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Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Paperback)

by Susanna Clarke (Author), Portia Rosenberg (Illustrator), Neil Gaiman (Introduction)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Paperback: 864 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (September 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608190862
ISBN-13: 978-1608190867
Product Dimensions: 21 x 14 x 5.6 cm
Shipping Weight: 840 g

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. There may be no better marriage of talents than that of Clarke and Prebble. The former spins an enchanting, epic tale of English magic in the age of Napoleon, and the latter brings it to life—footnotes and all—with a full-bodied voice, skill and aplomb that rivals that of noted narrator Jim Dale. Set in a world where the study of theoretical magic is common, but the practice of it is unheard of, this sweeping narrative follows the exploits of England's only two practical magicians, the bookish Mr. Norrell and the affable Jonathan Strange, as they struggle to revive the country's magic in very different ways. Mr. Norrell is content to publish opaque, opinionated pieces on magic's uses and misuses, but Strange is fascinated by the legend and lore of the Raven King, the so-called father of English magic. The voices Prebble lends these two disparate characters nicely reflects their personalities—Norrell's voice is brittle and sometimes shrill, but Strange's is pleasant and ironic. As the two magicians labor together to defeat Napoleon and then separately to pursue their own ends, an elusive faerie known only as the "gentleman with the Thistledown hair" watches and schemes. Clarke's novel likely contains close to 100, if not more, characters, and Prebble juggles them all with ease. Although the heavy price of this audiobook may deter some listeners, there's no better way to experience the material than to hear it performed by such a consummate actor. Based on the Bloomsbury hardcover
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School - This delightful first novel exerts a strong and seductive pull on readers who might otherwise balk at its length. Like Philip Pullman's work, it is dark, deep, and challenging. It compares dead-on with Jane Austen's novels, and YAs who have underappreciated her wit may find it delicious when applied to magicians. Clarke even tosses in a bit of Dickens and Hardy - with great characterization, subplots, and a sense of fate bearing down hard on us. At stake is the future of English magic, which has nearly dwindled to all theory by the early 1800s, after centuries of prominence. When the book opens, only the reclusive and jealous Gilbert Norrell is practicing. Enter Jonathan Strange, a natural who has never studied magic formally. Norrell resents, then adopts Strange as a pupil whose growth he insists on controlling until the two come to the impasse that nearly leads them to destroy one another. Strange champions the 12th century's "Raven King" as the greatest magician in English history and hopes to summon him from Faerie, an alternate world. Norrell is determined to erase both from English memory - to hide the fact that he himself made a bargain with a fairy that has cost three people their lives, though their hearts go on dismally beating. Expertly written and imagined, the book is a feast for fans of fantasy, historical novels, or simply fabulously engrossing reads. - Emily Lloyd, formerly at Rehoboth Beach Public Library, DE
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

50 Reviews

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3 star:		(4)
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4.0 out of 5 stars (50 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Flight into Another World!, Aug 10 2008

By	Ian Gordon Malcomson (Smithers, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one masterpiece of modern fiction that I recommend young and old alike to read. It certainly exceeds anything the Harry Potter series has to say about the realm of ancient magic as it impinges on the affairs of the modern state. There is a virtual cornucopia of serious history interwoven with delightful, off-the-wall fiction to create a world that will certainly dazzle the senses and make you laugh at the other side of life. I started out listening to the audio rendition and ended up buying the book because it was so good. The story is both simple and complex in nature. It is the late eighteenth century England, and the magical power of sorcerers and the clandestine activities of fairies that once dominated the land centuries before have now fallen silent. Sure, there are thousands of books full of spells and enchantments stored away in dusty, cobwebbed old libraries throughout the kingdom, but who can understand them? The true practice of magic has fallen to a lot of charlatans and quacks who know little of the true power of the ancient formulas. That is until Mr. Norrell, an obscure magician from backwoods England steps forward to breathe new life into the profession and answer to an ancient prophecy that true magic would eventually return to save the kingdom. With the help of a young upstart named Jonathan Strange, Norrell undertakes an assignment to save the British Empire from that pestiferous Napoleon. This is where the story really takes off, and the reader gets to see the fabulous and not-so-fabulous goings-on in the world of magic happen before their very eyes. Norrell, the keeper of the secrets, is willing to take on Strange as his apprentice only if he obeys the master's instructions. While initially accepting these terms of employment, Strange quickly reinvents himself as a magician who is daring, innovative and risk-taking. The sorcerer's apprentice then quickly goes out to slay his dragons in a way that soon becomes a direct threat to Norrell. The reader should be prepared for anything as Strange roams the face of Europe putting a different complexion on the geopolitics of the times. Clarke's prose is so smooth that it might actually transport the reader into realms that he or she never thought possible, so beware of falling asleep with this book on your unconscious mind.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A rare gem, Dec 26 2008

