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I'm about three quarters of the way through Susanna Clarkes 'Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrell' and if I had the strength of will I'd put it down and ration it to make it last longer I don't, so I won't, and the book will be over before the week is.
It's the story of two magicians in the early part of the 19th century with conflicting temperaments and ideals. Both want to restore the tradition of English Magic but the decisions they make along the way, and the compromises they make, have terrible consequences for the people around them. It's a storry of Fairies, of scholars, of war against Napoleon, and the legendary King of the North. Starting in 1806 and spanning almost 11 years in the lives of the characters this is an epic fantasy sage that just happens to be a historical romance and society comedy too.
When the novel starts the Britain presented is almost identical to any novel published around the time it's set. Characters could walk straight from the library at Hurtfew (Yorkshire home of Gilbert Norrell) to, say, Northanger Abbey without too much stretching of the imagination. Over the course more is revealed about the world, through discussion, character discoveries, and footnotes revealing a Britain with a quite different history to our own. I don't want to say too much more because the exploration of this England has been a great part of the pleasure for me.
It's a wonderful fantasy story with a brace of memorable characters. The titular characters are very well drawn and I recognised much of them in people I know (not the least the fact that I share many traits with Mr Norrell) and there are a parade of likeable, interesting supporting characters and a brace of walk on parts with greater depth than you would reasonably expect for someone who appears for half a dozen pages and is never named. As in the finest novel there has ever been, Emma, the characters all have shade and depth. No-one is inherently bad, and even the best and noblest can be bitter and mean spirited and act in ways that shame them.
It's written very much in the style of the 19th century comedy of manners, a pastich of the style of Austen almost, but that adds so much to the texture and experience. It also happens to contain one of the most thrilling sequences I've read in a long time - Childermass' street set confrontation with Lady Pole for those that have read it.
I'm sure there will be many who didn't like it, and I wasn't surprised to find out Clarke is a fan of Neil Gaiman, but I've enjoyed reading it immensley. Though I'm cheered that characters from this will be appearing in Clarkes upcoming short story collection and he next novel is set in the same world I am sadddened that there are only 250 pages left to read. I'd happilly read two or three as much again of this memorable novel. |
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