The first time I attempted to read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell was back in 2005 or so, a year after it had first come out to all the acclaim in the world. I gave up after about a hundred pages – I was in my late teens at the time, and a 1000-page tome written like a Victorian classic focused more on daily minutia over fast-paced action wasn't exactly my style. I re-attempted it again a few years later – but again, found myself disinterested after 200 pages or so.
Some years went by, and recently, I was gifted a bundle of used books from a family member moving houses and looking to get rid of some of their possessions. JSaMN happened to be in that pile of books, and last month, I decided to give it one final attempt. Over the past few years, I've kind of 'leveled up' my reading with more classics, literary fiction and non-fiction, and my patience and ability to navigate a book like this I felt would be better than it was.
Well, it stuck this time around, and I ended up finishing the book and really loving it quite a bit. Letting myself get immersed into the intricately detailed, grounded and fleshed-out world Susanna Clarke created, and just going with the slow-burn flow of the story really made it much more enjoyable this time around.
This book really is unlike any other fantasy novel I've read – it essentially is a Victorian drama of manners that just happens to feature some magic. Clarke's ability to create such a compelling setting where the practice of magic is so interweaved into what is otherwise a grounded "our world" is pretty incredible.
The crux of the story, and what really drives it, are the two protagonists and their journey. Two lost, somewhat broken men finding solace and belonging in each other, and the thrill – and the lows – of dedicating your life to mastering an art. It's a long, and fascinating journey, and Susanna Clarke really makes you feel both the narrative and personal weight of it on the main characters.
The style is fantastic as well, as Clarke's simple and yet elegant prose captures Victorian England in all its glory, and enhances the atmosphere of the book feeling like it really was written in that era. The numerous footnotes add to the immersion as well, and really add to the lore and worldbuilding without taking away from the general pace and flow of the story.
I do have some quibbles with the book, although they're fairly minor. The pacing in general is fine (although it may be a hard sell for those preferring something faster) but it does tend to become downright glacial at points. I also wasn't very invested in a lot of the side stories, for example the introduction of the Greysteels in Italy in the final quarter of the book. The relationship between Strange and Norrell is so compelling that you keep wishing for the book to go back to that story thread.
I also felt that the book lacks a sense of…emotional attachment I suppose? At least, for a large part of it anyway. I guess it aligns with Victorian England being a stuffy, stoic sort of place but the story does tend to keep you at a bit of a distance. The ending was fairly powerful though.
Overall, I'm glad I made the journey through this book and saw it through to the end. It's not for everyone, and for many it may be the kind of book you respect and admire rather than love. But it's still an impressive achievement in the genre, and really stands alone as a very unique story.
by Monkey-on-the-couch