FYI: I'm going to give a very brief summary of each book I review, only because longer summaries, even the ones on the book jacket, tend to ruin the story for me. It leads my brain to form preconceived notions of the story, and I've usually decided if I'm going to like or dislike the book even before I've started it. In general, I avoid all summaries.
Hope you enjoy the first of many book reviews! And please give feedback!
Clarke, Susanna: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2004. Print. 782 pages.
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SETTING: England (with some chapters taking place in Spain, Portugal, and Italy), 1806-1817, during the Napoleonic Wars.
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SUMMARY: It is believed that only theoretical magicians exist in early 19th century England, but this is proven false with the discovery of Mr. Norrell, the only practical magician left in England. The story focuses on the return of practical magic through Mr. Norrell, and later Jonathan Strange, his pupil; the relationship between the two magicians; and the consequences of basing one's actions on vanity and the need to preserve self-importance.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "The box was small and oblong and apparently made of silver and porcelain. It was a beautiful shade of blue, but then again not exactly blue, it was more like lilac. But then again, not exactly lilac either, since it had a tinge of grey in it. To be more precise, it was the color of heartache." - Chapter 54, page 610.
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Over the past 2 years, I have attempted to read this novel four times, but found difficulty the first three times to commit, solely due to the sheer length of the novel. I finally had the necessary patience during the fourth try! I read it over a span of two weeks, which is longer than it would have taken me to read other books of similar length considering how much free time I had, but this is a novel that you really can't speed read through. Clarke has created an entirely different 19th century Britain for this book, and reading quickly will guarantee the loss of many important details. The beginning is a little slow and tedious, but patience pays off as you continue through the novel.
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Things I liked about this book:
Hope you enjoy the first of many book reviews! And please give feedback!
Clarke, Susanna: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2004. Print. 782 pages.
-
SETTING: England (with some chapters taking place in Spain, Portugal, and Italy), 1806-1817, during the Napoleonic Wars.
-
SUMMARY: It is believed that only theoretical magicians exist in early 19th century England, but this is proven false with the discovery of Mr. Norrell, the only practical magician left in England. The story focuses on the return of practical magic through Mr. Norrell, and later Jonathan Strange, his pupil; the relationship between the two magicians; and the consequences of basing one's actions on vanity and the need to preserve self-importance.
-
FAVORITE QUOTE: "The box was small and oblong and apparently made of silver and porcelain. It was a beautiful shade of blue, but then again not exactly blue, it was more like lilac. But then again, not exactly lilac either, since it had a tinge of grey in it. To be more precise, it was the color of heartache." - Chapter 54, page 610.
-
Over the past 2 years, I have attempted to read this novel four times, but found difficulty the first three times to commit, solely due to the sheer length of the novel. I finally had the necessary patience during the fourth try! I read it over a span of two weeks, which is longer than it would have taken me to read other books of similar length considering how much free time I had, but this is a novel that you really can't speed read through. Clarke has created an entirely different 19th century Britain for this book, and reading quickly will guarantee the loss of many important details. The beginning is a little slow and tedious, but patience pays off as you continue through the novel.
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Things I liked about this book:
- The author clearly cared about this story. The attention to detail is something I haven't seen in any other novel I've read thus far. Example: The author took care to clarify the most minor of points via her numerous footnotes, giving the reader an excellent backstory and a clear understanding of the world in which the story takes place.
- The novel is split into three sections. The organized part of me loved this because it made for a neater presentation of the story.
- It's about magic!
- The fluid incorporation of real historical events into this alternate world.
- I really grew to love and hate some of the characters. Showed how invested I became!
- Stays true to 19th century style of writing (I have a soft spot for 19th century British literature).
- Emphasis on the importance of books; Mr. Norrell's library is an integral part of the story.
Things I didn't like about this book:
- Too long! Around page 600, I became incredibly impatient to reach the end.
- Too many footnotes. Again, around page 600, I lost patience and started skimming the footnotes. Some of the footnotes spanned more than an entire page, and in really tiny font!
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There are clearly far more pros than cons. The conclusion wasn't what I expected, but I was satisfied. After everything that happens in the book, it's not practical to expect a structured, and they lived happily every after, conclusion. The ending is left open to the reader's imagination, which is fitting considering the nature of the book (i.e. alternate universe, about magic).
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Recommend? YES! But only if you have the necessary amount of patience. I really enjoyed it, and finishing it was a sort of accomplishment!
There are clearly far more pros than cons. The conclusion wasn't what I expected, but I was satisfied. After everything that happens in the book, it's not practical to expect a structured, and they lived happily every after, conclusion. The ending is left open to the reader's imagination, which is fitting considering the nature of the book (i.e. alternate universe, about magic).
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Recommend? YES! But only if you have the necessary amount of patience. I really enjoyed it, and finishing it was a sort of accomplishment!
i'm sad you didn't summarize but then i understand your reasoning as to why you hate summaries because it does leave judging before you read. 600 pages is really long though!!! sounds like an interesting read.
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