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lucindashirreffs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
4.5
Men will say women are too dramatic but then their bitchfights will drastically alter the course of human history
ann_zil's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
thejustinwestra's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ever since I read Piranesi by Susanna Clarke a few years ago I have wanted to read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell though I was a little intimidated by it based on the length. It is actually the longest book I have ever read by word count. This historical fantasy novel follows Mr Norrell, a reserved and studious man who is England’s only practical magician. Norrell takes on a new pupil who is nearly his opposite, the outgoing and daring Jonathan Strange. Together they plan to reintroduce magic to England, however they have vastly different ideas of what that looks like.
I was so impressed by this novel. Susanna Clarke’s excellent writing perfectly captured the style of a Victorian novel. The descriptive worldbuilding made the magical, alternate-history version of 19th century England feel very realistic and lived in. I loved the way real history, like the Napoleonic Wars, was woven together with magic. I am typically not a huge fan of footnotes in novels because they tend to break immersion but I really enjoyed the footnotes in this book. They weren’t exactly integral to the story but they expanded upon the worldbuilding and magic system in a fun way. The history and source of magic were explored in depth however the rules and limitations of the magic system weren’t as concrete, though it was apparent that rules and limitations did exist.
There were a lot of characters in this book. Both protagonists, Norrell and Strange were different shades of morally gray. The way Norrell hoarded magical knowledge seemed to be rooted in conceit, however as the story progressed I started to better understand his controversial perspective. I had the opposite experience with Strange. His charming and adventurous nature made me more of a Strangite for most of the book but his carelessness started to catch up with him. By the end I viewed Norrell and Strange as equally flawed characters. Aside from the protagonists, I really liked Arabella, Lady Pole, and Segundus. I was a little more indifferent towards Childermass and Stephen. Of course, the rise of the antagonist, the gentleman with the thistle-down hair, was the result of Norrell’s mistake that he refused to take accountability for. I was expecting more of a final battle between Norrell, Strange, and the gentleman but what happened instead made sense given the build up. The ending was somewhat ambiguous yet equally hopeful and somber.
The only real detractor for me was the pacing. Slow pacing was to be expected given the length but even so some of the tangents or side quests were less interesting than others.
Overall, this was an incredible book that I am going to think about for a long time. Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell are vastly different books but I will read anything Susanna Clarke writes going forward. This is a book that I appreciate more than I love so I will give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
I was so impressed by this novel. Susanna Clarke’s excellent writing perfectly captured the style of a Victorian novel. The descriptive worldbuilding made the magical, alternate-history version of 19th century England feel very realistic and lived in. I loved the way real history, like the Napoleonic Wars, was woven together with magic. I am typically not a huge fan of footnotes in novels because they tend to break immersion but I really enjoyed the footnotes in this book. They weren’t exactly integral to the story but they expanded upon the worldbuilding and magic system in a fun way. The history and source of magic were explored in depth however the rules and limitations of the magic system weren’t as concrete, though it was apparent that rules and limitations did exist.
There were a lot of characters in this book. Both protagonists, Norrell and Strange were different shades of morally gray. The way Norrell hoarded magical knowledge seemed to be rooted in conceit, however as the story progressed I started to better understand his controversial perspective. I had the opposite experience with Strange. His charming and adventurous nature made me more of a Strangite for most of the book but his carelessness started to catch up with him. By the end I viewed Norrell and Strange as equally flawed characters. Aside from the protagonists, I really liked Arabella, Lady Pole, and Segundus. I was a little more indifferent towards Childermass and Stephen. Of course, the rise of the antagonist, the gentleman with the thistle-down hair, was the result of Norrell’s mistake that he refused to take accountability for. I was expecting more of a final battle between Norrell, Strange, and the gentleman but what happened instead made sense given the build up. The ending was somewhat ambiguous yet equally hopeful and somber.
The only real detractor for me was the pacing. Slow pacing was to be expected given the length but even so some of the tangents or side quests were less interesting than others.
Overall, this was an incredible book that I am going to think about for a long time. Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell are vastly different books but I will read anything Susanna Clarke writes going forward. This is a book that I appreciate more than I love so I will give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
the_caaah's review against another edition
3.0
The plot and characters were interesting and compelling, but the writing style was plodding and tedious.
pasfer92's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
tinylantern's review against another edition
I love Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, so I thought I’d read her bestselling debut to explore more of the surreal worlds she has created. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell started off interesting with the cozy dark academia atmosphere, diverse characters, and the “practical” view of magic. I was also impressed by the author’s detailed footnotes no matter the length. Midway through part 2, there just seemed to be so many side stories going on and I could no longer keep up. It was tempting to skip through battle scenes but I worried I’d miss out on essential events. Marking this book DNF for now because I want to move on to the rest of my TBR list. Still considering picking it up again someday because I believe it’s worth finishing.
kelseyleftwich's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
s_h_a_r_i's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written, but might have been more edible if it weren't as insanely long and long-winded.
jay_hobday's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
amyingomar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0