And what is great about them if you're like me is they are stand alone.
That's right a fantasy novel that = 1 book, not twelve. Ah simpler times...dam you Robert Jordan and the beginning of the end of the stand alone fantasy (anyway...that rant is for another day). The first gem is one written by Les Grossman who appeared on the Tuesday book club I was talking about, the book is called "The Magicians" but more about that one later, for now I want to talk about the book below!
...But before that, For anyone curious about the ABC show with fantasy authors discussing fantasy books here is the link, I highly recommend it. Apart from Lev Grossman they also have on Mathew Riley, Fiona Macintosh and Jennifer Rowe. You won't be dissapointed if you click here.
Nowadays though, fantasy is a lot more broad. But really it's just what you include in fantasy, J&N probably falls more into the "Harry Potter" fantasy camp. It has two parallel world's existing side by side, our world and the world of "Fairie", although the book also briefly mentions heaven and hell. I'll get on with it now and sorry if this contains any spoilers I'll try to be as general as possible.
It is an interesting read and I don't normally say this about books I read for pleasure, but I actually quite like Ms Clarke's writing style. It feels like I'm reading a period novel and I suppose it should, it's set in the early 1800s and at first there is even a bit of dare I say Austinian humour in Clarke's the narrative voice. Of course as you keep moving through the novel, it becomes a lot more tragic and gothic, but I think that's less to do with the style and more to do with the plot. The writing never loses that strange whimsical sense of underplay.
So what is this behemoth of a book about? Two dudes, one called Mr Norrell and the other called Jonathan Strange. They are two magicians. In the world of the book magic, is something that is studied but not practiced. Thus there are only theoretical magicians, until good old Mr Norrell comes along that is! He gets all the other magicians to resign as they are basically just imposters anyway. The book starts from Mr Norrell's perspective and it's actually quite some time before we meet Jonathan Strange at all.
I suppose that's the thing that might bother people with this book, it doesn't always move quickly and often the characters will do things that frustrate you to bits. But I think that's simply a testament to the humanity of the characters. We learn quite quickly Mr Norrell is useless socially and actually a bit of a Daria really. In fact Mr Norrell probably loves his books more than anything or anyone else. He's spent years studying magic alone preparing all his life to actually become the first practical magician in centuries. Interestingly enough the world of J&N starts off as a place where there are only theoretical magicians so a one line summary of the book might be Two men bring about the restoration of English Magic with unintended and somewhat grave consequences.
Anyway Norrel shows all those pretenders some real magic and soon sets his sights on using his magic to for want of a better word actually help. He thinks it would be a boon to the military, but it is only by bringing a certain character back from the grave that he finally achieves this and he does it with the help of a certain gentleman with thistle down hair (oddly enough said gentlemen is never privileged enough to be given a name), who for the rest of the book becomes the de facto antagonist! Bastard....oh guess you'll have to read it to know exactly what I mean.
Anyway, Mr Norrell is the only magician until one day Jonathan Strange enters the picture. Now Strange as you would imagine is the opposite of Norrel. Quite the gentlemen not a recluse and he actually has a significant other. Although, he is a bit hopeless with his wife Arabella, often dismissing her for his magical studies as the narrative moves along. Also unlike Mr Norrel, he's a natural and he has actually invented new forms of magic without even thinking anything of it.
Then the rest of the book unfolds and Mr Norrell and Jonathan Strange bring about the revival of English magic! There are some pretty tragic moments though...at the end of the second Act, I had the absolute worst heart wrenching shock of my life. Yes, this story is going to make you feel some awful things and it's going to frustrate you how much the main bad guy gets away with. But there is light at the end of the tunnel people.
I don't want to give much more of the plot away so I won't say much else, but it does seems puzzling at the the way in which magic seems impossible at the start of the book and is ridiculously (or seemingly) easy towards the end. The first thing Norrell does is to bring a bunch of statues to life. At the time its impressive as things go along though, the magic becomes increasingly elaborate. But the way in which its executed is in the same haphazard sort of manner - this isn't harry potter there are no wands, spells are more the result of rituals and the coaxing of hidden powers (or in some cases fairies, which I'll tell you are not anything like your stock standard winged beasties).
As much as there is an extensive history of magic and a tragic prophesy of two magicians, I suppose there does seem to be a bit of a logic hole in how it is Strange and Norrell are able to use magic in a way that no one else can. But the funny thing with fantasy is that the author directs you to a prophesy and there is no question. I don't know why I bring it up, it's just interesting to think how much our imaginations allow us to suspend our disbelief and let ourselves drift into new worlds. But if we want to look at it from another angle, we could say that books are power, magic books that is Norrell's library of magical books is unparalleled, although Jonathan Strange's magic comes from a far more organic and improvised place. So it's quite interesting to see the two ways there magic evolves over the course of the novel.
The heart of the book though is what I found most compelling . You can tell its written by a woman, the male characters are all very aloof and a bit arrogant. The female characters seem at first like little more than plus ones to the main characters, but I think Arabella for me is one of the most memorable characters in the whole book. So I put it down to this instead, Clarke is just simply staying true to the stereotypical or understood female roles of the times. But I would argue the female characters such as Lady Pole and Arabella are in many cases infinately more intriguing.
And of course there's the simple embarassing fact about this book. It literally broke my heart in places and yes fellow cyber book clubbians I did cry... and in other chapters I felt angry at the unjustice of what was happening. My heart started to race when my favourite characters were in jeopardy! The point is this damn book gave me a major emotional klobbering. For a guy who gets high watching emotionally charged melodramas constantly, if a book can have this effect on me it means everything. So there you have it, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. A good novel. A good fantasy novel that isn't concerned with swords and socery (as socery would normally be understood). I highy recommend it, but I do warn you, it will probably have the same effect on you as reading Wuthering Heights. Now don't get me started on that...I can understand how that book would have killed Emily Bronte. But that is another story.
Anyway, if anyone else has read this book I'd love to hear your views. This is a book club after all. Until next time happy reading everyone!
J
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