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  • Slow, long and not worth the effort.

  • As a high school British Literature teacher, I normally enjoy prose written in the Victorian style the author pitifully tried to re-create. The only reason this novel avoided a 1 star rating was the hilarious portrayal of Napoleon Bonaparte and Lord Byron. That is it. Those were the only things I ... Continue

    As a high school British Literature teacher, I normally enjoy prose written in the Victorian style the author pitifully tried to re-create. The only reason this novel avoided a 1 star rating was the hilarious portrayal of Napoleon Bonaparte and Lord Byron. That is it. Those were the only things I even remotely enjoyed. The ending was very quick and horrible. The characters were flat and uninteresting. I basically wasted 2 weeks of my reading life forcing myself through the 846 pages of overrated jargon.

    

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• ― shanetucker said on Aug 12, 2009 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

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  • could not get into this book

    

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• ― Vfwkim said on Aug 9, 2008 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

• .

  • Brilliant story

  • Okay, so the beginning may have been a little bit slow - but not enough to put you off of the book. And as you keep reading, you realise how necessary all of it was.

    The character and location development is gorgeous. The storytelling is witty and intelligent and moves along well after the fir ... Continue

    Okay, so the beginning may have been a little bit slow - but not enough to put you off of the book. And as you keep reading, you realise how necessary all of it was.

    The character and location development is gorgeous. The storytelling is witty and intelligent and moves along well after the first bit.

    I absolutely loved the story, mostly because of its depth and intelligence.

    

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• ― Joel Goodman said on Jun 5, 2008 about the Hardcover edition| Add your feedback

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  • My thoughts

  • I admit when I first saw this book I was reluctant to read it - not because of the subject. I like books about magic and history, but because of the size. From the beginning, however, Clarke's writing pulled me into this world in which magic is studied and practiced, used and misunderstood. I especi ... Continue

    I admit when I first saw this book I was reluctant to read it - not because of the subject. I like books about magic and history, but because of the size. From the beginning, however, Clarke's writing pulled me into this world in which magic is studied and practiced, used and misunderstood. I especially liked the interactions between Norrell and Strange and the ones between the servant Stephen Black and the faery gentleman with the thistle-down hair.

    

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• ― krin5292 said on May 30, 2008 about the Hardcover edition| Add your feedback

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  • This book started a bit slowly but I gradually became very engrossed in it. I found myself feeling that this was very real and I couldn't figure out why I didn't know a lot of this history!

    

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• ― Mccauslinj said on May 15, 2008 about the Hardcover edition| Add your feedback

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  • Finally finished this book on audiobook. Was too long for me, and I'm just not crazy about the Victorian type prose.

    

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• ― Avi said on Jan 24, 2008 about the Hardcover edition| Add your feedback

꿈의 언어와 악몽의 언어로 씌어진 판타지 팩션. 이 소설은 역사를 단순히 역사 그 자체로서 그려내지 않고 마법과 요정, 혼령이 뒤섞인 일상의 차원에서 그려낸, 색다르고 특이한 작품이다. 요즘 유행하는 팩션 문학의 모범적 전형을 보여주고 있는 이 작품은 19세기 영국과 프랑스의 전쟁을 배경으로 활약하는 영국의 두 마법사에 관한 이야기이다. 그러나 전쟁과 마법의 자극적 이야기를 쫓기보다는 마법을 통해 인간 본연의 욕망과 분노, 사랑과 절망에 대한 근원적 접근을 시도한 작품이다. 판타지 소설의 음산한 신비주의와 제인 오스틴 풍의 사회 풍자극을 섞어 놓은 듯한 이 작품은 독자들에게 이전의 팩션 소설과 구별되는 새로운 감각, 역사와 판타지의 결합이라는 점에서 톨킨의 작품에 버금가는 판타지 소설의 대작이라는 평가를 받고 있다. [예스24 제공]

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