Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke - a Book Review

When Magicians Collide

By DrDevience, published Oct 26, 2007
Published Content: 391  Total Views: 276,641  Favorited By: 113 CPs
Rating: 4.6 of 5
Susanna Clarke's 782-page debut novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, sounded like it would be right up my ally, dealing with magicians in England as it does. At first I was put off quite a bit by the small print, which I found quite hard to read and focus on for any length of time. This made the first half of the book very slow going as she builds her characters. By the middle, however, I was hooked and each page made the book harder and harder to put down. By the end, my initial ugh and feelings of being tortured paid off, and paid off well.

The story is of two magicians. Mr. Norrell wants to bring English magic back into vogue, but he wants to make sure that he is the one in charge of it all and goes about foiling all the other petty magicians of the time. That is to say, if you read books about magic, you called yourself a magician even if you'd never actually cast a spell. Norrell is actually performing magic and set about getting rid of any possible competition... until Jonathan Strange appears on the scene.

Norrell takes Strange in as a student, and pretty much as his best friend. Things happen and the two come to theoretical differences and part ways over it... becoming seemingly bitter enemies. This is where the book starts taking off and sucked me in. Clarke is very good at descriptive prose and had me visualizing everything that was happening with no effort on my part:

Something was standing in the centre of Venice. It could be best described as a black tower of impossible vastness. The base of it seemed to cover several acres. It rose up out of the city into the sky and the top of it could not be seen. From a distance its colour was uniformly black and its texture smooth. But there were moments when it seemed almost translucent, as if it were made of black smoke. One caught glimpses of buildings behind - or possibly even within - it

There are ink drawings by Portia Rosenberg at various intervals, but they didn't quite agree with my own visuals so I didn't pay them much never-mind. For you, they may enhance the experience, they did nothing for me.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke - a Book Review

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

Credit: Bloomsbury

Copyright: Bloomsbury

Takeaways
  • Great descriptions
  • Outstanding ending
  • Footnotes ad nauseum
Comments
Showing Comments 1 - 13 of 13
 
 
:D wonderful review Dr.

Posted on 03/13/2008 at 11:03:57 AM

 
Super review.

Posted on 11/04/2007 at 6:11:00 PM

 
Excellent book review!

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 10:10:00 PM

 
Yeah, well, here's the thing. The review was so good I might even read the book. I have trouble putting books down that I have begun to read; so if I don't like it, and waste hours on it, I will blame you.

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 6:10:00 PM

 
Great review, Doc!

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 3:10:00 PM

 
dont think i could get into this doc

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 2:10:00 PM

 
I have this one and confess it was tough going. I'm glad you gave your take about sticking it out! Great, honest review!

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 1:10:00 PM

 
Sounds intersting but small print and 782 pages? Where would I find the time? Great review.

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 11:10:00 AM

 
Freebies ;)

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 10:10:00 AM

 
How're you sneaking through book reviews?

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 9:10:00 AM

 
I'd have to give up computer time to read this!

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 8:10:00 AM

 
very interesting, and sounds like it's right up your alley...:)

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 8:10:00 AM

 
Sounds like a good read :-) Thanks for the review!

Posted on 10/26/2007 at 6:10:00 AM

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