Book Review: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Author: Susanna Clarke
Date Originally Published: 2004
Start Date: April 21st
Completion Date: May 13th

"Two magicians shall appear in England. The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me..."

Winner of the 2005 Hugo award, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell has also managed to win my good opinion. From the first page to the last, I imagined Jane Austen with a fantastical touch. Set in the Regency era, the novel details the return of magic to a drab England and the relationship between two very different magician personalities, Mr. Gilbert Norrell and Jonathan Strange.

The novel is divided into 3 volumes, and I chose to read another book in between each volume to split it up. Chunky books can be very daunting, and reading something in between each book was likely the only way I was able to finish the novel.

In the early 1800s, only one practical magician exists in England among many theoretical magicians. Once Mr. Norrell's proclamations that he can perform magic are proven correct, he becomes a celebrity of sorts and his normally quiet Yorkshire life is disturbed when he has to move to London to prove himself to society. Desperate to help the English in the Napoleonic Wars, Mr. Norrell brings back to life the wife of a government minister to gain favor. This act requires the help of a fairy who forces Mr. Norrell to make a shady bargain with him. This fairy continues to haunt the lady's life as well as many others in the story, including the noble Stephen Black, the government minister's servant. Jonathan Strange comes into the picture when a banished (by Norrell) London street-magician, Vinculus, declares Strange a magician. He learns magic, and after an introduction with Mr. Norrell, becomes his pupil. As Strange becomes more educated (although Norrell refuses to teach him too much) and works in the field, he begins to develop his own ideas on magic.

The above is about all I can say about the plot, even though I'm leaving out many important general occurences. First, I could go on forever, because everything is so well connected in the story. I would read passages and wonder where she was going, but everything was eventually answered as I continued to read. Second, I don't want to give anything away. I love the footnotes, with references to made up books and fairy tales. I also love the incorporation of historical characters like Lord Byron, etc. I really love the contrast between Strange and Norrell. I guess I would say that I am a "Strangeite." I found Strange a bit more exciting because he traveled, fought in wars, and forced himself to become mad (for good reason of course.) Norrell stayed confined with his books and kept a close circle. He was arrogant and stuffy. Combined though, the two proved to be a powerful pair.

My favorite part of the book was the general atmosphere that Clarke created. Crazy things occurred throughout the book, and toward the end, particularly frightening things, but I never felt too overwhelmed, as I do with many modern novels that get particularly gory and detailed. Again, I felt as if the likes of Jane Austen wrote the novel, instead of somebody living in the modern world. It was refreshing to me, because I definitely don't need a lot of gore in fantasy to be entertained.

Overall, if one can get past the length of the book, I would highly recommend it. Don't be afraid!