2012 Group Read discussions: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell-read? Going to read? No spoilers please!

[Razmatus]

i have a slight obsession when it comes to thick tomes... shorter ones can be as good, but y know the feeling, you go through lets say 300-400 pages and the book is awesome and then it ends and you are like woa that was awesome I want more but the book is finished

with tomes of 800 and more pages lol, you read, and always more keeps coming and you are allowed to stay in ecstasy for longer :D

[Razmatus]

Yep... like ASOIAF - finished GoT, then woa there is another, after ACOK, ok, wow I did it, now there is even thicker book ahead yay, and then AFFC, me being scared cos of all those kinda negative reviews and me reading and woa that was awesome... and then I get to that behemoth of a book (hardcover c-format almost 1000 pages thick and heavy) yay :D

cant wait for Malazans... that one will be even better in this aspect, cos when I finish a book, there is always one coming... until 10th lol

[Michele]

I read this book a little over 5 years ago. Not sure if I'll be able to re-read or not--but I will try. I remember that I loved it.

[Ashley]

I've read this book twice and it absolutely one of my all time favorite books. It's just so well written. It took me about 100 pages or so to get into it but there came a point where I was just completely sucked into the story line. This is truly a fantastic piece of not only fantasy but true literature.

[carol.]

Trying to read, but quite honestly, it's just behind a textbook at putting me to sleep, so I'm about 1/3 of the way through at most. I found the prose quite dense and the storyline very slow and meandering--I feel like whole chapters could be footnotes. The humorous asides add a nice touch.

[Bill]

Ashley wrote: "I've read this book twice and it absolutely one of my all time favorite books. It's just so well written. It took me about 100 pages or so to get into it but there came a point where I was just com..."

Indeed! I shelve this as literary fiction as well as fantasy.

[Jasmine M]

wasn't sure where to ask this question, so here you go:

are the footnotes important? I started reading them but then they distracted me and they didn't seem to add any useful info to the story, what are they here for exactly?

[Sandra]

I thought they were important. They add information about the world, are often tongue in cheek, and give tons of information about the characters in a manner that is not 'infodumping'.

[Joseph]

And coincidentally, Amazon has the ebook version for $2.99 . . .

http://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Strang...

[Eric]

i read the first few pages and for some reason it reminds me of dickens's pickwick papers. more later... off to work i go...cheerio!

i love the fake footnotes!

[Olga]

I've got 150 pages in but I don't think I'll keep reading. Although I like the old-fashioned style and the copious footnotes (they feel a bit tongue-in-cheek), the story is slow. Too slow. As I've been reading, I got the feeling that it's all a stretched intro, that the story would start soon, real soon now, but by page 150, it hasn't started yet. And the character whose name is on the cover, Jonathan Strange, hasn't appeared yet. It's like Waiting for Godot, who never appeared either, although I know that Strange would finally materialize sometime soon. I peeked ahead, and he was there. But I don't think I'll keep reading.

[carol.]

Olga wrote: "It's like Waiting for Godot ..."

*giggle*

I kept thinking of

Something Happened where, of course, nothing much does.

[Max]

I'm currently 50 or so pages in. I like it, so far. The writing style reminded me a bit of The Last Unicorn, although I can't quite explain why. And I definitly like it better than the aforementioned Unicorn.

I'll keep reading and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story goes on.

Oh, and the footnotes sometimes reminded me of Terry Pratchett, especially the one about "Not all englishmen have the same sized feet" or something like that.

[Natalie]

This is one of those books that is repeatedly recommended to me, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I work in a second-hand thrift store, and we always have copies, so I think this group will prompt me to begin my Strange & Norrell adventure.

[Natalie]

I've just picked up my copy! Cannot wait to start reading.

[Mawgojzeta]

Razmatus wrote: "i have a slight obsession when it comes to thick tomes... shorter ones can be as good, but y know the feeling, you go through lets say 300-400 pages and the book is awesome and then it ends and you..."


I love the big book, too. When I was a teenager, I would wander through the school library looking for the thickest books, giving very secondary attention to the type of fiction it was.
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This is my second time reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I am only 25 pages in at the moment and am already captivated (again).

[Mawgojzeta]

Brianna wrote: "I started reading this a few days ago because I wanted to give myself plenty of time to finish - I can be a slow reader with long, historical books like this. I was intrigued right from the beginni..."

I have had that happen with books; poor timing. Later in my life I will try again and find I really enjoy the book. Sounds like your timing was perfect!

[Odd Hero]

Just bought it for my kindle. I'll be reading it right after I finish with the book I'm on now.

[Janny]

Finished. Will be following the discussion, now.

[Brianna]

Mawgojzeta wrote: "Brianna wrote: "I started reading this a few days ago because I wanted to give myself plenty of time to finish - I can be a slow reader with long, historical books like this. I was intrigued right ..."

Yes, it is definitely perfect timing for me. I am just over halfway finished and am still very much enjoying it. The story is quite slow but the writing is beautiful. Definitely a book to "savour" - that's a great way to describe it Jaq!

[Max]

I'm currently struggling with the book. I do like it, but at the moment, it seems like I am not in the mood for it. I might put it aside for a while and read something else first, because although I mostly like the slow speed at which the story develops, I currently need a book that drags me in fast and doesn't let go.

If it comes to that, I am sad to miss the group discussions, but... well... I'm not enjoying the book as much as I'd like to at the moment.

[Nico]

Hey guys! I just joined the group. I have had this on my shelf for some years now and have been reading it on and off. I just can't seem to finish it. I'm on page 464. Maybe I'll pick it up again next week. I haven't touched this book in 6 months.

[carol.]

I treated it like a textbook--a few chapters every night. For my own part, i don't think it picked up significantly towards the end of the book as much as it became more fragmented and a little less cohesive. There were nice bits in there and occasionally a marvelous description or two, but overall, not enjoyable and not a re-read.

[Ysmalan]

I'm about 10% in, and I absolutely LOVE it. Savouring every word of it -- it's been a while since I've been so enthralled by the way a book is written!