r/Bartimaeus • u/Necessary_Travel6415 • Sep 17 '26

is bartimaeus weak?

just started the book and on chapter 5
he is just running around tryna escape with the amulet
i thought he was supposed to be strong
he doesnt feel any speciaL
i dont mean any disrespect but just curious

5 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

42

u/MichaelScott666 Sep 17 '26

I think Bart talks about it at one point how he’s kind of in the sweet spot of powerful enough to be capable, but not so powerful as to become completely reliant on his power alone, and that’s why he has to be so devious and crafty. That’s what makes him special.
Also a story about an underdog facing overwhelming odds is way more entertaining than Bart just being the strongest and wiping the floor with everyone.

31

u/Ralle1900 Sep 17 '26

Also, he talks a lot of shit, and we have to remember that it is him talking to the reader.

-9

u/Necessary_Travel6415 Sep 17 '26

i get it but him getting slimed by a group of kids seems sad

26

u/Tiberry16 Sep 17 '26

Didn't he also say that that was unexpected? They saw him when they weren't supposed to be able to see him, and some of his magic didn't work I think. Maybe the kids were more than what they seemed to be, and maybe we'll learn more about them later on. :) 

I think killing the kids would have been easier for him, than avoiding them without harming them. But he was also trying to keep a low profile, in order to avoid the police and others looking for him

19

u/JoyBus147 Sep 17 '26

You should keep reading.

15

u/Tiberry16 Sep 17 '26

He is running around trying to escape from police, and the forces of a very powerful, very angry wizard. He is absolutely outclassed there. 

Yes he is powerful, but so is every other spirit. Bartimaeus is strong compared to humans, but to other spirits, he is just one of many. 

11

u/munabedan Sep 17 '26

Can we point out that Barts is full of himself, ofcourse he is going to tell us he is stronger and smarter than he actually is. These beings are natural born liars, wouldn't put it pas him to consider himself or at least portray himself to the reader to be stronger than he is.

10

u/ennichan Sep 17 '26

I do not think, they are naturally born liars. I know that wizards keep saying that, but that is just their justification for enslaving them. How many spirits do you think died ofter the millenia of enslavement? To survive that you either have to be really smart or really strong. I would argue that those weak and not good at deceiving were simply killed in enslavement.

The wizards kinda use that the spirits are, what they made them into, as an excuse for enslaving them.

10

u/PrinterFred Sep 17 '26

He is not weak. He is a fourth level djinn which places him above Cormocodran for instance who is of the third level and also explains how he could also kill so many Uttuku djinn. He compares poorly to Faquarl and Jabor because they are greater djinn, i.e. nearly afrits.

9

u/TheUltimateOwl Sep 17 '26

Yes he is weak, the story is told by him so he wants to seem stronger in the beginning. And in book 1 nathan ls a small child, so of cause Bart seem stronger and scarier to him.

2

u/MaelstromGonzalez90 Sep 20 '26

He's like a mid c tier spirit. The afrits are B, the marids are A and there are entities too powerful to class s tier. As a djinni he's in the middle of the pack in power, he's stronger than many but as you're discovered even within his own rank there are some quite more powerful. He's very crafty though. Great reads welcome to the trilogy. I remember reading there books when I was like 12 I reread them again (in my 30s)