Published in 2004, it is an alternative history set in 19th-century England around the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Its premise is that magic once existed in England and has returned with two men: Gilbert Norrell and Jonathan Strange. Centred on the relationship between these two men, the novel investigates the nature of "Englishness" and the boundaries between reason and unreason, Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Dane, and Northern and Southern English cultural tropes/stereotypes. It has been described as a fantasy novel, an alternative history, and a historical novel. It inverts the Industrial Revolution conception of the North-South divide in England: in this book the North is romantic and magical, rather than rational and concrete.
Excellent writing, with some genuinely funny lines scattered throughout. The story meanders at times and some plot lines could have been merged for brevity's sake (not unusual for first novels), but overall the pages kept turning. I was expecting certain scenes that simply never materialized, which was disappointing. Presents itself as a historical reference, so often the narrative is overly dry and toned down, uncommon for a story about magic (Harry P this is not). From me a solid 3.5, but since that's not an option, I'll round up out of utmost love for Clarke's second novel, Piranesi.
Nella mia pluriennale indagine sui capisaldi del fantasy anglofono, era inevitabile che prima o poi mi misurassi con quella prova del fuoco che è Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: l'altro pilastro della corrente New Weird assieme a Perdido Street Station, il romanzo che sta al corpus di Jane Austen come il Legendarium di J.R.R. Tolkien sta al mito germanico classico, l'opera acclamata come magistrale da alcuni e gettata nel camino da altri.
Per parte mia, ricade nei capolavori, e più esattamente nei grandi romanzi mondo (che sono una delle mie passioni) – perché più romanzo mondo di così si muore. Andando dal generale in particolare, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell consiste di almeno quattro strati diversi che si intrecciano in un tutt'uno: è un romanzo storico sull'Inghilterra della Reggenza, in cui riviviamo dalla prospettiva britannica il grande duello fra il re matto …
[Vecchia recensione esportata da altro sito]
Nella mia pluriennale indagine sui capisaldi del fantasy anglofono, era inevitabile che prima o poi mi misurassi con quella prova del fuoco che è Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: l'altro pilastro della corrente New Weird assieme a Perdido Street Station, il romanzo che sta al corpus di Jane Austen come il Legendarium di J.R.R. Tolkien sta al mito germanico classico, l'opera acclamata come magistrale da alcuni e gettata nel camino da altri.
Per parte mia, ricade nei capolavori, e più esattamente nei grandi romanzi mondo (che sono una delle mie passioni) – perché più romanzo mondo di così si muore. Andando dal generale in particolare, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell consiste di almeno quattro strati diversi che si intrecciano in un tutt'uno: è un romanzo storico sull'Inghilterra della Reggenza, in cui riviviamo dalla prospettiva britannica il grande duello fra il re matto Giorgio III e Napoleone Bonaparte (ivi compresa la battaglia di Waterloo, che è una sequenza fenomenale); è un "romanzo di maniera" perfettamente bilanciato fra la tradizione ottocentesca e la coscienza di classe post-1968, in cui seguiamo le vite intrecciate di una decina buona di personaggi fra primari e secondari (più qualche terziario che trasuda carisma), gentiluomini e gentildonne, ministri e servitori, furfanti e soldati; è un romanzo di fantasy liminale nella tradizione di Lud-In-The-Mist, basato sul rapporto di fascinazione e terrore che gli Inglesi anglosassoni provano per i miti di fate ereditati dai loro nemici Celti; è un immane esercizio di worldbuilding che crea per l'Inghilterra una storia medievale e moderna alternativa, sviluppandolo per altro non in foggia semi-lineare tramite appendici (alla maniera di Tolkien), ma in modo sapientemente anacronico (per certi versi ergodico) grazie a un fittissimo sistema di note a piè di pagina; è una riflessione meta-letteraria sui luoghi comuni del fantasy anglofono che mette sotto i riflettori il concetto tutto statunitense e positivista di una "magia dura" e quello (in parte sì britannico ma sicuramente banalizzato e feticizzato dagli yankee) del ritorno di un re perduto. E tutta l'opera trasuda una profonda inglesità fatta in egual misura di ironia e malinconia, più un tocco di citazioni ai grandi autori gotico-romantici (c'è Lord Byron fra i personaggi!) e al maestro Michael Moorcock (e non me lo sto inventando, Clarke è sostanzialmente sua allieva!).
