Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in Crazy Challenge Connection

Jun 21, 2012 Chaitra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: booker-prize-nominees, hugo-winners

For years, I thought of this book as a sort of extension of English magic of the Harry Potter type. And not being a Harry Potter fan, I dismissed it from even considering it. Happily, I went on a Neil Gaiman binge, and saw that I agreed with what Susanna Clarke had to say about his books. I also figured out that Gaiman had a role to play in Jonathan Strange being published. Ergo, I read the book and I loved the book, and I'm happy to note that it's really nothing like Harry Potter.

What pulled m For years, I thought of this book as a sort of extension of English magic of the Harry Potter type. And not being a Harry Potter fan, I dismissed it from even considering it. Happily, I went on a Neil Gaiman binge, and saw that I agreed with what Susanna Clarke had to say about his books. I also figured out that Gaiman had a role to play in Jonathan Strange being published. Ergo, I read the book and I loved the book, and I'm happy to note that it's really nothing like Harry Potter.

What pulled me into the book was the writing. Clarke is a good wordsmith, and her writing is more tongue-in-cheek than anything. That is not to say that the book is aloof or cold, it has a very strong and resonant emotional center. I've always loved books with well written footnotes, as I think it adds layers of complexity to the story. The footnotes in Jonathan Strange are no exception. Clarke uses these to create a fantastic history of a turn of 19th century England heavily influence by the magic of the Faerie, and of an elusive, enigmatic figure who may or may not be evil, called the Raven King. Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange, the eponymous main characters, are morally ambiguous men, and the book makes no apologies for the despicable deeds they sometimes do. They are complex, but understandable and are ultimately human. I didn't feel manipulated overly by events to empathize with them, but I did indeed relate to both of them. The cast of other characters are sumptuous. The Duke of Wellington, a mad George III and his five princeling sons, Lord Byron (!!) all make hilarious appearances along with fictitious characters.

I did have a couple of minor quibbles. The characters Greysteel are the main culprits. They bugged me because they were introduced about three quarters of the way into the book, after a crucial plot point and detracted from it. While they had a bunch of contributions to make, it wasn't all that important, and could've been easily performed by older characters. They are the only superfluous characters in an otherwise tightly controlled book. I also wanted a lot more of the Raven King in the footnotes. A fascinating character, I would have given anything to understand why he left/was driven out of England. I dearly hope Clarke continues to write in this world, and we get an insight into the Raven King. I admit I read a ton of criticism of the book, and while I can understand why people would be put off by unlikeable characters and footnotes, the one criticism I cannot undertand is that of its length. When a world needs to be built afresh, I would rather the author take more pages and explain it to some extent rather than taking the more direct and shorter route of not explaining any of the history. Actually I don't understand the footnote criticism either. The tales in the footnotes may not have been strictly necessary to the plot line, but they make the book richer because of their presence. In any case, I think the footnotes offer a choice to actually make the book shorter.

My advice to people who are ambivalent, don't be like me. Dive in. Stick with the book, because all that build up is leading to something. There will be a pay-off where not everything is explained, not everything is tied off. There is a deep sense of melancholy, more is lost by characters than gained. And this will be more rewarding than it would be if it was wrapped up with a bow. I think the following quote sums up what I loved so much about the book:

"I suppose it is because I have been many things since last we met. I have been trees and rivers and hills and stones. I have spoken to stars and earth and wind. One cannot be the conduit through which all English magic flows and still be oneself."
Jonathan Strange when Norrell demands why he is not angry for the despicable deeds done him.

P.S. Again, Lord Byron. *swoon*

P.P.S.: My other favorite lines belong to a despicable character called Drawlight when he experiences the magic Strange channels.
"He thought he lay beneath the earth, beneath England. Long ages passed; cold and rain seeped through him; stones shifted within him. In the Silence and the Dark he grew vast. He became the earth; he became England. A star looked down on him and spoke to him. A stone asked him a question and he answered it in its own language. A river curled at his side; hills budded beneath his fingers. He opened his mouth and breathed out spring..." ...more

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May 09, 2014 Alison (Lady Coffin) S rated it liked it

Shelves: magic-etc, 0n-kindle, power-struggle-war, historical-or-history, family, teacher-grad-school, wokou-japanese-warrior, 801-to-900-pages, 901-or-more-pages, alphabet-challenge

I don't know exactly why, but I just could not get into this and was on a time line to finish it fast so couldn't try.
May need to read it again ...more

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