Previous BOMs - Authors; A - D: Clarke, Susanna - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Informal Buddy Read; Start: January 8,2015--REVISIT-- 22 June 2018

[Deanna]

Lexi wrote: "I am done. Really, this could have been a lovely 400 page book. Add 100 pages of into to the last two thirds. [spoilers removed]"

I wholeheartedly agree about the length. The book needs some serious editing of extraneous content.

[Victoria]

Finished!

I was expecting this to become an instant favorite and while it didn't, I still really liked it.

While I agree the length at times seemed a bit unnecessary, it sort of fit with the format the book was written in. One of the things I loved about it is how it feels like a non-fiction history book written as though magic exists in real-life London. And while I've certainly read shorter histories, I didn't mind the length too much and really enjoyed the constant footnotes as well as the slow build-up of the characters and magic.

All that being said, I would have preferred more of the length being dedicated to the ending, specifically characters like Childermass, Stephen, Sagundus, Lady Poole, and Arabella.

I wish I had chatted more about the characters - I just never know what to say about them. I really liked most of them (even the ones I hated). I just really liked how they were written.

Overall I really liked it and loved how the ending came together (view spoiler)[I wish it had included more of John Uskglass, but I suppose it's best if he's kept wrapped in mystery. (hide spoiler)]

[Victoria]

I also think Stephen was my favorite character (view spoiler)[ I also loved how he was the one to defeat the fey and that he became king of Faerie (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

I’m glad I read this too, finally, even though it felt like forever getting through it. The plot turns were surprising. I only predicted one thing. I didn’t know how it was going to end. So it was a nice, big, magical adventure that we went on.