About this title: Both the publisher and critics have attempted to pigeonhole this charming fantasy, winner of the 2005 Hugo Award for best novel and a New York Times Notable Book for 2004, as "Harry Potter for Adults." However, their only point of similarity is that both books feature British magicians. Set in an alternate early 19th-century England and written in the prose of that time, the book is constructed as a heavily footnoted academic work concerning the careers of two magicians who helped the British win the war against Napoleon. The plot and tone are a satiric mix of a scholarly tome, an old ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Date Published: 09/2004
ISBN-13:9781582344164ISBN:1582344167
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 800 p. Contains: Illustrations. read more
Description: Rosenberg, Portia. Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 846 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Rosenberg, Portia. Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 846 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. Very gently used. read more
Description: Pages are clean and in very good condition, a couple of pages have turned corners, no writing or highlighting on inside book pages, average wear on the cover. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Tor Classics
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780765356154ISBN:0765356155
Description: Rosenberg, Portia. Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 1006 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. Slight wear to cover otherwise in excellent condition read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Tor Books
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780765356154ISBN:0765356155
Description: Acceptable. Overall below average used book. May have highlighting, underlining, notes, price sticker on cover, or be an ex-library book. read more
Edition: Illustrated.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Tor Books
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780765356154ISBN:0765356155
Description: Rosenberg, Portia. Good. No dust jacket as issued. A moderate amount of wear on Cover and interior pages. (W2) Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 1006 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Good. This book has medium cover wear, light cover lift, light spine tilt, some creases on covers, light page edge wear, light natural browning on page edges, light spot soiling on page edges. I will ship this book out on the next business day! Each book individually hand cleaned. read more
"This book starts a bit slow and there are too many characters introduced in the beginning to keep up with. But as you get into it, you are somehow transported back in time to the early 1900's and can witness the Napoleonic wars and hobnob with Lord Byron. The world of lost magical possibilities is opened a bit and it almost reads as an actual history. I found this a very enjoyable book."
"This novel was rich on many levels. It was fantasy, for it had magic and fairies, but it was also historical fiction, possibly even an alternate history of Britain during and shortly after the Napoleonic Wars. It's pacing matched that of the times, sedate and thoughtful, rich in detail and characters.
Gilbert Norrell is a miserly magician of Yorkshire who hoards any and all books of magic he can get his hands on. His first act of magic in the novel actually results in the dissolution of a society of theoretical magicians in York for the sole purpose of making himself the only magician in Britain.
Jonathan Strange is an idle gentleman who stumbles upon his talent for magic and like a moth to the flame, flies to Mr. Norrell, the only source of magical information, and becomes his pupil. Their association lasts for several months until Strange surpasses Norrell in inventiveness and intuition and Norrell sends him to assist the army in Spain.
In Spain, Strange eventually becomes indispensable to Lord Wellington, initially by providing magic roads for the British Army to use which disappear back to a morass of mud just in time for the French Army to get bogged down in. Finally, Strange's magic turns the tide of the Battle of Waterloo and thus ends the reign of Emperor Bounaparte.
Three background characters are pivotal to the story. The first is Emma Wintertowne, who eventually becomes Lady Pole after marrying Sir Walter Pole. But only after she is resurrected by Mr. Norrell with his second and most famous act of magic. But Norrell bargains away half of Emma's life to the fairy he summoned to ressurect her, a fairy gentleman we know only as "the gentleman with the thistle down hair." This resurrection reults in the enchantment and imprisonment of Lady Pole in the fairy hall of Lost-hope, doomed to dance and endless balls or participate in pointless processions.
The second supporting character also enchanted by the fairy gentleman is Sir Walter's butler, a black man named Stephen Black. The fairy took a queer liking and attachment to Stephen and forced him to attend the same balls and processions that Lady Pole suffered. Both Lady Pole and Stephen were returned to the real world each morning, but they both suffered exhaustion and distraction from living a double life, which both were prevented from relating to others of their predicament.
The third enchanted and most tragic figure was Strange's wife, Arabella. Because Arabella struck up a friendship with the ailing Lady Pole, she came into the sphere of the gentleman with the thistle down hair. He immediately sought to enchant her permanently to the halls of Lost-hope. With Stephen's reluctant assistance, he was able to pull Arabella into fairy, seemingly causing her to perish to her family and friends.
Strange was nearly mad with grief but was eventually persuaded to take a long holiday on the continent, where he met another English family, the Greysteels. It seemed he was on the path of a second marriage to Flora Greysteel, when he discovered a pathway to fairy, stumbling upon the hall of Lost-hope and learning of the fates of Lady Pole, Stephen and his wife, Arabella. The rest of the novel is Strange's struggle to free the women. As we learn later, Stephen breaks his own and Arabella's enchantments when the opportunity presents itself.
