Off the Bookshelf - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell

The book Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clack is set in the 1800's where there is a revival of magic in England.  This return of practical magic is spearheadedby two men.  Mr Norrell is a recluse who is has amassed a vast collection of books on magic and who believes in acquiring the knowledge and theoretical aspects rather than practicing magic.  Jonathan Strange, who is quite limited in knowledge and books of magic, but rather possesses a natural ability to performing magic, believes that magic should be practiced.  The opposing viewpoints of the use of practical magic strains the relationship between the two magicians, and they go their separate ways.  The schism between the two magicians is limited to both sides publishing scholarly articles, as keeping with the manners and etiquette of society.  The use of magic is reserved for practical purposes, such as aiding England in the war against France.  

Sometimes my mother would show me all the pictures she had taken that had been recently developed.  The first few would be interesting, a picture of my grandparents, or a place she had been while on vacation.  Each picture required elaboration, from who the individuals in the picture were, to some anecdote connected with the picture.  She would show me picture after picture: people I don't know and will never meet, a picture of the front of her house, a picture of random flowers.  She would show me the pictures that were blurry and out of focus, the pictures where she had missed including their heads in the composition, or a double of a previous picture.  The pictures soon blurred together and nothing stood out and I only had the overwhelming urge to leave.  


This is how I began to feel towards the middle of the book, I had the overwhelming urge to finish.  The detail of this book is tremendous as it follows the individual journeys of both Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.  It includes footnotes throughout the narrative which gives background to events and elaborates on references made within the story.  It took me a while to finish this book, as the details on the journeys slowed down the story line.  Towards the end, as the plot includes The Man with the Thistle-Down Hair and the Faerie world, my interest revived.


~b~