Also, the reveal that the Fillory writer – the alt! C. S. Lewis – was a pedophile went beyond anvillicious and into cement truck.

Did Lev Grossman and Philip Pullman have one of those Heinleinian bets on as to who could write the crappier response to the Chronicles of Narnia? Because I used to think The Amber Spyglass held the monopoly on that very undesirable field, but now I realize there is some impressive competition.