Certo, il finale del romanzo è un po' veloce e lascia per strada un paio di comprimari che sarebbe stato bello rivedere un'ultima volta, ma che diamine, il resto si legge che è un piacere: sono sempre 1000 pagine, ma le si sbrana pian piano come una scalata in montagna.
Aggiungo infine un commento un po' snob: "Harry Potter è per lattanti, chi ha la magia inglese nel sangue si diploma con Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell!"
Post scriptum vero: a questo punto credo di potermi mettere il cuore in pace. I massimi del fantasy anglofono li ho letti, ora posso passare ai "minori" che però mi gasano (alleluja).
Maybe I've stockholmed myself into thinking this was great. Reading it was a bit stressful, because I wanted to finish it before my vacation. Since finishing it, it's grown on me.
Review of 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Talk about a slow burner! I'm so torn about this book because it is truly like nothing I've ever read before and it is indeed so special yet somehow not entirely my thing.
Why is it special? It's a very quirky mix between historical novel, alternate reality, and fantasy; written out with so much detail and wit and just the perfect sprinkle of breaking the fourth wall - sometimes a true delight to read!
But sometimes oh-so-long! Dare I say boring? The world-building is so detailed that I was lost in descriptions or character introductions. Jonathan Strange didn't appear until page 200! And that is amazing and part of the beauty but also maybe its downfall in my humble opinion.
All in all, wonderful book, could use as yoga block, will not read again
I have literally had a copy of this book since it came out and was finally able to read it through the magic of audiobooks. The narrator is very good and does distinct character voices that made it much easier to follow and digest. The book itself was very enjoyable, as long novels often are, once you really get into them. There is A LOT of world building and detail, and the characters were mutlifaceted and interesting and the language surrouning faerie and magic was very evocative. Highly recommended.
I first read Susanna Clarke’s masterpiece when it first came out. I still have the lovingly worn hardcover US edition, with frayed edges and we’ll-thumbed pages. Considering how important ancient and lost texts are to the story, this somehow makes my copy even more authentic somehow. It is a remarkable piece of world-building as well as a literary analysis of early 19th century English Literature. Part Jane Austen, part Patrick O’Brien, and part Ann Radcliffe, this novel feels like the most thoroughly explored world that I’ve ever seen communicated in a single work.
Review of "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Boxed Three Volume Collector's Edition" on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
I really wanted to like this, given all of the good reviews. I tried the written book, I tried the audio book. There was a review that said it got better about 8 hours in. I just couldn't make it - there were interesting moments, but it felt like a chore to keep trying to come back to this book.
Review of "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Boxed Three Volume Collector's Edition" on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book was fine! Not as good as I was expecting based on friends' hype + my love of Piranesi, but maybe I'm just not the target audience for it, since I couldn't care less about British historical fiction. I was hoping for more magic system development, I guess. All the characters were so tedious, which I realize was on purpose and we're supposed to be laughing at them, but the book gave them soooo many pages to go on at length that I found myself just rolling my eyes most of the time. The story did manage to pull me in by the last quarter or so, though.
Review of 'Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
My initial inclination is to give this book 4 stars because I really liked it!! But I almost want to give it 5 stars because of what it achieved, namely keeping my attention for a month. For a variety of reasons, I tend to shy away from books that serve as a nightstand all by themselves, but this one kept my attention, in spite of its wandering and meandering path.
At 900+ pages/26 disks, you don't really expect a tight fast paced story. What you get is an exploration of characters, all of them flawed. You get a look life in an alternate history version of England (and Spain and Italy). You get to see how magic and fairy changed things, and a hint of how they might further change things.
And in the end, it isn't tidy. Threads stick out in all sorts of directions, and life goes on. …
My initial inclination is to give this book 4 stars because I really liked it!! But I almost want to give it 5 stars because of what it achieved, namely keeping my attention for a month. For a variety of reasons, I tend to shy away from books that serve as a nightstand all by themselves, but this one kept my attention, in spite of its wandering and meandering path.
At 900+ pages/26 disks, you don't really expect a tight fast paced story. What you get is an exploration of characters, all of them flawed. You get a look life in an alternate history version of England (and Spain and Italy). You get to see how magic and fairy changed things, and a hint of how they might further change things.
