Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Feb 2009 · Bloomsbury Publishing
4.6star
180 reviewsreport
Ebook
1024
Pages
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About this ebook
The 20th anniversary edition of the fantasy classic, with an introduction by V E Schwab
Over 4 million copies sold
'One of the greatest fantasy writers of her generation' New York Times
'The book I wish I'd written' R F Kuang
'Susanna Clarke writes with an intelligence and beauty that seems at times miraculous' Katherine Rundell
'A modern masterpiece' Spectator
1806. England is beleaguered by the long war, and centuries have passed since magicians faded from view. But one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell. Proceeding to London, he raises a woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French.
Yet the cautious Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician. Young, handsome and daring, Jonathan Strange is his very antithesis. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men – which overwhelms that between England and France. And soon their own secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine...
'Like Hilary Mantel, Clarke has made the very notion of genre seem quaint' Guardian
Over 4 million copies sold
'One of the greatest fantasy writers of her generation' New York Times
'The book I wish I'd written' R F Kuang
'Susanna Clarke writes with an intelligence and beauty that seems at times miraculous' Katherine Rundell
'A modern masterpiece' Spectator
1806. England is beleaguered by the long war, and centuries have passed since magicians faded from view. But one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell. Proceeding to London, he raises a woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French.
Yet the cautious Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician. Young, handsome and daring, Jonathan Strange is his very antithesis. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men – which overwhelms that between England and France. And soon their own secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine...
'Like Hilary Mantel, Clarke has made the very notion of genre seem quaint' Guardian
Ratings and reviews
4.6
180 reviews
Lauren Peacock
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August 13, 2015
Worth reading. Definitely one of the best examples of modern literature. Except- i won't read it again and at times i found it irritating and difficult not to skim read. The characters are well drawn but I didn't love them. My feelings on the book are confused- it is undoubtedly excellent but I will never re-read it. It is not even close to the top of my all time favorite reads. I respect it, found it sometimes gripping and often impressive... but I do not love it. Make of that what you will I guess.
2 people found this review helpful
Alison Souter
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October 28, 2017
I love this book and the vivid world and characters - how I wish there was a sequel! What an amazing achievement for a debut novel. It is a compulsive, page-turning joy to read.
2 people found this review helpful
Jonathan Wright
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February 8, 2014
It's easy to see the amount of work that went into this for the amount of detail it contains. The worlds, the story, the characters, they're all so vivid and you just have to keep reading. One of the best books I've read!
3 people found this review helpful
About the author
Susanna Clarke's debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was first published in more than 34 countries and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Guardian First Book Award. It won British Book Awards Newcomer of the Year, the Hugo Award and the World Fantasy Award in 2005. The Ladies of Grace Adieu, a collection of short stories, some set in the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, was published by Bloomsbury in 2006. Her second novel Piranesi was an international bestseller and won the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021, and was shortlisted for the Costa Novel of the Year Award. She lives in Derbyshire.
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