jonathan strange and mr norrell goodreads

It was quite funny to read about the first time Mr Norrell actually gave his pupil a book. Under Mr Norrell’s tutelage, Strange begins to learn more about magic, even though the best books on the subject are still kept away from him by his tutor.

This is the start of a partnership between the two magicians. There they meet Mr Strange and being told that he was looking for books of magic, they encourage him to become Norrell’s pupil. It is now 1809 and the two magicians (one of them now only a theoretical magician) make plans to visit a haunted place called Shadow House. The second volume of the story begins with Mr Honeyfoot and Mr Segundus going on a trip, three years later from when the events in volume one started. I will add the links to their reviews as soon as I get them. Vishy and I are co-hosting this event, and we are joined by several bloggers who decided to share this experience with us. The personal interactions, the social comedy, and the infusion of magic into a Jane Austen-type story is delightful.This is the second week of the read-along in which we discuss Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. It is a novel about magic for adults, told in the Victorian novel style, and told quite well.

It is a world as rich-dare I say richer-than the Harry Potter series, perhaps closer to Tolkien, though not as complex and wide-ranging, of course. She even includes copious footnotes that explain various references to magic, earlier events, and tales of magicians, as well as explanatory notes for those of us not schooled in the magical arts. The world that Clarke has created is rich and believable. He delves into the darker sides of ancient magic, setting them against each other and imperilling the world of non-magicians. All is well until the student begins to feel that the master is holding him back. The, another practising magician reveals himself, and Jonathon Strange becomes Norrell’s pupil. He becomes the toast of London, and people come to him to perform magic even the government uses him in their battles against Napolean. Norrell comes along-a practising magician, and puts an end to the rest of them, insisting he is the only one who really understands magic and can deal with it safely. The only existing “magicians” belong mostly to societies who study magic, but do not practice-they are enthusiasts of the history of magic in England.īut Mr. It is a world in which magic was known throughout the land in centuries past, but no more.

This is probably because Clarke has woven a world that is familiar yet different-it is a slightly alternate history of England in the 1800’s. On the other, it kept me reading and I can’t think of anything that could have been left out. This is a long book (almost 900 pages), and it had a strange effect on me.

Jonathan strange and mr norrell goodreads