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Dec 17, 2009

Ian rated it:

This book had some ground to make up to begin with because after checking its copyright date, all I could think was, "It's a book...about a magic apprentice...in England...written after Harry Potter." And that meant that I was skeptical, although not to the degree that I thought the main character would be named Barry Cotter or something.

Well, there is one big way in which it's like Harry Potter...

...I stayed up all night reading it.

This is a FANTAST More...

6 comments like (51 people liked it)

May 06, 2008

Judith rated it:

If the quality of a book rested solely on its plot, this would be an excellent novel. The general plot is, of course, standard fantasy fare (save the world!) but its details and the world built to drive it is unique. Also, there appears to be a second plot running under the main one which will obviously be continued in the later books, and this plot seems much more promising.

Story-wise, this first installment in The Bartimaeus Trilogy is respectably good. However, the writing failed More...

13 comments like (22 people liked it)

Feb 04, 2008

Alice rated it:

I really loved this book, the first of the Bartimaeus Trilogy.

It's tempting to compare the book to the Harry Potter series. Young boy. Magic. Sneaking around. Breaking the rules. Stern teachers. But the similarities really end there.

In Stroud's world, magicians have no power of their own - their power lies in the knowledge of how to summon (and enslave) spirits, like the djinni Bartimaeus, to do their will. These magicians are the proud, arrogant, entitled uppercla More...

0 comments like (10 people liked it)

Sep 18, 2009

Leah rated it:

Such a wise-cracking djinn, such a tiny, jerkish upstart. You will absolutely devour this book. It's hilarious. Told from the very different viewpoints of Bartimaeus ( a smart-aleck djinn who has lived thousands of years and has nothing to show for it but an I rock you don't attitude) and Nathaniel (12 year old jerkwad apprentice whose lifelong dream is to be a huge im portant government official and have millions of obedient djinn slaves at his fingertips. Bartimaeus isn't making it easy for hi More...

0 comments like (10 people liked it)

Nov 20, 2010

Robin rated it:

I was given this book by my husband because I was feeling a bit overwelmed by a number of large fantasy reads I had on my TBR file. I had just read a number of "smaller" works and really enjoyed them.

I was instantly captivated by this book. The begining is one of the most creative starts I've seen in a long time. I loved the humor of Bartimaeus and immediately got an impression of the character and I loved is Bravado.

I found the footnotes entertaining - I know More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jun 10, 2008

erry rated it:

Cerita berawal dari kisah seorang anak kecil yang karena kepolosan dan sifat kekanak-kanakannya, tanpa sadar melibatkan diri pada sebuah konspirasi berbahaya. Karena tak terima atas perlakuan yang dia terima, Nathaniel memanggil jin berusia 5000 tahun-Bartimaeus- dan memerintahkannya untuk mencuri amulet samarkand milik Simon Lovelace.

Plot cerita yang berjalan cepat serta kepandaian penulis dalam menggunakan sudut pandang orang pertama sangat menarik. Cerita ini menggunakan dua sudut More...

34 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 21, 2008

Dahlia rated it:

Oke, mungkin ini bakal jadi review panjang pertama g akibat kesalahan fatal merapal mantra penolak review (hehehe…tetep!)

Cerita ini berawal dari Nathaniel seorang bocah yang masih dalam tahap latihan sihir memanggil jin berumur 5000 tahun bernama Bartimaeus. Jin ini dipanggil untuk memenuhi keinginan kanak-kanak balas dendam Nathaniel karena telah dipermalukan di depan publik oleh Simon Lovelace dengan cara mencuri Amulet Samarkand. Tanpa disangka, amulet tersebut melibatkan Nathani More...

24 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 17, 2009

Femmy rated it:

I love this book! A djinn with an attitude (who had me constantly chuckling to myself), and a boy bent on revenge. Great characters, fast-paced action, fully-realized world with a cool magic system, what more could you want?

What I appreciate most, though, is that the characters face real danger. None of that false suspense -- you know, like the ones you see on movies/television like Prison Break. Apologies for the fans, but it really irked me whenever Michael Scofield is in the tunne More...

12 comments like (5 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2010

Harun Harahap rated it:

Bagi anda yang cerdas dan berpengalaman namun ingin mempunyai karakter tambahan seperti: Narsis, Angkuh, Cerewet, Sinis dan Sarkastik. Bacalah buku ini. Pelajarilah dengan seksama bagaimana cara Bartimeus, tokoh super dalam buku ini, berpikir, berbicara dan bertingkah laku. Aplikasikanlah dalam hidup anda dan Anda akan mempunyai karakter-karakter tersebut diatas dengan sempurna.

