Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke had been on my TBR list for a very long time, and it was one of the last books I listened to while I was still commuting, pre-pandemic, to work every day.

This book was long and sort of dense, but I enjoyed it all the same. The story takes place in sort of an alternate victorian England where magic has left but has made a return in the form of our title characters. Strange and Norrell have to navigate their complex relationship as the only two magicians left in England. They have different ideas of what magic should be and do.

I’m not going to lie, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy adventure, you’re going to be disappointed. What this is is a study of complex character and a sort of mystery. The magic had strange rules, the fae were part of the book but not the biggest part.

I listened to this book but didn’t read it – supposedly there are footnotes and illustrations and so if you’re someone who gets a lot of the reading experience this might be a book to read instead of to listen to. I listened to it because it’s much easier for me to listen to books than to read all of them, but this is one I’d like to go back to if given the opportunity to read it.

As I said, I recommend this if you like alternate history, complex characters, and speculative fantasy. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re looking for the George RR Martin style fantasy, or Tolkien style fantasy, or even Harry Potter style fantasy. The tone is masterful and the prose is great, but it’s not a typical fantasy novel in terms of action or magic. It’s part of what makes it special.

Tagged: authors: susanna clarke, books: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction