Comments (74)

What did you think about this title?
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Nov 29, 2023donsrule95 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is a fantastic, very well written book but my goodness it would have been perfect as two books. I loved the writing and the whole idea.
May 05, 2023
"This book is sophisticated, witty, and ingeniously convincing. The prose is wonderful, dead-on. Clarke has the ability to shift seamlessly from witty, sarcastic, detached prose and dialogue. <3" - Raven P.
Apr 26, 2023FloraWest rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Lots to like about this speculative fiction book. The prose itself is very well-imitated and the footnotes (there are many but don't miss them-many of them are dry punchlines to the main passage while others are clues and still others are…
Apr 19, 2023MarkHoffmanKC rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
If you like Stephen King and Dickens, maybe a little Jane Austen, this is the book for you. Very creative in places and a dry sense of humor. But it is a commitment.
Nov 23, 2022ReadWithJessica rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Myth and magic, fantasy and history collide in this alternate history of 19th-century England, where magic was once widespread but has nearly become extinct. While this book is extremely heavy (at nearly 800 pages!), I could not bear to…
Oct 04, 2022thefalcon0 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
not what you are expecting. it is a book about magic. it is a book about two magicians. it is so subtle and yet so interesting. so many interesting characters. a book you want to read slowly. it is just as interesting as her other novel.…
Oct 20, 2021Ghettostone rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Ghettostone Publications Company's editor/chief is Michael R. Brown. Michael R. Brown is also the leader of "The BEST SELLERS BOOK CLUB" who now will try to review the most excellent book "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by author Susanna…
Oct 06, 2021JCLCharlesH rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This historical fantasy juxtaposes two magicians and their views on returning magic to England in the early 1800's. Fairies, illusion, and enchantment abound, but they are mixed with various "historical accounts" of the events in the…
Aug 20, 2021Cameron_Pryde rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This was a difficult book to rate. How do you review a book that is so clearly excellent, but also so very hard to enjoy? This book does some things wonderfully. The various uses of magic throughout the book are delightful and creative.…
Jul 17, 2021saltidae rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
This book dragged. I don’t know how it rated a Hugo award. It took me a long time to get through it. I read other stuff in between to cheer me up… but I just had to see where it was going. I borrowed it after reading ‘The Golem and the…
Apr 15, 2021AtkinsonMH rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
‘Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell’ is a very creative integration of historical events and fictional storyline development. For me, as a reader, this works well, because the story evolves across an historical fabric which invites interest…
Nov 15, 2020AnnsLibrary63 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I love this book. It is huge but get a bookmark. I esp. liked all the little footnotes. It's charming and a little (very little) historical but while I read it I really did want to live in that place and time when magic came back to…
Sep 25, 2020
Recommended by Tor - Sarah Waites
Apr 13, 2020fionajay rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a great tale of two magical rivals. Set in nineteenth century England, its really imaginative and gripping - I read the whole tome in a short time and couldn't put it down. Read it before you discover the very good BBC DVD.
Apr 08, 2020TSMary rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book still enthralled me the second time around. I loved the Dickens/Austen-style of writing, the slow measured pace, and yes, even the footnotes. And no character has scared me quite like the Man With the Thistledown Hair. It might…
Nov 26, 2019DrPaul_0 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Clever fantasy involving magic and land of faerie in Great Britain of the early 19th century. A little slow at times, but builds to an exciting climax.
Jul 14, 2018indigo_nightingale_63 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
this book was so good that i read it as slowly as i possibly could because the prospect of not having this book to read was so terrible. when i got to the last hundred pages, i abandoned it for a month. my copy was so horrifically overdue…
May 09, 2018Mapcap451 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book. I’ve read it twice and seen the television adaptation. It’s a very leisurely, almost wandering narrative. I was completely engrossed.
Apr 11, 2018DPLheather rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
If you love fantasy, and you haven't read this one, you must add it to your list to read. Absolutely captivating story of what the power of magic can do, good and evil, in an alternate England. Don't miss the footnotes!!
Nov 08, 2017
This struck me as oddly like reading Tristram Shandy with elements of Verne's Robur the Conqueror in the first few chapters. It is formal and more long-winded than Dickens' works (paid by the word), with a dry humour. I'll have to finish…
Jul 05, 2017SAM HRANAC rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I came to this through watching the BBC series. I'm so glad I did both. Each takes full advantage of its format to please the viewer/reader. I'm not sure about all the Jane Austen comparisons, but I kinda get it. Loved the…
May 02, 2017Sublurbanite rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book was recommended to me, and I am so happy I chose to read it. I'm not a Jane Austen fan, nor someone who reads fantasy novels, but I absolutely loved this book. The author does a fabulous job creating a robust setting for the…
Apr 06, 2017RaquelMaria rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorites! I always mention this book if someone asks for a recommendation. This book blends Jane Austen and Harry Potter for lots of fun.
Feb 15, 2017clairelisabeth rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Jane Austen meets magic and folklore. What could be better! Wonderful classical novel!
Aug 24, 2016
I came across this book by first watching (most of) the BBC mini series. I found it delightful to read at the same time as watching the show. The show is fast paced and suspenseful. The book is quite different, more along the lines of…