A review by sarahf14
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

adventurous challenging dark funny 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

5.0

I went through such a wide range of emotions while reading this. The book is a remarkable feat of creativity. It is so tightly woven together and the world building is so complete, it is almost believable as a record of real events (had magic ever returned to England). I strongly feel that the birth of England should be ruled by the Raven King in real life. I got bored at points, I felt frustrated, I wondered what the point was. There were loads of digressions, which weren’t as disruptive or annoying as I might have anticipated. All the battle stuff got a bit dull. What I really want to know is HOW DID SUSANNA CLARKE BRING IT ALL TOGETHER IN THE LAST 100 PAGES TO MAKE IT A 5 STAR READ! I’d like to think I’ll be re-reading this in the future at least once.