Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

by Susanna Clarke

Upon my word, there is nothing in the world so easy to explain as failure – it is, after all, what every body does all the time.”

There is a great deal of magic in books nowadays. Of course, most of it is nonsense. No one knows as well as I how much nonsense is printed in books. But there is a great deal of useful information too and it is surprizing how, after one has learnt a little, one begins to see …”

By God, I wish she were here! There is an ache here.” He tapped his heart. “And something hot and hard inside here.” He tapped his forehead. “But half an hour’s conversation with Arabella would put both right, I am sure. Perhaps I ought to summon this fellow’s fairy and ask him to bring her here. Fairies can summon the dead, can they not?”