A review by thecriticalreader
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.5

 
Context:
I borrowed Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark from my library through the Libby App. It is the second book by Clark that I have read; I read Piranesi in 2023 and gave it 4 stars.
 
Review:
On paper, I should have loved Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I love historical fantasy, I love slow-paced nineteenth-century literature, and I love books that immerse you in a historical setting. I am the sort of person who would love nothing more to attend a History of Magic class taught by Professor Binns. Unfortunately, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is a huge miss for me.
 
Before I talk about what I don’t like, I want to talk about the positives. I am immensely impressed by Clark’s ability to mimic the nineteenth-century prose style, something that many authors attempt but few do successfully. The writing is atmospheric, witty, and occasionally beautiful. Additionally, it is clear that Clark knows an enormous amount about early-nineteenth-century history and English folklore, and her knowledge pervades every aspect of this book. In this sense, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is an admirable and unique triumph of literature.
 
Unfortunately for me, I despised the book’s characters and plot. And when you’re reading a novel of this size, it helps very much to like at least one of these things. Every character, except for two or three side characters, is selfish, petty, and arrogant. (Oh, and Mr. Norrell is canonically against the emancipation of Jews and Catholics, so that’s great /s). It can be entertaining to read about terrible people about if they are written with intention and care, but they are not. Are they supposed to be insufferable? Why do they act the way they do? Why should we care about them and what they do? I have no answers. Furthermore, there is little to no character development throughout this enormous book. The two or three characters that aren’t insufferable receive little-to-no screentime, so to speak, and have little agency. It appears that Clark tries to make a point about racism, slavery, and sexism, but her flat treatment of the female characters and the one black character rubbed me the wrong way.
 
My problem with the plot is partly a matter of taste because this book largely revolves around English fairies and the Otherworld. I’m someone who dislikes fairytales and fairies because they strike me as meanspirited and nonsensical (which funnily enough describes the characters in this book), so this element of the book did not work for me as a result. In general, however, this book DID NOT NEED TO BE 800-1,000 pages (depending on the edition) long! It could have easily been 200-300 pages. The plot of this book is discursive, muddled, and nonsensical. I actually DNF’d the book at the 50% mark but decided to push through in case it got better. As miserable as it was, I am glad that I read the ending, which I think wraps things up as well as could be expected and gave me a little bit more perspective about how the author wants us to view the main characters. 
 
The Run-Down: 
You might like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell if . . . 
·      You love fairy tales, historical fantasy, and nineteenth-century history/literature
·      You want to read about deeply flawed main characters
·      You don’t mind reading pages upon pages of material that doesn’t really pertain to the main plot
·      You like books that explore the darker side of magic
 
You might not like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell if . . .
·      You like well-written characters that you can root for
·      You don’t want a read an 800-1000-page book that could have easily been 250 pages 
 
A Similar Book: 
A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry (I rated it 4 stars). 
Similarities:
·      Historical fantasy epic that reimagines major European historical events with magic
·      Very slow-paced, well-researched, and historically dense
·      Some real-world historical characters
Differences:
·      A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians focuses on late-eighteenth-century history; Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell focuses on early nineteenth-century history
·      A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians plot more strictly follows historically accurate events and explores concepts of oppression and colonialism; Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell diverges from historical events and is more interested in the relationship between its titular characters
·      A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians has morally upright main characters but a darker tone; Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell has selfish main characters but a slightly lighter tone overall
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