Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

100. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

I think the book has it's own website here too. This is a really thick book counted at a whopping 800 pages. I remember cause it took me most of December and January this year to read it. Slightly counts as my first book of the year. My friend Joey recommended it to me and I found it in a local bookstore so I picked up a copy and started reading. It is kind of hard to specify a genre for it though because it involves magic - about the last 2 real magicians in England and how they plan to bring and not about the restoration of magic to England - so a slightly adult and darker version of HP but does not concentrate on the magic. It reads like a historical novel, like reading Sherlock Holmes. Set in the time when Napoleon was fighting the English Army, it proves that it has been researched and developed, even has the footnotes to prove it.
Personally I liked the novel, everytime I continued reading I get hooked into the book. But because it is really long and it's not those I'm in a hurry to find out the ending kind of book, it does take time. I like the stories included in the footnotes about the adventures of the Raven King. It contains discussions and is very descriptive. I found myself liking the character of Jonathan Strange and his wife and being annoyed at Mr. Norrel. The ending left pretty satisfied although I would have wanted more. 4 star.