Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

I'm trying to keep up with the past year's most talked about books, and in fantasy genre it's definitely been Susanna Clarke's curiously named first novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. First of all, this is a heavy book - not only physically (and it is huge, as big paperback it's too heavy to read in bed) - it's also quite heavy in the language it uses with long and frequent footnotes breaking up the narrative. It's also a book one needs to read with thought and for hours at a time, I think I would have given up if I hadn't had two whole days to read it when I was sick before Christmas. Having said all that, I think it was definitely worth the effort in the end, it's an original book with a unique way of telling a story. Clarke has managed to create a book that is difficult to define in many ways, but she can stay true to her style till right in the end which is not by any means a small feat.

The story takes place in Napoleonic times England (and Europe) when magicians have resigned to researching magic instead of performing it, as since the disappearance of Raven King magic has slowly stopped working. In this setting a magician called Mr. Norrell rises out who can actually perform real magic and who quickly becomes the center of all attention in London high society as the only magician in the country, until he takes one Jonathan Strange as his pupil. There are two concurrent plots that are loosely connected but in the end it's difficult to say which one is the main plot and which the side one - or maybe those definitions don't hold for this book either.

It's in many ways a very clever book and it's no wonder it's got everyone huffing and puffing about it. I'd say the attention is certainly warranted, with the disclaimer that the style is not for everyone. The literary references are unfortunately lost to me, but as a Jane Austen -fan I can certainly enjoy the authentic writing style, etiquette and characters. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book - but it might be worth reading it a bit in the book shop/library before committing to it.

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