Jan 06, 2010 08:25 PM
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Introduction
Searching through my library for fantasy fiction, the cover of The Amulet of Samarkand, the first book of The Bartimaeus Trilogy caught my attention.
The Plot
A young boy Nathaniel is told that he has the qualities of a magician and he would need to quit his family and join a senior magician as an apprentice. Soon he get’s his master Arthur Underwood who is working in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Shortly, his education as a magician begins.
Though Nathaniel is initially excited, he is frustrated by the slow progress of his education and the brutish treatment meted out by his master. One fine day, his master has some visitors and introduces Nathaniel to him. The guests especially Mr. Lovelace goad Nathaniel and leave him feeling really humiliated. He is also frustrated at the lack of support given by his master.
In a bid to avenge himself, Nathaniel summons a demon, Bartimaeus and gets him to steal a prized possession of Mr. Lovelace i.e. The Amulet of Samarkand. This sets in motion a set of actions beyond the wildest imagination of Nathaniel and results in the death of his master and his family.
Seething in anger and frustration, Nathaniel wants revenge against Lovelace. He seeks the support of Bartimaeus to help in his mission. Does he succeed? What is the power of The Amulet of Samarkhand? Check out this first novel in The Bartimaeus Trilogy for the details.
Critic’s Viewpoint
As soon as I started to read this novel, I got a similar sensation as I felt when I read the first book of the Harry Potter series. Here again there is a small boy getting to terms with the fact that he is a magician. But, the major difference between the HP series and this series is the fact that in this case the magicians themselves are powerless and only the spirits have the powers. Also, the world of magicians is a dark world full of treachery, greed and ambition.
The other thing which I liked about this book was the way it is written with narratives both from the boy Nathaniel and his demon Bartimaeus. So on the one hand you get a viewpoint of someone who is naïve and is getting used to a new world and tries to react to what he sees. On the other hand you have the viewpoint of someone who has been around for thousands of years and understands what is happening in and around him. Between the two of them they manage to give a more holistic view to the story than would have been possible from one viewpoint alone.
Though the story is quite dark, there are numerous killings in the novel(in the HP series, there were hardly any murders in the first couple of books), there is an element of humor which seems to mask the darkness of the novel. Especially the sarcastic views of Bartimaeus on the scheming and power hungry world of magicians. Also, when Bartimaeus narrates the story, there are numerous footnotes which give a more in depth view into the history of the Djinns and spirits.
Summary
I found this book a very good start to a series in fact as I mentioned I felt a flashback of HP repeating itself. I just hope the follow up books can keep up this magic.
I would give this book a 5 star rating for the novel way of presenting two view points and an good plot.
About the Author
Jonathan Stroud has studied English Literature at York University and started his career as an editor in a publishing firm. Stroud lives in St. Albans with his wife and small daughter. The other books in The Bartimaeus Trilogy are The Golem’s Eye and Ptolemy’s Gate. A film based on The Amulet of Samarkand is in the pipeline shortly.
