REVIEW: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susana Clarke

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susana Clarke
Publishing Information: Paperback, 846 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury; 30 August 2005
ISBN 10: 1582346038
ISBN 13: 9781582346038
Standalone
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book: "BOOK SENSE BOOK OF THE YEAR A PEOPLE MAGAZINE "TOP TEN" BOOK WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD WINNER OF THE WORLD FANTASY AWARD


Ravishing…Combines the dark mythology of fantasy with the delicious social comedy of Jane Austen into a masterpiece of the genre that rivals Tolkien."—Time


At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England—until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight.


Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear."

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a huge undertaking. It comes in at just under 850 pages and is chock full of details.

Susana Clark's novel is the story of two rival magicians that eventually join forces to undertake a major task of bringing magic back from a historical and theoretical sense to having a presence in Victorian England. They must also tackle a mysterious and ancient power that works against them. Nearly everything in this novel is richly detailed. The backgrounds of all of the major players as well as many of the lesser characters. Each person you encounter in this novel has a finely crafted background and history that will impress you.

The world is also very detailed. The history of magic and England is presented in detail. From other books that exist in the world Clarke has created to large footnotes. Nearly every other page contains a footnote of some distinction and the footnotes are a massive undertaking as they provide a story of their own. Some of which are quite humorous and others are very informative.

The plot revolves around the two magicians (Norrell and Strange) and an ancient and mythical magician known as the Raven King. As the story progresses the two magicians become engrossed in an ancient mystery that they themselves have started and must see it to its conclusion. I do not want to get into to much detail because it would take forever and I feel that it would spoil it for anyone that is interested in this novel. Suffice it to say the journey that the two main characters engage in is well worth the journey but it takes a lot and roundabout way to get there.

In fact that is the biggest complaint with the novel. It meanders (for a reason) and takes a very long time to get to any of the points of action. There is a lot of dialogue and inaction contained in the pages of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell where you wonder whether or not to continue reading the novel. Between the inaction and the volumes of footnotes it takes a very long time for anything major to happen. When something does it is worth it but if you are looking for a action filled novel this is one of the last places to look. The story is also told in a Victorian way. There are parties and protocols to attend to and that takes up a lot of time in the novel.

In the end, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a very different book from one I am used to reading. The magic that was found in England has been forgotten and the two must find a way to bring it back from the brink of extinction. There is not a lot of action and plenty of dialogue and footnotes which propel the story along. There are some witty moments which to add to the richness of the novel. With all this in mind, it is a book worth checking out but if you have a short attention span when action is not present very often it will be a challenging novel for you to undertake but it is worth the read.

Plot 8
Characters 8
Style 9.5

Overall 7.5/10