different kind of fiction-entertainment let's call it, genre fiction--have never forgotten this necessity of character's yearning. [...] You name genre. Every story has character full of (41). In literary circles, desire-driven entertainment fiction like fantasy, Romance, or westerns is treated critically. However, philosopher James K.A. Smith claims that [o]ur identity is shaped by what we ultimately love or what we love as ultimate--what, at end of day, gives us sense of purpose, understanding, and orientation to our being-in-the-world (Desiring 26-27). If that is true, stories that shape reader's desire are of ultimate importance. Rosemary Jackson, critic of fantasy, examines how fantasy is fundamentally a of (2). An excellent contemporary example of this definition is Lev Grossman's recent novel The Magicians (2009), which was well-received critically and popularly (Walker, Hardcover). George R.R. Martin, of Game of Thrones fame, described it as being solidly rooted in traditions of both fantasy and mainstream literary fiction, denying conventional dichotomy between two (Magicians front matter). The Magicians, with its subsequent two volumes that make up Magicians trilogy, is deeply fascinating and influential addition to genre of contemporary fantasy. Grossman's novel reveals some of major shifts that have occurred in genre of fantasy as it departs further from its religious and mythic roots, while asking same questions about desire that have motivated founding authors like C.S. Lewis. Traditionally, genre of fantasy has been understood as stemming from Medieval Romance and fairy tales, and, even further back, from myths and legends of ancients. Dickerson and O'Hara argue that current fantasy writers are part of long tradition dating at least back to Homer, and that The Lord of Rings, ancestor of all later fantasy novels, shows the influence (direct or indirect) of medieval Germanic legend and Romance on all of modern fantasy literature (95, 112). If fantasy stories have common roots with myths, one would expect them to show world to be charged with meaning, and to convey weight and wisdom of ages to new generations (105). However, many current fantasy novels actively disavow and reject influence of myth and mythic understanding of world. Such writers may also reject influence of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, recognized by most critics as founders of modern fantasy genre, and who certainly insist that fantasy is based on medieval understanding of world. Lev Grossman's Magicians, along with works like Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, belong in this category. As member of this set of deconstruction fantasies, The Magicians intends to deconstruct Narnia, borrowing from it for its source material but twisting it for Grossman's own ends. Instead of acknowledging this, however, many critics and reviewers have been quick to emphasize The Magicians's similarities to Harry Potter. Certainly Grossman's books satirically reference Harry Potter, but resemblance is not more than skin deep. When directly asked whether his books are more indebted to Harry Potter or Narnia, Grossman answers, read Harry Potter when I was 30 so I'm into it, but it's not in my DNA. Narnia's very much in my DNA, and I always knew they [my books] were going there (qtd. …
Publication Year: 2017
Publication Date: 2017-03-22
Language: en
Type: article
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