The Golem’s Eye
Disney Hyperion, 2004
Fantasy
ISBN: 0786836547
576 pages
Synopsis
The second adventure in the Bartimaeus trilogy finds our young apprentice magician Nathaniel working his way up the ranks of the government, when crisis hits. A seemingly invulnerable clay golem is making random attacks on London. Nathaniel and the all-powerful, totally irreverent djinni, Bartimaeus, must travel to Prague to discover the source of the golem’s power. In the ensuing chaos, readers will chase a dancing skeleton across London’s skyline, encounter the horror of the dreaded Night Police, witness a daring kidnapping, and enter the Machiavellian world of the magician’s government. Eventually, Nathaniel and Bartimaeus have to go head to head with the fearsome golem before the surprise identity of his master is finally revealed.
Critique
I know that this trilogy is regarded as among the best in the business as far as young adult magic books are concerned, and I will admit that it is fairly unique and creates an interesting magical world, albeit closer to true Wiccan or demonic magic than the lighter Harry Potter or Septimus Heap are willing to take on. However, I find myself having an incredibly difficult time getting through the thick prose (and even the clever and fun subnotes written at the bottom) in order to get to the real meat of the story. Barteimaeus and Nathaniel are both great characters, and Bartimeaus is especially fun because even though he’s not the biggest or most powerful demon, he’s certainly clever, and reminds me a lot of Aladdin, which is a character type we could use more of, especially lately since most of our modern heroes seem to be reluctant at best, and are usually petulant and whiney. How boring is that?
Anyway, all that said, the trilogy lives up to all the hype, but I don’t find myself enjoying the read as much as I would anticipate. I recommend this trilogy, but with the caveat that you may find yourself in the same position, wading through the prose in the attempt of getting lost in a fun story.
The other books in this trilogy are The Amulet of Samarkand (book 1), and Ptolemy’s Gate (book 3).
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For the Classroom
Since this text operates in a parallel world with separate cultures, societal issues, natural laws and histories than our own, there’s not much to use as a classroom companion. There are references to actual historical events, but they’re proffered through the lenses of magical influences.
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