The Golem's Eye (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 2)

Customer Reviews

• Another Great Addition to the Bartimaeus Trilogy  Aug 20, 2004 (23 of 24 found this helpful)

  The 2nd book of the Bartimaeus Trilogy, The Golem's Eye, is a satisfying read, if slightly darker in tone. As the other reviews have stated, Bartimaeus' inclusion in the story is smaller, with him and Nathaniel having about thirteen chapters each, and the bulk of the story going to Kitty, who is a member of the Resistance. However, even with my inital disappointment at seeing less of Bartimaeus, Stroud weaves an intricate and complex story that will keep you in suspense toward the end of the book and leave you with more questions than answers.
  
  Also, advancement in character development, for me, made up for the slightly gloomier tone, with all three main characters reaching a turning point in their character growth, the most intriguing one, interestingly, being Bartimaeus.
  
  Speaking of Bartimaeus, even though his chapters are fewer, they are as witty as ever, even funnier than in the last book, so they will not disappoint.
  
  At first it may be a jarring read for those expecting a similar setup as "Amulet", but in my opinion it is still a very enjoyable read, and will make you wait as anxiously for the 3rd book as you did for the second.

• "Eye" watches  Aug 19, 2004 (52 of 61 found this helpful)

  The sharp-tongued djinn of "Amulet of Samarkand" returns in the second book of Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy. It's a solid fantasy romp with some sharp social commentary and chilling wizardry, but it suffers from somewhat less of the delightfully observant Bartimaeus.
  
  It's been two years since budding magician Nathaniel summoned the djinn Bartimaeus, and the two ended up enmeshed in a bizarre conspiracy. Now Nathaniel is working his way up in the world of politics and magic, with the sardonic Bartimaeus as his servant. But then the two end up in another hair-raising adventure -- a golem is attacking people in London, and Nathaniel is trying to find out who sent it, and why.
  
  Meanwhile, the resistance against the magicians is growing, and the golem is supposedly an instrument against the magicians. But that isn't quite the case. Instead, a fiery young resistance member, Kitty, is doing some plotting of a very different sort -- and her plans will bring her neck-to-neck with Nathaniel and Bartimaeus.
  
  Stroud takes readers to a parallel world where England is ruled not by bluebloods, but by wizards. It's not a new idea, but he gives it a new spin by wrapping it in political power as well as magic. If the backstabbing mage's world of the first book wasn't chilling enough, Stroud presents the eerie Night Police in this one.
  
  Stroud's writing is solid and detailed, with plenty of gloomy atmosphere and the occasional hair-raising episode. Perhaps the biggest flaw of this book is that the action more often than not focuses on Nathaniel rather than the cynically lovable Bartimaeus. However, it's to Stroud's credit that he can make the intricate political plotting so interesting, while mixing in some grimly funny magic as well.
  
  Nathaniel is still a flawed anti-hero, like Harry Potter's more ambitious cousin. While he's a passable lead character, the one who really steals all the scenes is Bartimaeus. He doesn't appear nearly enough, but his acerbic observations tend to be right on the money. And Kitty is a more likable person than Nathaniel, with a bit more fire in her personality.
  
  The sequel to "Amulet of Samarkand" suffers from a lack of djinn, but Jonathan Stroud manages to keep it going at a steady pace. "The Golem's Eye" is a creepy fantasy read, for anyone seeking something a bit darker and deeper than Harry Potter.

• A delightful--and even more thought-provoking--sequel  Oct 12, 2004 (14 of 14 found this helpful)

  I consider the first Bartimaeus book to be one of the top five or so novels I have read in the past five years, so the standard it created was exceptionally high. Indeed, one suspects that Stroud felt some nervousness as he wrote and published "The Golem's Eye," as the ceiling effect set by the first novel was bound to set him up for cranky reviewers. And, as one can tell from perusing the other reviews on Amazon, that did in fact occur. Bartimaeus is such a wonderful character that some people did not appreciate the fact that he now shares the scene with two other main characters. And, as a consequence, the biting wit and sarcasm factor of the sequel has been diminished somewhat.
  
  But it is still an excellent book, one that will capture readers' imagination and keep them turning pages way past their bedtimes, children and adults alike. I personally found that the inclusion of Kitty and the corresponding greater emphasis on the Resistance actually contributed greatly to the depth and complexity of the novel. Rather than being yet another children's book about magicians that portrays characters as either rather unidimensional heroes or villians (and yes that means the Harry Potter books), the Bartimaeus trilogy raises and thoughtfully discusses heavier issues, such as the importance of personal liberty, whether there can be such a thing as a benign totalitarian society, and the psychology of the enslaved. Bartimaeus's evolution in thinking in regard to this latter issue is especially intriguing; we see in this sequel his growing awareness of, and weariness with, his fate of always serving as slave to beings who are his intellectual inferiors. Book 3 promises to bring these issues to a head in what will undoubtedly be an explosive conflict between the three main characters. Will Bartimaeus and Kitty join forces? Will Bartimaeus be the first djinni to escape servitude? Will Nathaniel revert course and turn back into a likable person or head even further down the slippery slope toward being a power-hungry magician? Will the Resistance succeed in overthrowing the rule of the magicians?
  
  I hope you're typing furiously, Mr. Stroud. An eager public waits.
  
  Bottom line: Do not let the other reviews opining that the sequel is not as good as the first Bartimaeus book deter you. I'm not sure I agree with that assessment, and even if I did, it would be because I consider the first book to be essentially perfect, and it is hard to improve on perfection.

• Tops The Original  Sep 22, 2004 (32 of 37 found this helpful)

  I didn't think it could be possible, but Jonathan Stroud's second part of his Bartimaeus Trilogy exceeds the greatness of the first book. Denser and much more intricately plotted, the story centers much more on Kitty, the young girl at the center of the Resistance movement, who was seen briefly in "The Amulet..." Set two years later Nathaniel is now working for the government, and becoming quite full of himself.When someting begins to destroy cherished parts of London, Nathaniel is enlisted to uncover what's behind it; A task he can't do without the help of a wise djinni he's used before. Like other reviewers I also wished Bartimaeus had more page time as his role is greatly diminished, but it doesn't detract from what a great book this is. Highly recommended.

• I love these books.  Nov 7, 2004 (9 of 9 found this helpful)

  This is an appeal to all you fantasy-loving adults out there: DO NOT pass this one up just because of the YA label. I am a 23-year-old who has been reading fantasy since I snuck off with my mother's Terry Brooks novels at the age of six, and these are undoubtedly, regardless of label, some of the best fantasy out there right now. Yes, kids can easily read these books, but the deft politics and dry humor will undoubtedly appeal to more adults than just me.
  
  Is this one better than the first? Oh yes. Placed two years after The Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel now has secured a government seat, and is already learning the ins and outs of politics quite well (in his eyes, at least--Bartimaeus sees it very differently). The Resistance is still going strong, and in this book we learn the history of it and get some more information on its key players, most notably Kitty. The book is smart, funny, and fast-paced, mingling backstory and action expertly. Consider it the younger sibling of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell--it's almost like a modern-day version of the same English-magic parallel universe. Do not under any circumstances pass this one up.