From the Bookshelf of Reading List Completists…

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Susanna Clarke

Start date: October 1, 2015

Finish date: December 31, 2015

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: Winner of the BIG Read Poll
[close] Winner of the BIG Read Poll

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 98 topics — 1,581 comments total

Group Reads

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
By Matthew , Assistant List Master · 4 posts · 18 views

last updated Sep 18, 2022 11:34AM

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
By Matthew , Assistant List Master · 7 posts · 22 views

last updated Aug 31, 2022 01:49PM

showing 3 of 3 topics view all »

What Members Thought

May 29, 2021 Michael Finocchiaro rated it really liked it

Shelves: made-into-tv-show, fiction, listened-as-audiobook, fantasy, novels, english-21st-c, hugo-awards-winner

For fans of fantasy, magic, and long-winded explanations, this may be an ideal book. It is the story of magicians Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in England around the time of the Napoleanic wars. There is clearly a lot of creativity here with literally hundreds of smaller stories and anecdotes. There is a myriad of characters, but the most interesting ones are the two protagonists. The Raven King was an interesting invention. It will inevitably be compared to Harry Potter and be justly conside ...more

56 likes · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2015 Valerie rated it it was ok

Shelves: sf-f-bookclub, readinglistbookclub, z-2016sffchallenge

Finally, it over. I won't say that I am sorry it ended because that would be a lie.

Here is the bottom line. There was an interesting concept and moments of greatness, however, they were buried so deep within a rambling muck of who-gives-a-f*** that the only thing I wanted from this book was an ending.

Don't take my word for it. There are many people who rave about this book. You may be one of them. However, if you instincts tell you that it isn't going anywhere and you are tempted to abandon the ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2023 Tara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, mythgard-academy

I had no real expectations of this book, picking it up solely to determine if I wanted to keep it, as it takes up quite a bit of bookshelf real estate. However, I was more than pleasantly surprised. This book is simply enchanting. It reads like a 19th century novel and is convincing as an alternate history where magic is an accepted reality. It feels both endless and too short at the same time---a world that you could easily inhabit for ages. It isn't much like Tolkien, but one similarity is a d ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 12, 2018 Liane rated it liked it

Shelves: sffbc-challenge

Way. Way. Too long.

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 24, 2015 Katrina added it

Dec 11, 2015 Erma Talamante marked it as to-read · review of another edition

1 like · Like

Dec 27, 2015 Marcel marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 28, 2023 Kristina rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, historical, supernatural, complex-women, bipoc, cool-worldbuilding, fav-relationships, rule-of-cool, writing-examples, wow-thats-fucked-up