Jeff 's Reviews > Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Imagine Charles Dickens figuring out how to master the time/space continuum, managing to make his way into our present, and briefly discussing his masterwork, Hard Times, with J. K. Rowling. The result being this huge-assed, yet entertaining tome on British magic. Way to go, Boz and thanks!!

Is this for real, Jeff?

Not really random Goodreader. I had too much coffee this morning and my mind is racing like a sports car driven by Danica Patrick.

This book does kind of hit several literary sweet spots with me: Historical Fiction (waves to the Duke of Wellington and that walking horn ball poet, Lord Byron), Fantasy and a terrific sense of humor on the part of Susanna Clarke.

The skinny: After centuries, English magic - long dormant - is being revived by a peevish asshat named Mr. Norrell. He wants to be THE one and only English magician and will spare nothing to block any one else interested in pulling rabbits from hats or doing card tricks. He reluctantly takes on a pupil, Jonathon Strange. Their magic helps kick Napoleon’s ass. There’s an evil, creepy faerie – kind of like a lethal obsessive powdered wig wearing Loki. He has his own agenda.



And the great and powerful Raven King. Always the Raven King.

Sounds great and it was for the most part, except:

This starts off rather slowly – like a rollercoaster that takes its sweet-assed time getting up the first ascent – hanging on Clarke’s wit to keep the plot moving along. After the first descent and some frequent lunch losing swervings and such, the book takes off.



As a lazy reader, I always welcome any sort of illustrations in books – especially 1000 page books - because I can jump ahead a few pages and feel a sense of accomplishment. However, the art here was of the murky – just – what – heck – is – that variety. Hey, I read graphic novels and know a thing or two about art. (view spoiler)[ I actually know very little about art, so "murky". Shaddup! (hide spoiler)]
Where the hell were the Brothers Hildebrandt?

F**king footnotes!!!



As a concept, I can understand why Clarke footnoted the crap out of this book (quoting fake magic texts to give her book verisimilitude and suck the reader into the imaginary world), but if there’s ever a literary device that can grind any reading momentum to a halt, its half-page footnotes. A bunch of ‘em.

My advice: skip over them.

I hated typing in foot notes when I did school papers and I wish a pox on the family of the dude who invented the footnote.

Still, the book has tons to recommend for the right reader – the ending is the cat’s pajamas – the characters are beautifully fleshed out - just stay with it after the spotty beginning.