Published: September 2004
Pages: 1006
Series: Standalone
Summary
The year is 1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation’s past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell, whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country.
Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange.
Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms that between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.
My thoughts
This book is a phenomenal work of art.
Those are big words but I absolutely adored this book. I DEVOURED this story and the characters.
I really think this is a definite must read for those that love purely character driven, mystical and enchanting books. If you loved The Starless Sea, this is in the same realm. The writing is crisp, intelligent and emotional. Stories weaving into other stories with so much depth. You know that scene of Donkey from Shrek looking at the onion? “It has layers!”. These stories have so many perspectives and dimensions. It really is a book where the author puts just as much thought and consideration into what isn’t written. It’s just fantastic, I cannot fault it at all. I think I am fangirling right now.
“Because, whenever I am melancholy you talk to me of cheerful things and cure my low spirits and so I must now do the same for you. That is what friendship is.”
The elephant in the room.. This is a very, very long book and many complain that it’s too long, but I really think every page was worth it. This book is character driven. Two rival magicians in a world where magic is at the point where its pretty much gone. People don’t really remember being able to use magic. It has died. We therefore need to understand their stories so that we appreciate the decisions and choices that have been made. So that we understand what has made these characters who they are today and it’s all so important. You need to read those pages. It builds the context, the very fragile war, the influence on the country and the people, the power imbalance, the potential threats. There are lots of pages but the storytelling is brilliant.
Mr Norrel is a hoarder of knowledge. A rather selfish being that wants his own way and his own beliefs to trump all others. He sees himself as the only one who should hold such critical, magical knowledge and power. Instead of encouraging enthusiasm and sharing his love of magic with others. He is narcissistic and only looking out for his own ideals. Even with good people in his inner circle, he is easily swayed by his own selfishness, especially when vocalised by someone who supports him.
It really highlights such a huge problem. Mr Norrel actively wants to take knowledge away from others. He wants to keep others ignorant so that he is the one people come to. It’s all about control and positioning him in a fortuitous position. Where have we seen that before? If we don’t educate then people cannot make informed decisions. People cannot do better for themselves, they remain stuck and reliant. There are so many undertones throughout this story to this behaviour and the repercussions of what people sacrifice and where that leads them. Sometimes for the better.. sometimes for the worst.
I really loved Strange. He was dished a poor hand but he really turned it around. A charming, funny and very intelligent man. He is absolutely not perfect. He dearly loves his wife, and it is rooted deep in him that his love for her is solid. However he gets easily side tracked with his magic studies and often neglectful.
“Can a magician kill a man by magic?” Lord Wellington asked Strange.
Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. “I suppose a magician might,” he admitted, “but a gentleman never could.”
He doesn’t understand how to have a relationship and often magic is above all, but he always has is wife in his heart and he would do anything to protect her. I think she helped keep him balanced and his humanity in check, not diving too far into the magic and helping him understand the boundaries. And isn’t that the goal? To find someone you can gel with where you both help each other to be better people. I think he gave back to her just as much as she gave him, and his ultimate act was a very beautiful one.
“To be more precise it was the colour of heartache.”
There are some common characters that appear in sections of this book – Segundus, I love Segundus. I really appreciate the relationship between him and Mr Honeyfoot despite their familial differences; Segundus being poor and Mr Honeyfoot being a rather rich gentleman. They come together on their love of magic to ask the most important question of all which takes them down their own paths through the years
Why did magic leave England?
There is a fairytale aspect to this too which I didn’t see coming but I ate it up.
We’ve got faeries and stories, and mysterious characters we slowly learn about. Their desires and what drives them is not clear at all but we’re slowly given more and more. And what I loved the most about all of this going on was the way the author knew exactly what to write and what not to write. She teased us and lay the foundations with smart clues but she never outright says anything. It’s up to us to piece together the clues.
We get told snippets of faery stories as we follow along our characters. We get perspectives from characters we’re not clear about but the answers are hidden in plain sight. I felt so excited reading this and picking up on these. As well as the clear emotional ties I had to these characters. I felt their anger, suffering, pain, joy, it all felt so real.
“But when the fairy sang the whole world listened to him. Stephen felt clouds pause in their passing; he felt sleeping hills shift and murmur; he felt cold mists dance. He understood for the first time that the world is not dumb at all, but merely waiting for someone to speak to it in a language it understands. In the fairy’s song the earth recognized the names by which it called itself.”
The characters don’t follow stereotypes or the standard fantasy archetypes – even the side characters are so incredibly complex. They apply their minds and feelings to each situation. I’m so tired of reading historical fantasies where the women get treated like sh*t *cough* Red Winter. There is none of that here and it doesn’t impact the story whatsoever – who would have known?? And don’t get me wrong, Susanna is incredibly well versed in the history of this time period. She clearly did extensive research to not only get a strong sense of accuracy to the war at hand but to the political landscape and turbulence of those in power. She knows her stuff very, very well, she just didn’t add in women mutilation under the guise of historic events.
I absolutely need to reread this in the future once the dust has settled. I imagine with each fresh read I’ll pick up on more clues and signs. I am so excited.
Would I recommend?
Yes, yes and yes. If you love stories led with strong character development. Faeries, charms and whimsical stories. A great host of characters and different point of views that all touch each other in some way or another. Mystery, intrigue and intelligence. I absolutely love this story.