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peppermintlegs's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As perhaps the most annoying snob about Regency-era historical fiction, this book delighted me. I love the way Clarke utilized the socioeconomic structure of the time period, as well as incorporating the Napoleonic War. I loved both Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, two flawed men who are soooooo obsessed with each other it makes them look stupid. I also enjoyed how important the women were to the story—these men would be absolute wrecks without the women in their lives making them the successes they are and keeping them in check enough to achieve that. The magic was wonderful, the unfolding of historic fantasy compelling, and the incorporation of Real Life Actual Lord Byron so ballsy it had no choice but to be successful. Loved this book, ended up buying it, hope to reread in the future.
mneiger's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mugwumpun's review against another edition
5.0
At first I thought the book would be meandering and boring, just by judging on the length and browsing through her writing. After starting to read it though, I became engrossed in Mr Norrell, and then Jonathan Strange's actions and motivations to revive English magic. This was a refreshing fantasy read, set in a rich world and unique characters. I stayed up until 6/7 am to finish the last parts of the book.
anamuk's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm a fan of footnotes, and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is full of them. A book to be savoured in a comfortable chair.
delgremmyaward's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
This was probably stylistically the best fantasy I've ever read . Love the dialogue, love the world-building, love the characters, but did not love the pacing. I do wonder if this book needed to be as long as it was. Because it took me months to read it, I have trouble remembering if all the setup at the beginning leads to a payoff in the end. It's the type of book that deserves a reread, but given its length, I probably won't get around to it.
Unlike others, I found no part of this boring, but it has a queer feeling to it. Once I'd been reading for about twenty minutes, I could go on for hours. Picking up the book is the hardest part because it requires some thought and some sustained attention. Getting into it, even if you've been reading it every day, is like adjusting to cold water when you go swimming in the ocean. Once you've adjusted, you can stay afloat with effort; you just really have to want to go into the water in the first place.
This was probably stylistically the best fantasy I've ever read . Love the dialogue, love the world-building, love the characters, but did not love the pacing. I do wonder if this book needed to be as long as it was. Because it took me months to read it, I have trouble remembering if all the setup at the beginning leads to a payoff in the end. It's the type of book that deserves a reread, but given its length, I probably won't get around to it.
Unlike others, I found no part of this boring, but it has a queer feeling to it. Once I'd been reading for about twenty minutes, I could go on for hours. Picking up the book is the hardest part because it requires some thought and some sustained attention. Getting into it, even if you've been reading it every day, is like adjusting to cold water when you go swimming in the ocean. Once you've adjusted, you can stay afloat with effort; you just really have to want to go into the water in the first place.
agentalpo's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
majabwds's review against another edition
5.0
It takes a 100p to get the plot started but then it's really good.
jackdoud's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
If you are not a fan of 19th century writing styles do not attempt this book. While it's undoubtedly an incredible work of literature it's frustrating as hell to read. The story is so slow, goes down so many plot cul-de-sacs and uses such excessive verbosity that it takes forever to move the story along. There's no connection to the characters and I never cared about what was going to happen next. It does eventually wrap up well but it's not worth the time it takes to get there.
lucysmithyy's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5