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Loading... Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (2004)by Susanna Clarke
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Incredibly captivating from beginning to end, Clarke's world is rich and deep. I was hooked from the first 50 pages and it never stopped being fascinating. This is the rare book that unquestionably lives up to the hype. ( ![]() Overall, this was fun to read. A mix of history and pseudo-history. It reminded me of "Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies" at times how it mixed manners with magic much like PP&Z did. The ending was a little anti-climactic to me and there were other better endings I feel. But it was still enjoyable. This book is truly delightful. Written in the Victorian style Jude the Obscure or the novels of the Austen's, without falling into the trap of just simplistically spoofing the genre ala Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Not just the use of language, but also the pacing, characterization, narrative structure, and over-arching themes are carefully chosen to help maintain the illusion of a period; the author's careful research of and familiarity with the time period and its literature is apparent. Even the art has the appropriate period 'feel'. Fans of epic fantasy may be a little dissatisfied as it is consequently lacking some of the tropes they may be looking for (I.e. No systematized magic, no clear heroes journey, etc.), and besides fans of Victorian lit, fans of some of the more 'naturalistic' fantasy from before the turn of the century, especially where it sometimes crosses over with the weird fiction genre (some of the authors Lovecraft discusses in Supernatural Horror in Literature for example) will probably also really enjoy this book. If your not looking for a slow building, character driven, mystical story, I would avoid this, as I can see it being a long slog for those looking for more action. Here's what I wrote in 2008 about this read: "Quite a very, very long read. Began on vacation in July, 2007; did not finish until October (although, admittedly, the 2nd half of 2007 was quite challenging and full). Magic is revived in England, by Mr. Strange and Jonathan Strong, in time to influence the Napoleonic Wars. Interesting reading; one wonders if the book would have been successful if not for Harry Potter-ism." Powerful, if somewhat slow. I loved the complexity of the universe and the artfulness of the language. But mostly I loved the continuous wonder that magic induces in the reader and in the characters. One of the few real magic books out there.
Her deftly assumed faux-19th century point of view will beguile cynical adult readers into losing themselves in this entertaining and sophisticated fantasy. Many charmed readers will feel, as I do, that Susanna Clarke has wasted neither her energies nor our many reading hours. Susanna Clarke, who resides in Cambridge, England, has spent the past decade writing the 700-plus pages of this remarkable book. She's a great admirer of Charles Dickens and has produced a work every bit as enjoyable as The Pickwick Papers, with more than a touch of the early Anne Rice thrown in for good measure. "Move over, little Harry. It’s time for some real magic." A chimera of a novel that combines the dark mythology of fantasy with the delicious social comedy of Jane Austen into a masterpiece of the genre that rivals Tolkien. ContainsHas the (non-series) sequelHas the adaptationInspiredAwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
In nineteenth-century England, all is going well for rich, reclusive Mr Norell, who has regained some of the power of England's magicians from the past, until a rival magician, Jonathan Strange, appears and becomes Mr Norrell's pupil. No library descriptions found. |
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![]() GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
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