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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Too long. Not interesting enough for the length.
i should've just taken the hint the first time my audiobook loan expired but instead i listened to all 30+ hours of this
I did it! I finally read this book! It's been sat on my shelves since it was first published in 2004, has survived many moves, many unhauls, and finally I picked it up a few months ago.
It took me a good five months to finish this book, mostly because after about 200 pages, I put it down and read other things for a while. It was quite a slow start, and I wasn't quite in the mood for such a slow-paced book at the time.
I really, really enjoyed this book. There are few things which I think helped in my case: I love history, and I have read a lot of historical fiction. It's a genre I enjoy, and I used to read much more of in years gone by. I did my degree in history, as well, so I've retained a fondness for it over the years (in fact, I first bought this book WHILE I WAS STILL DOING MY DEGREE). I also quite like slow-paced stories, when I'm in the mood for them. I love fantasy, and the fact that it was about magic meant that I had a feeling I would enjoy it. And lastly, I do like classics, and this book reads like a classic.
If you like fast-paced books, then this might not be one for you. Likewise, if you are not keen on historical fiction, it might not be for you - despite the magical elements, it reads so much like historical fiction. It is also very slow-paced, and very much about the journey as much as it is about the destination. There is so much detail, so much world building, and we follow so many characters, who at first seem unimportant, but all have their purpose by the end.
I loved the characters. They had their flaws, they had redemption, and revenge, and suitable endings, and I really enjoyed following their different stories. Jonathan Strange, Mr Norrell, Arabella, Stephen Black, Lady Pole, even Mr Segundus and Childermass. Each of them annoyed me at some point, and made me sympathise with them at others. Except Lascelles - I hated him. But then, you are supposed to hate him. I thought all the characters very well thought out and that they had depth and personality. It was one of the highlights of the book, along with the superb writing.
I also really enjoyed the actual plot. It seems so flimsy at first, and you don't know where it is going, which is why the first 200 pages or so were such a struggle for me. But after that, I really started to enjoy the story itself, and wonder how everything was going to resolve itself by the end.
The writing is absolutely wonderful. As I said before, this reads like a classic - I've not read much Dickens, but it did in some ways remind me a bit of Austen. I also liked the footnotes - it made it seem more real, like we were reading one of the many books sat in Mr Norrell's library.
Overall, I am very glad to have read this book, and to have kept it all these years before reading it. I think I read it at just the right time.
It took me a good five months to finish this book, mostly because after about 200 pages, I put it down and read other things for a while. It was quite a slow start, and I wasn't quite in the mood for such a slow-paced book at the time.
I really, really enjoyed this book. There are few things which I think helped in my case: I love history, and I have read a lot of historical fiction. It's a genre I enjoy, and I used to read much more of in years gone by. I did my degree in history, as well, so I've retained a fondness for it over the years (in fact, I first bought this book WHILE I WAS STILL DOING MY DEGREE). I also quite like slow-paced stories, when I'm in the mood for them. I love fantasy, and the fact that it was about magic meant that I had a feeling I would enjoy it. And lastly, I do like classics, and this book reads like a classic.
If you like fast-paced books, then this might not be one for you. Likewise, if you are not keen on historical fiction, it might not be for you - despite the magical elements, it reads so much like historical fiction. It is also very slow-paced, and very much about the journey as much as it is about the destination. There is so much detail, so much world building, and we follow so many characters, who at first seem unimportant, but all have their purpose by the end.
I loved the characters. They had their flaws, they had redemption, and revenge, and suitable endings, and I really enjoyed following their different stories. Jonathan Strange, Mr Norrell, Arabella, Stephen Black, Lady Pole, even Mr Segundus and Childermass. Each of them annoyed me at some point, and made me sympathise with them at others. Except Lascelles - I hated him. But then, you are supposed to hate him. I thought all the characters very well thought out and that they had depth and personality. It was one of the highlights of the book, along with the superb writing.
I also really enjoyed the actual plot. It seems so flimsy at first, and you don't know where it is going, which is why the first 200 pages or so were such a struggle for me. But after that, I really started to enjoy the story itself, and wonder how everything was going to resolve itself by the end.
The writing is absolutely wonderful. As I said before, this reads like a classic - I've not read much Dickens, but it did in some ways remind me a bit of Austen. I also liked the footnotes - it made it seem more real, like we were reading one of the many books sat in Mr Norrell's library.
Overall, I am very glad to have read this book, and to have kept it all these years before reading it. I think I read it at just the right time.
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A rich, comprehensive and detailed alternative history of a magical England during the time of the Napoleonic war. The writing is detailed and subtle, with more than a hint of satire and I really enjoyed this aspect of it, particularly the way it questions what it is to be a 'gentleman' and a 'lady' at the time and what that means in a typically 'English' sense. My only issue with it is I do feel the complexity of the plot let it down in the end. The conclusion was fine and worked for me in terms of the main plot line, but there were so many other narratives that were left dangling. Hardly surprising for such an ambitious work and although it was really long, I did enjoy it and would recommend it to anyone who is willing to give it the time it deserves.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
I’ve missed this book ever since I finished it! The writing is entrancing - she dissects her characters and the whole of British Regency society with the wit and cheek of Austen. The lore and magic feels huge and mysterious and fantastical but the rest of the world is so grounded in historical realism, which is such a fun juxtaposition. I love all the characters and all their faults - the villains range from pathetic to truly terrifying, and the heroes are always a few steps behind the reader (thank you third person omniscient narrator!). I devoured this book and want to talk about it forever!
the first 600 pages of this book took me months to get through, and then it clicked for me and i finished it in another 3 days. so well researched and developed, truly a tome. I love how magic is imagined in this!!!
also the way Clarke wrote about british tourists so true
also the way Clarke wrote about british tourists so true
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this novel, but its intricacies made it very long!
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes