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Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke


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Very excited for this. Makes me want to re-read the novel, and also go buy that 3-volume box-set of the novel I saw last week for 8 quid second-hand. For practical purposes, of course - reading a thousand-page paperback is simply impractical!

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If you sign up to Audible on their one month free trial, you can download the audiobook version for nothing.  It's 32 hours in length!  If you don't, you can still buy the audiobook via Amazon for £3.35!  The Kindle edition is just £3.79.

 

But the physical book can be picked up pretty cheaply most places (including Amazon).  The current edition that's just been released by Bloomsbury has an updated forward by Susanna that ties in with the BBC adaptation.  

 

(I own so many copies of this book - I have it on Kindle, iBooks, plus the three editions of the printed book, and a very limited copy of one of the volumes that's still bound and tied with string and sealed with the Raven King's wax seal - sent to me by Susanna and Colin).

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Welcome to BCF mbdrake :) I'm very glad to have your personal guarantee :D I'm pretty sure you'll turn out to be right!

One helpful thing you wrote was (something like) .. 'they can't include everything'. I often forget this when I watch TV or film adaptations and get a bit shirty but then I do realise that a straight retelling is impossible. You can't do it. So anyway, forewarned is forearmed .. I will be bearing this in mind :) It was a while ago that I read it (have done several re-reads thanks to Simon Prebble's wonderful audio reading but none of them were recent) and so possibly will not be as nitpicky as I would be if I'd only just finished it  :blush2: 

I have decided I am making a cake if at all possible :D A red velvet heartache cake .. possibly with a hidden surprise or some sort of magic related decoration. This is a momentous occasion and I want to commemorate it by stressing myself out as much as possible in the days leading up to it :D Hope we find out the date soon.

 

Adapting a book involves a significant butchery - there is no point denying it.  Some things will have to go, lines of dialogues or even whole tasks go to other characters, and all manner of crazy things.  But I think Peter Harness has come up with a good compromise that will provide some comfort (for example, some of the footnotes manifest themselves as dialogue spoken by the characters).

 

I am told that when Julian Fellowes was adapting the screenplay for New Line, a rather significant element of the story had to go to make room.  So having this as a seven part series is the best thing that could happen to the story.

 

Martyn

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This is what I'm thinking of picking up for 8 quid:

 

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It's lovely .. buy it!! (if it won't break the bank of Noll and make you live on cornflakes for the rest of the month! :D) It's more practical than the one volume edition which is so unwieldy.

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Adapting a book involves a significant butchery - there is no point denying it.  Some things will have to go, lines of dialogues or even whole tasks go to other characters, and all manner of crazy things.  But I think Peter Harness has come up with a good compromise that will provide some comfort (for example, some of the footnotes manifest themselves as dialogue spoken by the characters).

 

I am told that when Julian Fellowes was adapting the screenplay for New Line, a rather significant element of the story had to go to make room.  So having this as a seven part series is the best thing that could happen to the story.

 

Martyn

Thanks for the info Martyn. Interesting about the footnotes .. glad that at least some of them have found their way into the script. I'm very happy with a seven part adaptation. The mind boggles at how much they would have had to cull in order to make a two/three hour film. Think it would have ended up as a mess.

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If you sign up to Audible on their one month free trial, you can download the audiobook version for nothing.  It's 32 hours in length!  If you don't, you can still buy the audiobook via Amazon for £3.35!  The Kindle edition is just £3.79.

 

But the physical book can be picked up pretty cheaply most places (including Amazon).  The current edition that's just been released by Bloomsbury has an updated forward by Susanna that ties in with the BBC adaptation.  

 

(I own so many copies of this book - I have it on Kindle, iBooks, plus the three editions of the printed book, and a very limited copy of one of the volumes that's still bound and tied with string and sealed with the Raven King's wax seal - sent to me by Susanna and Colin).

I have an Audible account and it was one of the first books I downloaded. Very happy to have it too as it's excellently read .. I got even more out of it.

Very envious of your limited edition  :blush2: How lovely. I suppose you wrote and said thank you long ago .. only I was thinking, if you hadn't, please could you add a postscript to say .. hurry up with the next book Susanna :D 

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It's lovely .. buy it!! (if it won't break the bank of Noll and make you live on cornflakes for the rest of the month! :D) It's more practical than the one volume edition which is so unwieldy.

 

Ehhh the Bank of Noll is already broken, I don't think 8 quid is going to make a monumental difference :giggle: I plan to pick it up over the weekend!

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I have the book on my TBR, split up into three books in a box set, but after buying it many years ago I never got around to reading it :blush2:. Maybe one day :D.

You must read it Gaia! You're missing out :D

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I'm so glad it wasn't made into a movie. There was no way a movie could do the book justice!

 

I bought and read the hefty tome when it was first published, and a few years ago I bought the three-volume set at a great price. :) When I get around to re-reading it, I'll definitely go for the slimmer volumes! :)

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Great articles Claire .. this just gets more and more exciting. I am in danger of exploding  :blush2:

 

I want to read the three volume set too .. you don't often see them (though that might change) which is why I'm encouraging Noll to snap it up!! :D Well done you for spotting a bargain Kylie :)

 

I've always thought the book was underrated. I don't know if it is .. it seems quite well thought of which is great but still people give me blank looks when I mention it (not for much longer though .. ha!)

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I want to read the three volume set too .. you don't often see them (though that might change) which is why I'm encouraging Noll to snap it up!! :D

 

It rained all day today I couldn't go to town! :roll:

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Great articles Claire .. this just gets more and more exciting. I am in danger of exploding  :blush2:

I know what you mean ... I'm checking the BBC website every day to see if they've confirmed the day and every time I see the trailer on television, I let out a little squeal! :exc: :exc: :exc:

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I know what you mean ... I'm checking the BBC website every day to see if they've confirmed the day and every time I see the trailer on television, I let out a little squeal! :exc: :exc: :exc:

 

That's so cute.  :giggle: I'll keep a close eye on this thread then, because I'm sure you'll let us know when you find out the date. :)

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