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A review by aurabora
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Slow, slow, SLOW, SLLLLOOOOOOOOWWWWW. I think it wasn't until about 20% of the way through the book that the first major event happened that's written in the second sentence of the book summary! Then it felt like nothing much was happening in the plot until 80-85% of the way through. In a 1000 page (32 hour audio) book, that is SO MUCH of just ~vibes~. I should have DNF'd it after nothing happened in the first half, but I hoped that it would pick up and that everything would be tied together. It did not :( The audiobook narration was the highlight, and there is absolutely no way on Earth I would have made it through a print version.
I'd only recommend this book to folks who LOVE Austen and want to spend time reading interesting prose without much concern to the characters or plot development of the book. It should have been in my wheelhouse with the magical world building, but I've learned that I don't care much about the prose by itself. I need the plot to be compelling. I'd have been satisfied with character growth instead, I suppose, but I'm not sure I'd qualify "turning mad" as "growth" and the way that whole plot point was handled really left a sour taste in my mouth.
--SPOILERS AHOY--
There were really only a handful of major plot points across these HOURS and HOURS of narration:
1. Mr. Norrell resurrects Lady Pole.
2. The Thistledown Gentleman controls Lady Pole and Stephen Black at night.
3. Jonathan Strange fights in the Napoleonic Wars.
3. The 2 part ways
4. Thistledown captures Arabella, Strange thinks she's dead
5. Strange "becomes mad" to contact Thistledown and enter Faerie.
6. Strange ~SOMEHOW~ figures out how to control the elements the way faeries do.
7. The magicians reunite.
8. Mistaken identity (?) and some spell allows Thistledown to be 'defeated'.
My other main complaint is that even those few slim plot points outlined above happen at such a remove, that it's hard for the reader to feel engaged or gripped by them happening. They're often mentioned in passing, or implied, or passed over so quickly within the 3rd person narration that it sounds like the recollection of a disinterested 3rd party who heard about it once years ago. The interesting magic bits are usually described just by their effects, whereas the tedium of the normal world is described in greater detail. Like, we know how those parts work already!! Describe the MAGIC!!
There were so many opportunities for the book to choose the interesting path, as there ARE great ideas hidden within. I kept waiting for the book to take off after one was introduced, or waiting for all the threads to be pulled together at the end, but that was too much to hope for.
-- Mr. Norrell knows what Thistledown looks like and how faeries behave, now. Will that come back and be useful? No.
-- Wow, Strange just enters a war after only living in comfortable English society. Let's see how the trauma of war affects his mind and his magic...oh, what? He's done is "black magic"? There's got to be consequences for that! Uh, no.
-- Oh cool, Strange learns how to walk through mirrors and enter another realm. Surely that will come back and be a cool piece of magic to explore? No.
-- Strange has met the King of England, defeated Thistledown's enchantments, and taught himself a really powerful piece of magic? Wow, will that change the trajectory of all these characters, and all of England? No.
-- Strange has found MORE magicians?? Has unleashed magic into the world again? That will turn everything upside down and will surely have a huge impact... but alas, no.
-- Lady Pole's been rescued! How will her return reveal the truth of the world? What will she do? Oh, write a strongly worded letter to the Times? Ok, but we get to at least read it, right? Or see the fallout? No? Ok... Not like the women could really have any impact on these men anyway...
-- There's an ENTIRE Part of the book called "John Uskglass", so we'll finally find out who the Raven King is and get to meet him, right??? You know where this is going... No.
And on and on and on and on and on and on... The entire book is just a stream of these thoughts, so be prepared for continual disappointment.
I'd only recommend this book to folks who LOVE Austen and want to spend time reading interesting prose without much concern to the characters or plot development of the book. It should have been in my wheelhouse with the magical world building, but I've learned that I don't care much about the prose by itself. I need the plot to be compelling. I'd have been satisfied with character growth instead, I suppose, but I'm not sure I'd qualify "turning mad" as "growth" and the way that whole plot point was handled really left a sour taste in my mouth.
--SPOILERS AHOY--
There were really only a handful of major plot points across these HOURS and HOURS of narration:
2. The Thistledown Gentleman controls Lady Pole and Stephen Black at night.
3. Jonathan Strange fights in the Napoleonic Wars.
3. The 2 part ways
4. Thistledown captures Arabella, Strange thinks she's dead
5. Strange "becomes mad" to contact Thistledown and enter Faerie.
6. Strange ~SOMEHOW~ figures out how to control the elements the way faeries do.
7. The magicians reunite.
8. Mistaken identity (?) and some spell allows Thistledown to be 'defeated'.
My other main complaint is that even those few slim plot points outlined above happen at such a remove, that it's hard for the reader to feel engaged or gripped by them happening. They're often mentioned in passing, or implied, or passed over so quickly within the 3rd person narration that it sounds like the recollection of a disinterested 3rd party who heard about it once years ago. The interesting magic bits are usually described just by their effects, whereas the tedium of the normal world is described in greater detail. Like, we know how those parts work already!! Describe the MAGIC!!
There were so many opportunities for the book to choose the interesting path, as there ARE great ideas hidden within. I kept waiting for the book to take off after one was introduced, or waiting for all the threads to be pulled together at the end, but that was too much to hope for.
-- Wow, Strange just enters a war after only living in comfortable English society. Let's see how the trauma of war affects his mind and his magic...oh, what? He's done is "black magic"? There's got to be consequences for that! Uh, no.
-- Oh cool, Strange learns how to walk through mirrors and enter another realm. Surely that will come back and be a cool piece of magic to explore? No.
-- Strange has met the King of England, defeated Thistledown's enchantments, and taught himself a really powerful piece of magic? Wow, will that change the trajectory of all these characters, and all of England? No.
-- Strange has found MORE magicians?? Has unleashed magic into the world again? That will turn everything upside down and will surely have a huge impact... but alas, no.
-- Lady Pole's been rescued! How will her return reveal the truth of the world? What will she do? Oh, write a strongly worded letter to the Times? Ok, but we get to at least read it, right? Or see the fallout? No? Ok... Not like the women could really have any impact on these men anyway...
-- There's an ENTIRE Part of the book called "John Uskglass", so we'll finally find out who the Raven King is and get to meet him, right??? You know where this is going... No.
And on and on and on and on and on and on... The entire book is just a stream of these thoughts, so be prepared for continual disappointment.