Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

At 846 pages, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susana Clarke is an investment in time and dedication. The book is very highly reviewed at Amazon.com and by newspapers and book reviewers around the world. I picked it trying to take a break from my usual diet of business and non-fiction books. I was hesitant because of the size, I looked at it, put it down, wandered around the book store, came back to it, picked it up, put it down again, wandered around some more, finally my wife said BUY IT already! Its good! So I bought it. This was late Sept 2006.

Yup, it took 3 months to read this tome. At times I would get bored with it, then the pace would pick up and I couldn't put it down and then the pace would slow down again. The book is structured into 3 volumes and traces the rebirth of magic in 19th century England. As first Mr. Norrell brings magic back and then his apprentice Jonathan Strange helps him to further magic in public perception as a worthwhile profession.

The book is a mix of Harry Potter, Lord of Rings and adventure. HP because it puts magic as part of everyday life although visible to all, not everyone is able to practice it. The names and art are Potter-esque too. Lord of the Rings because of the sheer amount of information in the book. There are footnotes that provide additional insight and historical information to the story. Sometimes, I found this did little to add to the value of the reading. And adventure? Well magic is coming back, Norrell and Strange are the new Lewis & Clark though they take different paths to discover the world according to magic, both are explorers in a new land. Along the way friendships, marriages and national politics are tested to the limits.

So would I recommend this book? Eh its ok. Its not great, but the world that the author has created is certainly detailed and complex. At times I felt I would get lost in the prose and not the story. I certainly enjoyed the magic that was used, the relationship between the everyday world, magic and the natural world was believable. Strange and Norrell are supported by a host of other characters, each developed with their own eccentricities and motivations. The story is intriguing and had it been edited down a bit would have been a superb experience.