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Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

By Susanna Clarke

      Since Harry Potter burst onto the book scene, everybody has been waiting for Bloomsbury to produce another mold-breaking fantasy. You could almost hear the roll of drums when this one appeared - an original fantasy for adults this time. Like Harry Potter (with which it has little else in common) it bears no resemblance to other fantasy novels, no nods towards Tolkein or Dune. Instead, it transports the reader to an alternative Regency England where the study of magic is as commonplace a subject for gentlemen as that of medicine or divinity. Centuries earlier, the Raven King had come out of Fairyland and ruled the northern half of the country for three hundred years, defining English magic. For the last couple of centuries, magical study has all been of that theory - until Mr Norrell bursts onto the scene and makes the statues of York Cathedral speak. It is his aim to return practical magic to the realm, but he has reckoned without his antithesis, Jonathan Strange, and the prophecies that are going to come to pass.

    A melancholy Venice, mad King George, Lord Byron, the Peninsular War, and fashionable London are the backdrop of this extraordinary work. Told in the style of a novel of those days (possibly the most impressive feature is how well the author has done this), complete with archaic spellings, this is a rambling, sometimes fairly loose novel of almost 800 pages. Much is made of the theme of exploitation and morality - it is a world of gentlemen, where women, servants, and non-English folk are subservient. Magic appears to make the masters of this world even more masterful, but at what cost? Faustian bargains are struck, and it is up to the reader to discover who profits from all this arcane power. This is the sort of work that is likely to also appeal to historical novel fans, and those looking for a midlist/literary book that is something out of the ordinary. Ms Clarke’s Regency world is utterly convincing, by turns chilling or charming, cozy or cruel. Despite the book's size, there is quite a small cast of major characters, and all seem very real indeed. For me, the book’s only true drawback was its vast length, which swamped the story at times and repeated itself needlessly. But you can’t call yourself a true fantasy reader - and perhaps not a true historical reader, either - if you don’t read this book. Wonderfully original and yes, mold-breaking. What Ms Clarke will do for an encore is beyond me to guess…

The Book

Bloomsbury
30 September 2004
Hardback
0747570558
Fantasy [1806-17 London, Yorkshire, Spain & Italy]
More at Amazon.com || UK

Excerpt

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The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2005
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© 2005 MyShelf.com