Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (2004)

_Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell_ falls under the obscure category of realistic historical fantasy. It's probably the best-known and best example of the subgenre. I use the term to mean a story which is set in a period which is mostly consistent with history, except for added fantastic elements. My own _The Magic Battery_ is a more obscure example, and Susanna Clarke's novel significantly influenced it. I realized this when I reread it in 2020. My first reading of it was so long ago I'd forgotten most of it. It's still as enjoyable as it was then.

A problem in realistic historical fantasy is making the lack of historical divergence plausible. Shouldn't a world where people can do magic be very different from ours? Clarke handles this by positing that no one has performed any magic in England for centuries. Medival history was significantly different, but the worlds have converged since then. The Duke of Wellington, George III, and Lord Byron play significant roles, and they're very close to their real-life counterparts.

The book may seem intimidating at first. It's over 800 pages long, and it's written in the style of the early 19th century, with period spellings. But I found it a fairly quick read for its length. The number of characters isn't overwhelming, and the plot isn't too complex. Much of the interest lies in the characters and the atmosphere.

The two main characters are the ones in the title. They're the first practicing magicians in England in centuries, but they're opposites in personality. Norrell is a control freak, determined to single-handedly direct the revival of English magic. He isn't at all sociable. Strange is more pleasant, and he travels around Europe while Norrell stays shut up in his home.

Early in the novel, Norrell reluctantly consents to raise a woman from the dead. That kind of magic has a high cost in any fantasy story, and in this one it sets events in motion that threaten the fate of Britain.

The novel was a huge success when it first came out, and it still stands up well. I recommend it to anyone interested in both history and fantasy. ( )

Fantastic. ( )

Took me forever to read, but a VERY clever masterpiece ( )

https://imgur.com/a/pYu6m5H ( )

Re-read, 11/11/18:

The only real review for this book is one that fully experiences it from the inside. In other words, take the roads, listen to the rocks, and above all, DON'T TRUST THE FARIES.

This was a classic when I first read it and it's just as good on any re-read. That's why I put this in my top-100 list. :) It will stand the test of time.

Let's fight with Wellington and defeat Napoleon with magic! Let's get into major trouble, get majorly paranoid, and do it with arrogance and style!

Above all, this is a buddy novel that starts really rocky, continues worse, ends in mistrust, and yet, is quintessentially English. In other words, polite and often uplifting. :)

Brilliant book. I think it will always be. :) ( )