By	Jack Blatant (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

I came across this by chance, opened it up, and was immediately swept away. I don't believe I've ever read anything like it - many of the elements are common to many different works of fantasy, but no one has worked them together in such a way as Susanna Clarke. For a modern novelist to be able to adopt a Victorian narrative voice without seeming stilted is an accomplishment all by itself, and the narrative itself is (forgive me) enchanting.

The only thing I would say against this work is that I think it drags on a bit too long. However, that may not be true for everyone. The drag notwithstanding, this is an absolutely brilliant read.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Something rich and strange, Jan 24 2008

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Jonathan Strange Mr Norrell (Paperback)

Most fantasy strikes for the bad ripoffs of Tolkien, or other well-known (though not always great) authors.

But Susanna Clarke dazzles in a subtle way in her debut novel, "Jonathan Clarke & Mr. Norrell," a sprawling opus that took a decade to write. Think if Jane Austen had written fantasy about feuding magicians, and you'll have a pretty good idea of how this reads.

It's the early 19th century, in England. The Napoleonic wars threaten England, but that's not the only struggle going on. Magic is all but dead in England; the so-called magicians don't actually want to handle it, but want to leave it to old books and stories. Once the English magicians were powerful and respected, but now they just write boring essays about magic. Except for Mr. Norrell, a cautious little Yorkshire man who taught himself how to do magic.

However, things take a twist when he gives his help in the battle against Napolean -- a new magician enters the scene, the enthusiastic and charming Jonathan Strange. The two magicians begin to work together, but things begin to go awry when Mr. Norrell realizes that Jonathan is attracted to all magic -- including the more dangerous varieties. He's increasingly fascinated by the legend of the Raven King, a changeling child who ruled Faerie and Earth...

Historical fantasies have rarely been as detailed and rich as this one -- usually either the "historic" or the "fantasy" is abused. Often the best authors can do is write alternate universe stories where America lost the Revolution, the Roman Empire never fell, and so on.

But Susanna Clarke shatters that with her richly-realized look at 19th-century Britain, with unique magic and a slight mythologic twist. This is an England where, even though magic is stagnant, it's still something of rich power, awesome presence, and the creatures involved in it are completely otherworldly.

Clarke keeps her writing solid, detailed and dignified, also footnoting extensively, with little wry winks and nudges to keep the book from being too serious. It does get tedious at times, and the finale gets a bit stretched out, but the positive far outweighs the negative. She has a flair for the historical parts of the book, keeping dates, battles, and political movement entwined in the plot.

But she doesn't neglect the fantasy either; there's a mythic flavor in the story of the Raven King and the old magicians, reminiscent of old legends from ancient times. Her handling of magic is especially good -- less is more, and hints of past greatness make the magic all the more stunning.

The title characters are the best of the book -- both are products of their times. Mr. Norrell is cautious, studious, ingenious and quiet, the sort of person you could imagine chatting with some classic author. Strange has more of the wild, society-be-damned wit that characterized some great artists of that time. And Norrell's faithful servant is just one of many solid supporting characters.

If Jane Austen had written like Diana Wynne-Jones, the result would have been something like "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell." Well-written, enticing and thoroughly original, this is a keeper.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Something rich and Strange
Most fantasy strikes for the bad ripoffs of Tolkien, or other well-known (though not always great) authors. Read more

Published on Oct 12 2007 by E. A Solinas

2.0 out of 5 stars Not my cup of tea...
I've read the first few chapters and this book and been quite unimpressed. After reading some reviews online and learning that the ending is generally found to be unsatisfying, I... Read more

Published on Sep 9 2007 by L. Bourque

4.0 out of 5 stars Something strange
Susanna Clarke dazzles in a subtle way in her debut novel, "Jonathan Clarke & Mr. Norrell," a startlingly original fantasy. No Dungeons & Dragons or Tolkien ripoffs here. Read more

Published on Feb 24 2007 by E. A Solinas

4.0 out of 5 stars The First Shall Fear Me, The Second Shall Long To Behold Me
Although she is the author of several short stories, "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" is Susanna Clarke's debut novel. Read more

Published on Jan 26 2007 by Craobh Rua