In the Hugo-award winning, epic New York Times Bestseller and basis for the BBC miniseries, two men change England’s history when they bring magic back into the world.In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England – until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity.Another practicing magician … celebrity.
Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell’s pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France.
But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wild, most perilous forms of magic, and he soon risks sacrificing his partnership with Norrell and everything else he holds dear.
Susanna Clarke’s brilliant first novel is an utterly compelling epic tale of nineteenth-century England and the two magicians who, first as teacher and pupil and then as rivals, emerge to change its history.
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I adore this book. I’ve not been fortunate enough to meet the author, but if I do, I can only hope I don’t slobber all over her. I consider this novel to be a towering achievement. It’s a masterpiece. Let me tell you why.
I’ve always loved stories set in the Regency or the Victorian era. That’s why, in my late teens, I devoured everything written by Dickens and Austen. I also enjoy tales of magic and old-fashioned Fairy stories. So this book came up on my radar the moment it was published, but I didn’t read it because it’s about two magicians in an alternate England. I assumed no author could possibly pull off such a tall order. How wrong I was!
I know very little about Susanna Clarke, but I can tell you this: the woman’s scholarship is impeccable. Her knowledge of Regency customs, patterns of speech, attitudes, and the way she interweaves this firm foundation with her own gossamer history of a Northern England ruled by the Raven King is simply breathtaking. Never while reading (or listening to the magnificent audio edition read by Simon Prebble) did I ever feel jolted out of early 1800s. It’s simply perfect in tone, setting, and historical details.
The book begins with Mr. Norrell, a reclusive little gentleman with a very high opinion of himself, revealing to the country that he is a practicing magician. Soon he is the toast of London, and Parliament wishes to use him in the war against Napoleon. Mr. Norrell is quite content to hoard his knowledge and secrets, but then a second magician arises: the fashionable, self-mocking, worldly Jonathan Strange. England is more than happy to welcome two practitioners of magic. But an encounter with a wicked Fairy sets off a chain of events that transforms England beyond anything either man can imagine.
If what I’ve written sounds intriguing, give the book (and/or the audio) a try. I consider it one of the finest novels I’ve ever read.
One of my favorite books is currently discounted! This is a tour de force. It can be a bit dry at times but builds subtly to some amazing crescendos. I really like Clarke’s approach to the nature of magic and the way the fairy world interacts with the human one. I’ve seen the dialogue compared to Jane Austen’s, which feels pretty apt.
This is probably my favorite book to read (and re-read) in the winter as well as being one of my favorite books in general. The miniseries is also quite good if you’ve read the book.
I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars.
At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England’s history. Mr. Norrell is reclusive and guarded, Jonathan Strange is more open and drawn to the wilder forms of magic. Eventually their partnership becomes strained. Jonathan becomes more daring in his magic and risks losing everything he holds dear.
This book follows the lives of two magicians, Mr. Norrell and his student, Jonathan Strange. At an eye popping 1006 pages (paperback), this book pretty much gives every last detail of their journey both together and separately. Included in the story is a long list of characters that add to it and make it one of the best books I have read in a long time. Sounds good right? Of course! But here’s the thing: Would I recommend this book? Well, that depends. Since it reads more like a historical fiction with footnotes included (yes, there are footnotes….lots of them), I cannot say I would recommend it to just anyone. So I’ll put it this way….If you are looking for a quick read (see 1006 pages above) with some magic included, a few laughs, and think this would be just like reading Harry Potter (which I love btw), then this is not the novel for you. If you like books that take their time telling a story, plays on all your emotions, has that dry British humor that not all people get, and has a Dickens like feel to them, then you might want to give this one a shot. I’m glad I did.
It was not easy to get into at first, but after the first chapter, you just have to devour this book. The characters and story are unique and original and you want to know not just how it ends, but where the magic goes after the ending.
This book blew me away with its originality, vivid imagery, interesting plot, and rich characters. It claimed new ground in fantasy fiction and deserves to have become an instant classic. (The BBC television adaptation is also excellent!)
I am still astounded to this day at the high praise this book continues to receive.
It began with an unusual premise and started off very strongly indeed, had a few interesting twists, and good characters and then it stagnated for an ungodly amount of pages on and on and one and just sort of got tired of itself and petered out. Silly me, I kept reading because I thought there’d be a reasonably satisfying ending. There wasn’t.
It was a history changer for fantasy because it gave authors the license to throw unfinished work out there, cliffhangers, unfinished work (i.e. Patrick Rothfiss, George R.R. Martin to name a couple) to do whatever the crap they felt like in whatever timeline they felt like. I felt like I was had and spent way too much time in my own downfall. I’d rather spend the time re-reading War and Peace at least there’s a complete story there.
Wonderful Read! I clicked that this book is “realistic” because Clarke did her research. The period is wonderfully represented even though it’s a book about “magic.”
This one wasn’t written for me. Took me weeks to read and I put it down several times because I had no idea of the authors intentions.
A giant doorstop of a novel, well worth the many hours you’ll spend reading it. Clarke creates a seamless world where magic simmers under the surface, breaking through in stunning and sometimes tragic ways. Masterful and smart.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of my favorite books. I have read it several times now. History is mixed with fantasy as the characters try to bring magic back to England, and this magic is eerie and mysterious. One of the best parts of the book is the world building. All of the past magicians, and especially the mystery and power behind the Raven King with all of the details as if it was real forgotten history makes it engrossing. It builds slowly, but wonderfully and is an unforgettable story.
Two magicians with different philosophies on the use of magic. They start out as friends but soon become rivals.
Susanna Clark imagines an England where magic is brought back to aid in the Napoleonic Wars. The title characters are the two magicians who bring it back, but they have vastly different personalities and disagree on some fundamentals. This is a LONG read. I was complaining to a gorup of friends about it, remarking that it was delightfully written but moved very slowly. When I told them the title my friends all groaned. One friend said: “THERE is an author in need of a good editor!” At the same time, they assured me that it was worth finishing, although they recommended the audio book (which is apparently particularly well-done) instead. I did finish it, and yes it was worth it, but I’d be wary of starting another book of hers unless i had a lot of time on my hands.
A classic for all times – incredible world-building, complete with references. Fantastic characters, especially Jonathan Strange and The Man with the Thistledown Hair. The audiobook version is one of the best done audio versions ever. The series adaptation is also truly excellent.
I first read this book years ago, but it continues to creep into my thoughts at regular intervals. And it clearly had more of an effect on my own work than I realized, even now. Clarke’s writing is stylistically appropriate for its setting, and I understand well how difficult it can be to get into. That does not lessen my love of the language in the slightest. Everything about this book is as if it was written just for me, from tangential details about the history of English magic, to the pages-long footnotes containing entire fairy tales. So much of the imagery haunts my imagination still. It will forever have a special place on my bookshelf.
I read it a long time ago
Didn’t like it. I found it boring.
Very Very Slooooooow
I’m in love with both Jonathan Strange and the Man With The Thistledown Hair. Amazing world-building.
A long book. Use of footnotes and like references to real historic figures and events lent an air of reality to a book about magical people and actions. Could be challenging to read because of its length, but I listened to it as an Audible book so the length was not a problem
I’m into my second reading and discovering thing I missed the first time. this book is so many things- confusing and then informative, funny and then thought provoking. and then you realize this book has cast its spell and you are caught up in it. buy the book and you will find how easy it is to recommend it and keep it always with your favorite writings. to the author – THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL AND UNEQUALED ADVENTURE!