As Fall gently (or not so gently if you have allergies) asserts itself over our small corner of the world, my thoughts generally turn to things of a magic and pastoral nature. Maybe it’s because of where we live, maybe it’s because I’m an anglophile, but to combat the waning daylight and iron grey skies, I am recommending a whopper this month.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke is the author’s first novel. Weighing in at a hefty 1000 pages plus, and over 10 years in completion, this sprawling fantastic-romantic epic is one of the best ways to pass crisp fall days with warm cups of tea firmly in hand. Borrowing heavily from the style of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Mary Shelley, the tale follows the exploits of two Napoleonic-era English magicians who herald the return of sorcery to the British Isles. Norrell is a dry academic, enabling his talents through study and learning, using sorcery only in the most metered and conservative ways. Strange on the other hand, is all talent, breezing through this new phenomenon by the seat of his pants, making his incantations from sheer force of will. The tale follows these men’s relationship, as well as the effect of magic’s sudden return on the world at large.
The book is dense, and when I say it’s written in the style of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, I really mean it. If you like the works of those authors or that general period of literature, you will like this book. Littered with footnotes and anecdotes, it reads at times like a comedy of manners, at others like a gothic horror story. The protagonists are interesting and flawed, and portrayed as deeply human. There are action sequences, largely owing to Strange’s recruitment in the fight against Napoleon, as well as Byronic romantic passages. Believe me when I say that no matter what you like, if you have an open mind, this book will have something for you. Oh, and to those of you who might be scared away by the idea of magic in a book, don’t be. This is not Tolkien, this is not invented names with too many consonants, so do not disregard it for that. Give it a shot. You may not work through it all in one go, (I didn’t) but this is one of the most well crafted and rewarding reading experiences you are going to come across.
Would you like to order a copy of this book through the online catalog? Just click here and click request item! Make sure you have your library card with you!