Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Novel
by Susanna Clarke

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Book Reviews of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Novel

Book Review: Stunnig debut
Summary: 5 Stars

Mr Strange and Mr Norrell, the eponymous (anti?)heroes are the two great magicians of their age (the early 1800s). They are drawn together by common-talent, but driven apart by differing aims and personalities into a fearsome rivalry. Norrell is self-serving, vain and insecure; Strange is bold charismatic and iconoclastic. The book is set in an alternative version of the past, peopled with figures like Wellington, the wars in Spain and other late Georgian-era facts in a very heady and convincing mix. Through the actions of the two magicians England and the Kingdom of Faerie are brought into violent conflict. If this all sounds very fantasy and like a children's book - it's not. The writing is sophisticated, gritty and humorous. The characters are visceral and the tension and drama of the story masterfully handled. It is an immensely well-crafted book that heralds the arrival of a very original and imaginative literary writer.

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