Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Novel
I am very glad that this book came so highly recommended to me, and I am now going to do you the honor of recommending it to you. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Novel
After putting the book down, I thought to myself that I had just climbed out of a roller coaster, a surprise ride that I had no foreshadowing of. Starting so slowly as to keep the decline ahead (nearly) invisible, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell starts as the sly and quiet story of an uptight and quite obnoxious gentleman/magician trying to restore English magic to its proper state in society. As I was reading the first hundred pages, I was reminded of nothing so strongly as Jane Austen, which is an odd connection to be making to a modern fantasy novel. Several friends who’ve tried to read this book have admitted to me that they lost interest, as the novel isn’t as immediately gripping as your typical fantasy novel. But there is a moment–I can’t say if this mark was three hundred pages in, perhaps five hundred–when you suddenly realize that you have just slipped past the point of no return. From this point on, the book can not be put down until it has been finished. Unluckily for me, I reached this point at 12:15 AM on a Monday morning, so I was awake until the near-light hours of morning finishing the novel. What starts as Jane Austen ends more like J.R.R. Tolkien or Neal Stephenson, a swirling, bruising finale that leaves you gasping for breath and wanting more.
Plot: 9
Characters: 10
Action: 8.5
Writing: 10
Overall (not an average): 9.5/10