111 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 18, 2010

Jeff rated it:

I enjoyed the writing style of Jonathan Stroud. Most young adult authors have one style and one perspective. I found the voice of Bartimaeus hilarious and the highlight of the book. The footnotes were odd at first but after getting to know the demon it just fit.
Because of Barttimaeus' style it overshadowed Nathaniel's chapters. Some of them were almost dull and at the beginning I found myself irritated when I saw I had another "Nathaniel" chapter to read.
It could have don More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jul 27, 2008

Riley rated it:

Incredible! Well done Jonathon Stroud! You have put the most incredible twist on the world of fantasy. This amazing story will take you through an adventure that takes the world of magic and puts it into an entirely new perspective

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 06, 2011

Zach rated it:

Maybe I'm feeling slightly defensive, but I honestly believe some of the best books written today are in the childrens/young adult section. Well, the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud is a book that fits completely into the great books written for children. This is one of my favorite childrens book of all time, primarily because of the great characterization of its protagonist, Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus lives in a world where magicians gain their power not from magic, but rather controlling o More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 11, 2012

Amanda rated it:

The Amulet of Samarkand is a fun, unique adventure with one of the most funny & clever main characters I've read about in a while. Bartimaeus. He definitely steals the show, and he's pretty much the best part of this book.

The main story of The Amulet of Samarkand is about Nathaniel, a young magician apprentice who summons a djinni, Bartimaeus. Magic in this book is a little different than the norm. Magicians don't actually have power, but they can summon demons to do things for the More...

7 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 07, 2010

Rauf rated it:

One by one some of my Goodreads friends got bewitch'd by this book.
And I could see why.

Now, the book took us into an odd world.
Like the setting. The magicians drove cars and used laptop and it got me thinking, Was this set in present day London or did Stroud go steampunk in this one? Due to the lack of steam-engines and other steam-based technologies, I reckon the setting was present day London.

The magicians in this book didn't have magical power. Their magic More...

10 comments like (4 people liked it)

Aug 18, 2008

Katie rated it:

So I guess the Harry Potter series has ruined me and I only have a taste for young adult fantasy novels--they are just so much more fun than reading serious and depressing adult books. I read this after finishing the "His Dark Materials" series, and it was a nice change from that series because "His Dark Materials" was pretty serious--it was a good read, but there wasn't a lot of humor. About half of the book is narrated by Bartimaeus, a "djinn" (or demon) who is More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Mar 06, 2008

Angela rated it:

This is a difficult book to rate: It was very well-written, with an intriguing plot and engaging wit. That being said, I must admit that it was more frustrating than enjoyable for me.

The main problem was that I disliked both of the main characters: one is a wily demon (Bartimaeus), and the other is a 12-year-old kid who is way too smart for his own good (Nathaniel). I think you'd get a similar result if you paired C.S. Lewis's Screwtape with Rowling's Draco Malfoy. Don't get me w More...

2 comments like (10 people liked it)

Jan 08, 2009

R.j. rated it:

An extremely action-packed, high-stakes adventure featuring a downtrodden young magician and the arrogant but likeable djinn who serves him. Stroud does a good job of making his main characters Nathanael and Bartimaeus flawed and allowing them to make some serious mistakes while still keeping them at least potentially likeable. I did find that the near-constant action wore on me after a while and that some episodes felt a bit like padding, but it all paid off in the end. Some intriguing loose th More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 09, 2009

Destinee rated it:

This series (a trilogy beginning with The Amulet of Samarkand) was just meant to be an HP rebound for me, but I ended up really caring about it. Like the Great Rowling, Stroud's really good at making serious ethical questions exciting by giving them a magical spin; but where Harry is a sympathetic character that has greatness thrust upon him, Nathaniel is a total douche most of the time. It'd be like HP following Draco Malfoy's moral development. Also, in many ways this series is a bit more soph More...

5 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 15, 2008

Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it:

I have to admit: I picked up this book because I had nothing else to read, and it had been lying around in my room for a year. I had started reading it once, but had given up after the first chapter. The beginning is a little boring, but it gets a lot more exciting as it goes along--I'm glad that I gave this book a second chance, because I actually really liked it. Bartimaeus is a great character with a consistent, humorous tone. He's sort of annoying, but somehow appealing at the same time. I f More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 15, 2009

WK rated it:

It was interesting to have this slightly different viewpoint of the world of magic and the authors wit is enjoyable. I had the added advantage of listening to the audiobook and the narrator, Simon Jones, was wonderful (he sounded just like Sebastian Cabot).

