Jamis Buck’s Reviews > Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell > Status Update

HELP! I'm listening to this book on cd, and it skipped during the conversation between Mr. Norrell and the fairy. Now I don't know what Mr. Norrell promised the fairy in return for the lady's life. Could you sum up that conversation for me? (I'm way past that part in the book, but I'm finding that I REALLY missed something important!)

The fairy wanted, initially, Norrell to take the fairy on as a servant, and let him do great magic, and also have Norrell publicly acknowledge that the fairy was the source of his great feats. Norrell refused, so the fairy said instead he'd take half of Miss Wintertowne's life. Norrell made him explicitly grant her 75 years of life. Then the fairy said he needed to take something of hers to "signify his claim on her", and Norrell suggested a ring or a necklace, but the fairy instead took her little finger (which comes out later in the chapter).

Hope you're enjoying the book!

So the fact that she's been taken away NOW just means she'll have her faculties back when she's around 70? Was there anything to do with Steven Black in the conversation?

Well, she wasn't really taken away. When Norrell bargained with the fairy to return her to life, Norrell thought the fairy meant that half of the lady's life (e.g. the first half, or second half) would be taken for her to spend with the fairy. But what the fairy really meant was that half of each day (the nighttime) would be spent with the fairy, which resulted in her becoming lethargic and ill-seeming during the day.

What a pity that you missed just that part of the book! It's so crucial to understanding what follows. :(

Norrell and the fairy never discussed Steven Black. That relationship came to be by the fairy's own maneuvering.

Aha! I get it! I was able to gather about 90% of that through the discussions that took place afterward, but now I have the missing links. Thanks!