TammyRich Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I have just finished this monumentous book which took me a month to read as it is over 1000 pages long but deservedly so. The author Susanna Clarke could easily have made it into a series of books about the main two characters but so generously put them together into one engrossing, fascinating and highly imaginative novel. Who else has read it and what did they think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Older thread here. Has anyone else read since then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 In my TBR pile x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~V~ Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 In my TBR pile x mine too. but my fingers keep brushing past it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 In my TBR pile x Snap. It's staring at me from the shelf, but I keep putting it off for shorter books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papillon Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Oh well done and thank you for the reminder. It's on my pile too, as said, the size is daunting but I must make a start soon.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Snap. It's staring at me from the shelf, but I keep putting it off for shorter books. Double snap Liz, I keep doing the same thing, I really want to read it but I get so side tracked (blame Margaret Atwood!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polka Dot Rock Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Who else has read it and what did they think? I read it last summer and LOVED it! Wonderful novel, definitely want to read it again I'm reading Watchmen by Alan Moore & dave Gibbons at the moment, which is one of Susanna Clarke's favourite books and I can see already how it inspired her own work. The ending of Jonathan Strange made me cry! Very unusual for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Just a few weeks ago I found a lovely hardback copy at a Library Sale and bought it....when I'll get to it is another story.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyRich Posted May 4, 2007 Author Share Posted May 4, 2007 The ending of Jonathan Strange made me cry! Very unusual for me The ending was very touching and beautifully done. A query - exactly who was the guy with the thistle down hair? was he just a faerie with big ideas- I spent most of the book thinking he was John Uskglass then JU turned up for one scene - when he revives Vinculus in the presence of Childermass and I realised the guy with the thistle down hair was someone else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angerball Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I read this book last year, but never got round to finishing it. I'm not sure why, as I enjoyed it, but I think I just ran out of steam as it is very long and detailed. I bought a copy recently at a market, and am looking forward to reading it through to the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polka Dot Rock Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 The ending was very touching and beautifully done. A query - exactly who was the guy with the thistle down hair? was he just a faerie with big ideas- I spent most of the book thinking he was John Uskglass then JU turned up for one scene - when he revives Vinculus in the presence of Childermass and I realised the guy with the thistle down hair was someone else I have to say, I'm not entirely sure! I really want to re-read it at some point, so I'll have to keep that in mind. I imagine it's one of those books that really pays off with repeated reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiona Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I'm afraid this book is in my To Be Binned pile. I just couldn't get into it and reading it was like doing a mini-work out too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I couldn't find a topic about this book and I think there should be one. So, have you read it? What's your opinion about the world, the characters, the style of writing? That's one of the more stunning books I've read. I'm not sure what exactly makes it unique - the style, the whole atmosphere of the book, the unusual concept of magic or the absence of a "good" and a "bad" character. It has definitely been written with imagination that's quite rare these days. I would absolutely recommend it since there is a very slight chance that you won't enjoy it from the first to the last page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I couldn't find a topic about this book and I think there should be one. I found the existing thread using a quick search, and merged this one for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNinthWord Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I read this about 5 months ago and absolutely loved it. The style reminds me a little of Austen, which makes perfect sense since it's set around the Napoleonic Wars. I have to agree with you on the good and bad character front; they're all morally ambiguous, likeable and dislikeable in their own ways which made for very interesting reading. I guess I was a little biased towards the book since Susanna Clarke is from Nottingham, and so am I. And the librarian at my primary school recommended it to me once. The copy they had in the library was a hard-back, which I didn't fancy carrying home. Even though the length is daunting, and the pacing a little slow in places, I'd definitely recommend it to anybody. It's so easy to get lost in Clarke's world and just enjoy the mysteries that unfold. In the foreword to the edition I have (written by Neil Gaiman), it mentions that Clarke wrote short stories set in the same world. I'm not sure if she's published them, but I think it's definitely worth looking into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 In the foreword to the edition I have (written by Neil Gaiman), it mentions that Clarke wrote short stories set in the same world. I'm not sure if she's published them, but I think it's definitely worth looking into. The stories have been published in a book called The Ladies of Grace Adieu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNinthWord Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 (edited) The stories have been published in a book called The Ladies of Grace Adieu. Thank you very much . That's another book added to my TBR list. Edited August 9, 2010 by TheNinthWord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladymacbeth Posted August 26, 2010 Share Posted August 26, 2010 The Ladies of Grace Adieu scared the pants off me. Those faeries are so sinister. I think I had to stop reading it. That said, I loved Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell. The character of Mr Norrell, who is rather dry and dusty and, frankly, quite boring, is unusual for a supernatural style novel. That character and the writing style made me feel like the author was writing a true historical account and that my reality is actually the fictional one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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