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A review by podanotherjessi
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Did not finish book. Stopped at 72%.
The library loan was returned with likely months to wait until I got it back. And honestly, I'd been forcing my way through the book as it was, so I took it as divine intervention to give it up.
This book felt like hanging out with friends who are having a conversation about people I don't know. It was interesting to listen to, but I wasn't really invested. For a while, this was charming, and I was okay just being along for the ride. But the book went on just far, far too long, and the charm wore off fast.
I liked the Lady Pole/Stephen Black story (although I question if Clarke is the best person to be making some of the commentary she was making). But even though that seemed like that actual main plot and conflict of the novel, it took up maybe a third of the actual book. And I just wasn't interested in what made up the bulk of the novel, which is partially the interpersonal drama between Norrell and Strange, and partially English history repackaged with a little bit of magic. The former of these lost me as I became increasingly confused about character motivations.Why on earth is Norrell so possessive of magic anyway?? And the latter of these was just boring when not downright brushing off of harmful moments. Strange helping support the East India Trading Company being dropped as just a random aside with no comment on the implications was a major yikes for me.
Overall, not enough fey and too much supporting British imperialism.
This book felt like hanging out with friends who are having a conversation about people I don't know. It was interesting to listen to, but I wasn't really invested. For a while, this was charming, and I was okay just being along for the ride. But the book went on just far, far too long, and the charm wore off fast.
I liked the Lady Pole/Stephen Black story (although I question if Clarke is the best person to be making some of the commentary she was making). But even though that seemed like that actual main plot and conflict of the novel, it took up maybe a third of the actual book. And I just wasn't interested in what made up the bulk of the novel, which is partially the interpersonal drama between Norrell and Strange, and partially English history repackaged with a little bit of magic. The former of these lost me as I became increasingly confused about character motivations.
Overall, not enough fey and too much supporting British imperialism.