Books 2010: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell – Susanna Clarke

I love this story. It’s probably the third time I have read it all the way through and its quite a hefty tome – but don’t let that put you off. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell are the English Magicians who ‘bring magic back’ to England in the early nineteenth century. Practical magic, real magic - not the tricks street sorcerers do for a penny and not the theoretical study of magic that was a ‘noble’ occupation.

Susanna Clarke cleverly weaves this tale with lots of background and careful use of funny and useful foonotes to help with context! She introduces characters slowly, building them up that you feel you really know them – and throughout there is a constant thread of political and military history.

This extract from a letter that Jonathan Strange wrote when he heard the book was to be published sums up how I feel about novel reading (although I can only wish that I had a servant to bring me tea!).....

I for one am proud to declare myself a novel-reader. It is of all pleasures and pursuits the most delightful to me. One may sit quietly by the fireside and be transported around the world. One may pass through the most terrifying dangers; be entertained by all the diversity of which humankind is capable; be saddened, amused, uplifted - all within the space of a page or two. The next moment one hears the sounds of one’s servant bringing in the tea-tray, and one is instantly oneself again, drinking tea and eating toast in the most tranquil fashion imaginable. I only hope that this book (I mean the novel about English Magic) will not be too solemn. I detest books that have no jokes.

I actually only picked this book up because I had a friend who I often saw reading this at the train station a few years ago, and as we had similar taste in many books I decided to give it a go. My copy is now quite battered and I am already looking forward to reading it again. I love love love it.