rainershine's review against another edition
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is one of the most difficult books I’ve read in years, just in terms of the slow pace, it is a book impossible to read quickly. That is part of what makes this book so enjoyable. It forces you to sit and be told this story, rather than racing through it. It is a guaranteed slow-maxing book. By the end, it had fully caught my attention, it was well worth the read. My favorite thing about it was the realistic writing style, it read just like a regency era book of the time. The song “The Yawning Grave” by Lord Huron perfectly fits this book.
efost's review against another edition
4.0
A definite slog at times, and some parts felt like filler, but overall a story with interesting descriptions of magic, memorable characters, and some pretty good twists.
ginbott's review against another edition
4.0
I actually wanted to give this book a 3.5 star rating, but feeling generous so rounding up...
Coming in at over 1000 pages, this book is a bit of an undertaking. It takes a while to get into, and get used to the constant stream of footnotes.
In parts the narrative does drag a bit, but that is in large part due to my personal intense dislike for one of the major characters in the story: Mr Norrell. He is so irredeemable, hateful, frustratingly condescending and convinced of his own actions that sometimes it was a struggle to keep with it.
On the other hand there are a lot of things that speak for the book. Certainly it is an ambituous undertaking, and it is very enjoyabable to read a book that plays with the victorian style novel. Clarke present a host of characters described in ways familiar from e.g. an Austen novel, yet they read as more modern, more rounded, less confined to speaking pleasantries. She mixes modern sentiment with the older style very well.
The third part of the novel really builds momentum well and the last 200/300 pages are a thrill to read and it is at that point that it becomes difficult to put the novel down.
However, you do feel like, could we not have arrived here a bit sooner.
I felt the fairy 'gentleman' segments were a bit repetitive and after a while I got the point about the nature of his actions and his effect on those around him.
All in all, the book could have done with some serious trimming, but Clarke had created an elaborate, intriguing world, rich with detail, so stick with it, there is plenty to enjoy.
Coming in at over 1000 pages, this book is a bit of an undertaking. It takes a while to get into, and get used to the constant stream of footnotes.
In parts the narrative does drag a bit, but that is in large part due to my personal intense dislike for one of the major characters in the story: Mr Norrell. He is so irredeemable, hateful, frustratingly condescending and convinced of his own actions that sometimes it was a struggle to keep with it.
On the other hand there are a lot of things that speak for the book. Certainly it is an ambituous undertaking, and it is very enjoyabable to read a book that plays with the victorian style novel. Clarke present a host of characters described in ways familiar from e.g. an Austen novel, yet they read as more modern, more rounded, less confined to speaking pleasantries. She mixes modern sentiment with the older style very well.
The third part of the novel really builds momentum well and the last 200/300 pages are a thrill to read and it is at that point that it becomes difficult to put the novel down.
However, you do feel like, could we not have arrived here a bit sooner.
I felt the fairy 'gentleman' segments were a bit repetitive and after a while I got the point about the nature of his actions and his effect on those around him.
All in all, the book could have done with some serious trimming, but Clarke had created an elaborate, intriguing world, rich with detail, so stick with it, there is plenty to enjoy.
jadiekitty's review against another edition
3.0
This book was good but it dragged on. Storyline changed directions numerous times. Last hundred pages or so went by the fastest because of everything was going on. I would put this as a 3.5 if I am being honest.
jmpeck16's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was brilliant, if too long and a bit slow in places. I'm also not sure that all of the storylines that were opened were fully closed to my satisfaction, and to be honest, Mr. Norrell was a tough main character to root for. But the execution of the novel was beautiful, the world building incredible, the imagination undeniable. I love that this mimicked a 19th century British novel (a la Dickens/Austen), and I think it was carried off impressively.
jpmedina's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
leannaaker's review against another edition
3.0
Wow, this book was a commitment. I was relatively entertained up through half of the book. The tail end REALLY dragged. I found myself skimming to get to the end. The *idea* of this book is great. I wavered between 2 and 3 stars for awhile.
apollinares's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
What an absolute beast of a book.
Emulating the writing styles of the likes of Dickens, Austen, and Wilde to an astonishing degree, Clarke takes the reader on an alternative history journey of garganguan proportions. Spanning years, the narrative unfolds around the titular magicians, Johnathan Strange and Gilbert Norrell, in their attempts to bring magic back to England, as well as many other characters affected by said attempts. I found myself swept along by the story, and enjoyed it greatly despite its length.
I want to compare this book to Les Miserables, a narrative that also spans years, switching between multiple characters (some - allegorical, some - very sympathetic, others - not at all) and weaving their stories together in one convoluted tapestry. It's compelling, it's epic, and I couldn't put it down. Between the footnotes and the storyline itself, Clarke has created an immersive, real-feeling alternative England, whose fictional heart pulses with life and centuries of dormant magic. Norrell and Strange are both awful people, and yet I'm absolutely here for them.
Also Childermass deserves better, smh.
Emulating the writing styles of the likes of Dickens, Austen, and Wilde to an astonishing degree, Clarke takes the reader on an alternative history journey of garganguan proportions. Spanning years, the narrative unfolds around the titular magicians, Johnathan Strange and Gilbert Norrell, in their attempts to bring magic back to England, as well as many other characters affected by said attempts. I found myself swept along by the story, and enjoyed it greatly despite its length.
I want to compare this book to Les Miserables, a narrative that also spans years, switching between multiple characters (some - allegorical, some - very sympathetic, others - not at all) and weaving their stories together in one convoluted tapestry. It's compelling, it's epic, and I couldn't put it down. Between the footnotes and the storyline itself, Clarke has created an immersive, real-feeling alternative England, whose fictional heart pulses with life and centuries of dormant magic. Norrell and Strange are both awful people, and yet I'm absolutely here for them.
Also Childermass deserves better, smh.
megansgc's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this. It has all the right elements for a book I should like. But I just couldn’t. The lack of plot, the meandering story, the disconnectedness of so many pieces. I think a good editing, getting this below 500 pages and connecting the dots could have made a great book
melhara's review
slow-paced
1.0
This book had no business being 32 hours long for the audiobook or 1006 pages long for the paperback copy.
The last 1000+ page book I read was Les Misérables in which I thought the length was justified for the most part (except for maybe about 200 or so pages) because the background context that was provided for each character was fascinating and played a huge part in understanding the plot and character development. The same cannot be said for this book.
This book could have easily been condensed into 200 or so pages and maybe even turned into a novella because, for the most part, this book was just full of meaningless ramblings, fluffy prose, and unimportant and boring filler information that doesn't add much to the overall plot.
The last 1000+ page book I read was Les Misérables in which I thought the length was justified for the most part (except for maybe about 200 or so pages) because the background context that was provided for each character was fascinating and played a huge part in understanding the plot and character development. The same cannot be said for this book.
This book could have easily been condensed into 200 or so pages and maybe even turned into a novella because, for the most part, this book was just full of meaningless ramblings, fluffy prose, and unimportant and boring filler information that doesn't add much to the overall plot.