Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

A Novel

by Susanna Clarke, Simon Prebble

audio cd

Published Nov. 17, 2004 by Brand: Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Audio.

ISBN:: 978-1-59397-741-2

(8 reviews)

Published in 2004, it is an alternative history set in 19th-century England around the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Its premise is that magic once existed in England and has returned with two men: Gilbert Norrell and Jonathan Strange. Centred on the relationship between these two men, the novel investigates the nature of "Englishness" and the boundaries between reason and unreason, Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Dane, and Northern and Southern English cultural tropes/stereotypes. It has been described as a fantasy novel, an alternative history, and a historical novel. It inverts the Industrial Revolution conception of the North-South divide in England: in this book the North is romantic and magical, rather than rational and concrete.

30 editions

TheEggGo reviewed Jonathan Strange ve Bay Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Review of 'Jonathan Strange ve Bay Norrell' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

Unbearable, boring, pretentious. When I have to force myself to read even a few pages from a book, it means I'm not enjoying it at all. That has been happening for the last months with this unswallowable brick.

The thing I regret the most, is having left aside so many other books I wanted to read, because I'm used to read only one book at a time.

I guess I'll just watch the TV series, just out of curiosity. I hope it's more enjoyable than this book.