Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Author: Susanna Clarke
Genre: fantasy, alternate history, historical fiction, social comedy—you name it
Publication info: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2004
Pages: 1006 (in paperback; the hardcover edition is less than 800)

Best book I have read in a long time. It's also the only book I have read in a long time, but never mind that. This is a really, really good book. It ranks easily among my favorites now. One of the critics called it the kind of book you live in for weeks. I think that accurately describes my experience.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell takes place mainly during the Napoleonic Wars (one of the most entertaining aspects of the book is the way Clarke imitates writing styles of the period). To be a magician is a reputable career in England, although the "practical" magicians have long since died out, and all that are left are the "theoretical" ones, the magical scholars. One society of such magicians in York, however, discover a man who claims to be a practical magician. This man is Mr Norrell. At the risk of giving up their status as magicians, the society invites Mr Norrell to prove himself.

So he does. Magic has returned to England.

Norrell then moves to London, where he hopes to get in favor with the government so he can help the country in the war against France. What follows is some hilarious social comedy reminiscent of Jane Austen's novels. The first part of the book moves pretty slowly, but I found it too dang funny to put down. And little by little, the plot does thicken.

Eventually there comes along a young man named Jonathan Strange, who discovers by accident that he is a very able magician himself. He becomes Norrell's pupil, and the two rise to fame in the country. However, certain philosophical differences threaten to drive them apart. Strange becomes increasingly interested in a historical figure called the Raven King, the founder of English magic, while Norrell prefers the man to be forgotten completely.

Meanwhile, another threat is on the horizon: a fairy has come to England and is starting to make trouble. Serious trouble. This is one of the most fascinating aspects of the book. Britain has a long folkloric tradition of a land called Faerie. These aren't your fairies from Disney movies; these are people with great powers and few morals. As I read this book, I discovered that Faerie can be a very frightening place. Some parts of the book that explore that magical land are downright creepy. I loved it. If you want to learn about the tradition of Faerie, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a wonderful introduction.

I'd recommend this book to just about anyone. If you like fantasy, read this. If you like England, read this. Heck, if you like books, read this. I grant that it is a tad long, and some people complain that there is a lot of superfluous material in it, but I enjoyed it all too much to be bothered by that. I hope you will too. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell really is a book you can live in for weeks, and when it's done, you might not want to come back.