Reclusive, awkward Mr. Norrell seems an unlikely magician. He would much rather be in his library, where he hoards every book of magic he can get his hands on. But then again, he is the only person calling himself a magician who is able to actually perform magic, rather than merely study the stuff. Until Jonathan Strange appears, that is. Strange is a wealthy, rather idle young gentleman in need of a profession, only taking up the practice to impress his future wife. But he has a talent for it, and together, this odd couple seems destined to bring back English magic. After all, they are the two magicians the prophecy speaks of. Aren’t they?
In Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, author Susanna Clarke creates an early 19th Century England that feels so meticulously researched and lived in, you might think she’s dropped you into a Jane Austen novel, or at times, an account of the Napoleonic wars. From Windsor Castle to the country to London and many places in between, Clarke’s Georgian England is full of historical details that set the story completely and believably into the time period—just with magic. For it is also full of capricious fairies, imaginative lore, and throughout the rocks, trees, and the very rain of England, is the influence of the Raven King, who ruled the North for 300 years before disappearing and forsaking it at last.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a rather epic tale, taking place over many years in the cities, moors, forests, and castles of England, continental Europe, and Faerie. The expansive and fascinating cast of characters includes the long-suffering Stephen Black (the “nameless slave” destined to be a king), the mercurial Man with the Thistledown Hair (a king of Faerie), and Mr. Norrell’s enigmatic servant, John Childermass. The characters, atmosphere, mythology, even the footnotes are all incredibly compelling, but it’s the language that makes Strange and Norrell one of my favorite books. Clarke’s writing channels the speech and manners of the time period so perfectly that her style is a whimsical (and thoroughly impressive) mixture of Austen and Dickens.
If you can’t get enough of the Strange and Norrell universe (or would like to start with something a little shorter before delving into the novel), try The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories from 2006 or The Wood at Midwinter, which just came out this October. While The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a collection of short stories that could come right out of Strange and Norrell’s footnotes, The Wood at Midwinter is a single, beautifully-illustrated fairy tale (or saint’s tale might be more accurate) with a simpler style. But both are set in the mysterious, absorbing world of Strange and Norrell, and I highly recommend finding the nearest fairy road and escaping into this world at your earliest opportunity.
Lissa Sloan is the author of Glass and Feathers, a transformational continuation of the traditional Cinderella tale. Her fairy tale poems and short stories have appeared in The Fairy Tale Magazine, Niteblade Magazine, Corvid Queen, Three Ravens Podcast, and anthologies from World Weaver Press. Visit Lissa online at lissasloan.com, or connect on Facebook, Instagram, @lissa_sloan, or X, @LissaSloan.
It's funny, I couldn't get into Jonathan Strange -- I didn't like the titular character -- and yet I adored Grace Adieu (my favourite read this year). I suppose I relate to the ladies more!