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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
This is probably the thickest book I’ve read in a looong time. 800+ pages
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is witty and enthralling. Clarke constructs a fascinating alternate history and establishes a beautifully magical world. I loved the footnotes, especially when they led into their own little stories, and the narrator had such a defined voice. The magic of the novel was written so compellingly. Clarke explains as much of the magic as she needs, but leaves far more in the realm of the fantastic- exactly where it belongs. There is a nationalistic streak to the novel that I remain wary of, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story. Overall an excellent read!
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
A fucking masterpiece. This book is amazing, the writing is fantastic, and after reading it twice, several years ago, I still think about the story constantly.
One of my favorite fantasies of all time.
I want to reread it soonish.
One of my favorite fantasies of all time.
I want to reread it soonish.
slow-paced
It’s sometimes easier to articulate what I dislike about a book than what I like, because when it comes to this book, I love everything. So this is an inarticulate jumble of what I enjoyed. I suppose the characters are my usual starting place. The cast of characters is vast, and while many of them are actively unlikeable, all of them are highly entertaining. I really enjoyed the tone of the book and the themes. It’s genuinely funny, but also poignant and dramatic and all the things a good story should be. And the imagery is often so vivid, especially when describing disgusting things. I’m still haunted by the cheese faced madhouse attendant and his fly leg whiskers. But the settings and enchantments were often equally as vivid and wonderful. The narrative is a well executed deconstruction of similar histories that laude its (white) male heroes. Because titular characters are not the heroes of the book. Their carelessness and fear and arrogance causes suffering for the people around them who aren’t as privileged. Their actions start the domino chain of events that are the main conflict. And even though the book is ridiculously long, it never felt like a chore to get through. I was hooked almost immediately. You know the feeling you get when you’re in the middle of a good book? You want to know what happens next, but you don’t want to reach the end, because then it’s over. That was how I was feeling the whole time. And now I want to read it again and annotate it and write a million essays about it, because there’s so much to unpack in this one lovely story.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes