fearful symmetry

"He got it now, of course, finally . . . He would never have known the horror of getting what he thought he wanted. He could have spared himself and everybody else the cost of it . . . If there was a moral to the story of Martin Chatwin, that was it in a nutshell. Sure, you can live out your dreams, but it'll only turn you into a monster. Better stay home and do card tricks in your bedroom instead."

lev grossman 

The Magicians