Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Critics

• It's a kind of magick

  Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke 794pp, Bloomsbury, £17.99 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell may soon be inescapable. It's already a bestseller in the US, legions of grown-up Harry Potter fans are hungry for their next banquet, and Bloomsb ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

• Strangely strange, but oddly normal

  Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke Bloomsbury £17.99, pp800 Witchcraft can hardly have been so popular since James I wrote Demonology. Magical worlds have been a mainstay of children's literature for some time, but there has been an up ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

30 Reviews

• 5 people find this helpful

  

  Yes, I took a while to finish this as I found the beginning of this book V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W. Nevertheless, with patience and my friend constantly insisting that this was a really good book, I'm glad to say it's gothic, dark and very well worth the read if you can get past the shit-boring introduction w ... (continue)

  Yes, I took a while to finish this as I found the beginning of this book V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W. Nevertheless, with patience and my friend constantly insisting that this was a really good book, I'm glad to say it's gothic, dark and very well worth the read if you can get past the shit-boring introduction which lasted over 100 pages.

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  shazzpezzazz said on Feb 23, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 4 people find this helpful

  

  I first picked up this book because the back cover described it has having elements of both Jane Austen and Tolkein. How could you not be intrigued by that? This book takes dedication to read--not only is it massive, but it's also not exactly what I would call a page turner. That said, I would de ... (continue)

  I first picked up this book because the back cover described it has having elements of both Jane Austen and Tolkein. How could you not be intrigued by that? This book takes dedication to read--not only is it massive, but it's also not exactly what I would call a page turner. That said, I would definitely encourage anyone interested in historical fiction and/or fantasy to give it glance. It's very interesting, meticulously researched, and well-written.

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  Amanda said on May 24, 2006 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  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 13, 2009 | Add your feedback

• 

  I just can't get it.
  After more then 400 pages, I'm afraid I have to say: I give up!

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  gedeoskij said on Dec 2, 2011 | Add your feedback

• 

  A Wonderful Read

  Susanna Clarke here creates a charming and believable alternative to Regency England. It's the sort of book that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and read it straight through. The plot is captivating and full of twists, and the alternate history is endlessly entertaining. Really, every ... (continue)

  Susanna Clarke here creates a charming and believable alternative to Regency England. It's the sort of book that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and read it straight through. The plot is captivating and full of twists, and the alternate history is endlessly entertaining. Really, everything about this book is wonderful.

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  currerbell said on Oct 28, 2010 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 

  I think this seems to be a love it or hate it book. Personally I loved it.

  Jonathan Culverhouse. Author of Underkingdom: Disco Goblins vs The Machine, a fantasy novel for children.
  www.underkingdom.co.uk

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  Jonathan Culverhouse said on Jul 20, 2010 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

See all 30 comments

Book Details

• Rating:
  (306)
  • 5 stars
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• English Books
• Paperback 1024 Pages
• Edition: New Ed
• ISBN-10: 0747579881
• ISBN-13: 9780747579885
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Pub date: Jan 01, 2005
• Dimensions: 1290 mm x 774 mm x 323 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Mass Market Paperback, Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette, Others and eBook
• In other languages: other languages 繁體書, 简体书, Livres Français, Deutsche Bücher, Libros en Español, llibres en català, Libri Italiani, Российские Книги, Nederlandse Boeken, Svenska böcker

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Groups with this in collection

• Fantasy Recommendations (38)
• Totally Teen Fiction (59)
• Civitanova Marche (28)
• The Collective (144)
• NY Times Notable Book Club (474)

Margin notes of this book

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ISBN	Edition	List	Sale	Seller
9780747579885	Paperback	$16.08	$16.08	The Book Depository
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+ 4 copies tradable: 1 in USA →