And in the end, it isn't tidy. Threads stick out in all sorts of directions, and life goes on. For me, it was worth the month.
Review of "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Boxed Three Volume Collector's Edition" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This book is excellent! It may begin a little slow, but it picks up eventually. There are many chapters that may not make a lot of sense first, but it all gets clearer as the book progress. The footnotes are lovely, despite their quantity and size. One thing is certain - I'll be reading this book again. Jonathan Strange and Mr Nortel definitely deserves your time!
Review of 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This is a masterpiece. Five stars is not enough.
(BTW, I HATE SPOILERS, so you will NOT find any here.)
Forget everything you think you know about how a novel should be written. Ms. Clarke makes her own rules and the result is astounding. I think it is best to approach Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell without any expectations, and to surrender and be led on its sublime odyssey.
In this brilliantly written epic literary historical fantasy (I suppose that is its sub- sub- sub-genre), we are transported to the early 19th century where we meet some very engaging magicians and follow them on their paths, and we explore English magic and its history.
I was swept away by the style in which this is written, which is very much like a British classic, so it flawlessly captures the time in which it takes place. The prose is magnificent …
This is a masterpiece. Five stars is not enough.
(BTW, I HATE SPOILERS, so you will NOT find any here.)
Forget everything you think you know about how a novel should be written. Ms. Clarke makes her own rules and the result is astounding. I think it is best to approach Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell without any expectations, and to surrender and be led on its sublime odyssey.
In this brilliantly written epic literary historical fantasy (I suppose that is its sub- sub- sub-genre), we are transported to the early 19th century where we meet some very engaging magicians and follow them on their paths, and we explore English magic and its history.
I was swept away by the style in which this is written, which is very much like a British classic, so it flawlessly captures the time in which it takes place. The prose is magnificent - Ms. Clarke sculpts the language to create a beautiful work of art, with incredible intricacy.
I think the story is phenomenal - the reader has no idea where it may take him/her, and I was delighted with every twist, every turn. It starts slowly, and the story line builds, ever so gradually, but steadily and teasingly, progressing toward a crescendo - all at a slow pace that's almost maddening, but it's such a tantalizing and exciting experience that I didn't want it to end. It gives the reader (me, anyway) the sense that something tremendous will happen. And of course, it does.
I adore the characters, all of whom are brilliantly crafted and every one of them jumps off the page. I found each of them fascinating and memorable, some venturing into "favorite characters" territory. Ms. Clarke deftly blends historical figures and events, English folklore, a fascinating background of magic, and amazing characters to form an alternate history that is seamless, richly detailed and uniquely hers. And she makes it believable.
There is more elaborate detail in this book than I have probably ever seen, well, anywhere, making the world-building pretty much incomparable. Copious footnotes educate us about this alternate history and its events, figures and countless other things of interest with magnificent detail.
It's also hilarious. The dry and often dark humor fitting naturally into the already fantastic story makes this book soar into the realm of the finest works I've ever read. It made me laugh out loud, chuckle to myself, and probably sit there with a dorky grin on my face through a lot of scenes.
The magic is dazzling and creative, and each spell seems to brilliantly reflect the personality of the person casting it. It's perfect.
The story does move slowly, and it took me a little while to really get absorbed - I think I needed to get used to it and adjust myself accordingly. But once I did, I grew more enthralled with every page.
I knew by about halfway through that this book would be heading to my favorites list, regardless of how it may have ended. I'm confident it will remain there forever, and that it will be a book I want to reread countless times.
So, Ms. Clarke, about that sequel... :)
People seem to either love this book or hate it. I'd highly recommend it if:
- You enjoy reading classics, particularly British ones (or don't mind their style) (otherwise the style might lose you) - You appreciate dry humor (and dark humor) (if you don't see the humor, it will lose a tremendous amount of its charm, maybe most of it) - You like fantasy, but you're not looking for a fast-paced, action-packed, Hollywood blockbuster-type of book (it's not) - You don't mind a slow-paced story with an immense amount of detail and you don't mind taking your time with it (this is essential)
It will also help if: - You appreciate prose and enjoy colorful use of language (that made me savor it) - You appreciate world building (the amount of detail may otherwise annoy you)
I can't say enough good things about this book. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's one of the best I've ever read.