Two of the most interesting supporting characters were Mr. Childermass, Mr. Norrell's strangely independent servant, and Vinculus, a seedy street sorcerer of London, run out of town by Mr. Norrell thanks to the efficient efforts of Mr. Childermass. Both of these characters provide some of the most colorful scenes and plots to the novel.
And in the background, every present in the sky, on the wind or sleeping in the stones, is the Raven King, a mythic being from Britain's past, a king who reigned in Northern England, in fairy and in Hell. He is vital and instrumental in the return of English magic.
The ending was sad and somewhat tragic, but not unexpected.
If you enjoy historical fiction, especially of the early 19th century, you will enjoy this novel and savor it for many hours, especially curled up by the fire with a warm cup of tea."
"Actually a really good book. Loved the detail and all the footnotes. But in case you have no patience to read a long and rambly book, but want to know what happens, here's a recap:
---
Mr Norrell I've spent all my life studying magic and now I'm going to revive it in England. By which I mean I want everyone to see how good I am and admire me. Fairy, revive Lady Pole so the cabinet ministers will be impressed with me.
The gentleman with thistle-down hair Ooh, how pretty! (Revives Lady Pole, then enchants her and makes her dance in his house every night.)
Mr Norrell Oops.
Jonathan Strange I am young, talented and arrogant. I never resolved my issues with my father so I'm going to become Mr Norrell's pupil and rebel against him with all my might. (He does.)
Mr Norrell The Raven King of the north is a fable.
Jonathan Strange The Raven King rules!
Mr Norrell Fairies are dangerous.
Jonathan Strange Fairies rule!
The gentleman with thistle-down hair (Steals people.)
(Invisible bells ring, objects disappear and new ones are put in their place, people act strangely, as if enchanted.)
Mrs Strange There's a curious gentleman living at the Poles who tells me stories about fairies all the time. You know Lady Pole? The strange woman who complains of music and says what a drag it is to dance every night, and babbles on about fairies?
Jonathan Strange That's nice, dear. Not now, though, I need to study magic some more. Did you know invisible bells are associated with the appearance of fairies?
The gentleman (Steals Mrs Strange and puts a stinky wet moss-oak in her place.)
Jonathan Strange Good heavens, dear, you don't look well.
Moss-oak I'm a tree.
Jonathan Strange I think you need to lie down.
Moss-oak (Does, and dies.)
Jonathan Strange Oh no! Arabella!
Mr Norrell I really miss Jonathan Strange, so I'm going to villify him in every newspaper and destroy his life's work.
Jonathan Strange To get over Arabella's death, I will throw myself in my work. I wonder if I can find a way to Faerie. (Does.) OMG WTF FAIRIES STEAL PEOPLE!!
Lady Pole DUH.
Jonathan Strange Norrell, let's summon the Raven King so he can help us free my wife.
Norrell Magic! Oh, I love magic. Didn't you hate me, though?
Jonathan Strange Maybe later.
(They do magic. A giant raven almost eats them. Secondary characters save the enchanted people.)
Norrell They're saved! We're the best magicians ever.
"My friend recommended this book to me. And while I'm not too sure what prompted the recommendation, I'm thankful for it none the less. The book's not exactly an easy one to classify. One of the tags on Amazon lists it as fantasy. I suppose this is reasonable. Yet somehow it deserves a better adjective. It may be more accurate to call it historical fiction. Indeed, as one other reviewer has noted, it's often hard to tell where the history ends and the fiction begins. Yet "historical fiction" might not do Clarke's beautiful creation justice. At any rate, pigeonholing is overrated, and "beautiful creation," though vague, might be the most adequate descriptor.
Clarke's narrative describes the attempts of the two eponymous magicians to bring practical magic back to early 19th century England. There's nothing fantastic about the setting. Strange and Norrell interact with a host of historically accurate figures & events of the times, such as the Duke of Wellington, Lord Byron, and the Peninsular War against the French. In fact, Jonathan Strange employs magic to help Wellington defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. The more "fantastic" elements of the novel revolve around the fictional world of magic that Clarke creates. This world is remarkable: it's colourful, vivid, intricate, and almost Tolkien-esque in detail. The landscapes, characters, and history of this magical world blend seamlessly into historical England. Additionally, Clarke's prose deserves praise. It is wonderfully fluid and tremendously witty.
Until Clarke, I never realised how neglected the history of English magic was. I hope she plans to continue her scholarship...
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