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 26, 2008

Bettie rated it:

Sucked in right from the first summoning... dog walking is fun with beautiful forestal scenery and a damn fine book. This unabridged listen was seen off in one fourteen hour session because I just could not bear to break off for a moment (please note my eye baggage today hehehehe)

Many giggle-worthy one-liners from this sardonic djinni and I smirked at the skewed ancient history references, especially use of the Santorini/Atlantis theory and Thutmoses III command of a spirit army.
More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2009

Mabenalex rated it:

Imagine that there is a world ruled by magicians. This story takes place in Britain. There are two kinds of people in this world, Magicians, treated to rank, and commoners. There are seven planes of the earth, the first is the one we see, the others let you see magical threats. Magician lenses, which they wear all the lime, let you see planes 1-4, getting blurrier as you go. All the power of magicians are because of demons or spirits. You would summon a demon by drawing a pentacle(a star with 2 More...

0 comments like

Jan 25, 2009

Mary Ann rated it:

What better way to hook the kids who grew up on Harry Potter than by showing them how the government is really ruled by power-hungry magicians? Then throw into the mix, a young magician in training who is determined not to be taken advantage of. Jonathan Stroud has created just such a world in his Bartimaeus trilogy: The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye, and Ptolemy's Gate.

The book takes place in London, where the Prime Minister and all the members of Parliament are powerful magi More...

0 comments like

Jan 14, 2009

Ryan added it

In the Amulet of Samarkand, there is a boy named Nathaniel who becomes a young magician. Nathaniel is the Apprentice of Mr.Underwood, the assistant minister at Internal Affairs. Mr. Underwood doesn't show much interest in Nathaniel. One night, Arther had a gathering of magicians at his house where Nathaniel was interrogated by Simon Lovelace. Nathaniel was angry about they way he was being treated, so he sent a sleet of Mites after Lovelace. Doing this caused Nathaniel to be beat up by Lovelace' More...

0 comments like

Jan 21, 2012

Msouth rated it:

I read this while looking for things for my middle grade/teenage boys to read after they had run out of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

It isn't the kind of series where you can say "If you liked those other series, you'll like this one." What you can say is "If your favorite thing about Harry Potter was the explanation in the seventh book about how the magic that Harry's mother used to save his life worked and its relationship with what Harry did in the seventh book, More...

0 comments like

Jan 20, 2012

Kristin rated it:

I bought this book many years ago when it came out. For one reason or another I lost my copy never finishing it. Now many years later I was offered a chance to read it for review. Two days later here I am. This book was wonderful! It combined the best parts of several other series and twisted them to make it it's own. The main character is Nathaniel a 12 (10 at the start of the book) year old boy whose parents forfeit him to a magicians adoption service in exchange for money. Which as awful as i More...

0 comments like

Jan 11, 2012

Mike rated it:

If his superior prose and descriptions didn't do it, Stroud's unique way of telling the story really captivated me.

The human protagonist is a magician's apprentice, but not like Harry Potter. There's no school with lots of friends, admirers, and games to help him through the bad times. No he only has his lessons and the small room in the attic. It provides time to brood and practice magic he shouldn't.

It turns out that magicians, who now run the world, are not the nicest More...

0 comments like

Nov 30, 2011

Nealw rated it:

This is a YA book that was recommended to me by a Children's Programs librarian. I fell in love with it right from the start. I acctually listened to the audio book, wonderfully by Simon Vance. He completely captured the voice of each character.
The story is about a young boy being trained as a wizard in a London very much like today's - only wizardry and magic work there. But this isn't anything like the other English boy wizard. Nathaniel is impatient to learn and studies ahead in books More...

0 comments like

Nov 09, 2011

Sabrina rated it:

The amulet of Samarkand is the brilliant fantasy written by Jonathan Stroud, and is the first book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy. My personal rating, and my most honest opinion of this book would be an absolute 5 stars out of 5 stars, and such a rating would be modest. As the author was meticulous in detail, witty and though it is intentionally confusing at the begging it later leads into a completely fluent and entertaining novel. In this book it is as though modern day society met the most sinist More...

0 comments like

Sep 27, 2011

Hasewue rated it:

Der 12-jährige Zauberlehrling Nathanael beschwört ohne das Wissen seines Meisters Arthur Underwood den mächtigen Dschinn Bartimäus damit dieser das Amulett von Samarkand aus dem Besitz des geheimnisvollen und gefährlichen Zauberers Simon Lovelace zu stehlen. Für Nathanael stellt diese Aktion zunächst einen Racheakt an Lovelace dar, der ihn vor einigen Jahren aufs äußerste demütigte. Bald jedoch merken Nathanael und Bartimäus, dass Lovelace nicht nur Dreck am Stecken hat, sondern auch noch zur tö More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

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