Jo-Bridge Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I agree. great book- its like escaping into a fairy tale world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadya Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I've read it some years ago and remember being very impressed. The pace didn't bother me. Liked the writing style and the setting. The characters were nicely developped in the end. It's one of those books that can be read again some day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I've just finished listening to the unabridged download of this from Audible read by Simon Prebble and was just enchanted by the whole book .. it does start slowly or at least there is a huge amount of information to take in .. even before we've been introduced to Jonathan Strange but it's all worth it. I'm really impressed by it .. it's quite Austenesque but as she was writing about the Regency period that's to be expected and in any case the subject matter is vastly different. I just hope it doesn't take Susanna another ten years to write the sequel (or the book that she says is set in the same world though probably not featuring Jonathan or Mr Norrell). I am inspired to read the book even though I've heard it read ... and I also want to read the accompanying 'Ladies of Grace Adieu' ... it's the best book I've read/heard in a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I've just finished listening to the unabridged download of this from Audible read by Simon Prebble and was just enchanted by the whole book I loved the book too, but just out of curiosity, did the audiobook include the footnotes? If so, how did they incorporate them into the reading? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I loved the book too, but just out of curiosity, did the audiobook include the footnotes? If so, how did they incorporate them into the reading? Yes he read them just as you would if reading yourself (stopping off in the narrative to read them)... somehow it worked fine. It was about 32 hours long though. His voice characterisation is fantastic .. Vinculus in particular and also the gentleman with the thistledown hair .. in fact everyone. I could only afford it on the rental plan .. otherwise it's a whopping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Ah I see, that sort of makes sense, although I wonder if I might lose the thread of the story with some of the very long diversionary footnotes. At least reading it from the book, I can easily re-read a few sentences before the footnote marker if I need to, or leave the footnote until a more convenient place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I bought this book a long time ago. It just sits there on my shelf mocking me The size of it makes it so daunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrysalis_stage Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I bought this book a long time ago. It just sits there on my shelf mocking me The size of it makes it so daunting. Same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tikkititi Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 otherwise it's a whopping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I bought this book a long time ago. It just sits there on my shelf mocking me The size of it makes it so daunting. It's definitely worth the effort. I read it in just over a week (including footnotes!), but it rattled along at a good pace so it never felt like it was a chore to read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 I've finally taken this one off my shelf and had a look back through this thread. I'm amazed so many people struggled with it! Granted I'm only 150 pages in but I'm loving it and while there's no real sense of the story having gotten going as such yet, I'm loving the level of detail and old fashioned, witty writing style to the point of not caring about the bigger picture. My copy is the red paperback, and it's quite difficult to read - fortunately it was a cheapy second hand copy with it's spine already bent in about 10 places, so it opens and sits easily, and I won't mind spending money on the boxset whose existence I only just discovered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 I'm glad you're enjoying this, Noll. I read it a few years ago but unfortunately only remember the broad outline of things. I read a huge paperback as well and have been trying to resist the nice-looking boxset for a while now. I do remember that I adored the style of writing, and the scope of the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 I read this once two or three years ago, barely remember much in it and I hope to read it again by the end of this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 On the other hand I've tried to read The Picture of Dorian Gray twice now and never managed to get through it and that's tiny.Considering your quote Nollaig I hope that doesn't disgust you too much Haha I love Dorian, but to each their own entirely! I read a total of 98 pages last night of JonS.&Mr.N, if I could keep at that daily pace I'd be quite happy. Everything is just starting to take a turn for the works and I'm almost to section two, Jonathan's part Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Noll, where did you see the boxset? I've been looking for a decent edition of this for ages as my hardback looks thoroughly beaten up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Ta-daaaa! Amazon themselves don't have it, but there's a few marketplace ones, including in Dublin! Which I might have to make use of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Ooooh, might have to indulge! Thanks for the linkage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Readwine Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I'm amazed so many people struggled with it! I am one of those. I picked it up a couple of years ago and just could not get into it. After reading this thread, I may give it another go this year. Sp glad you are enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I'm taking my time for sure, reading shorter books at the same time so I haven't read any of it since the day before yesterday, and I'm just at the end of volume one, but I am completely in love with the story, the characters, the style - everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I had a feeling you'd like it Nollaig, and I was just thinking of you a few moments ago and wondering how long you've gotten with the book, thanks for answering without me having to ask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Hee! I read another hundred pages this evening, and will probably try another couple of chapters before sleep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Hee! I read another hundred pages this evening, and will probably try another couple of chapters before sleep That is impressive ... it really draws you in though doesn't it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melisa Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Hee! I read another hundred pages this evening, and will probably try another couple of chapters before sleep I've read the first 2 pages so far - you're putting me to shame! Will definitely attempt more this weekend, although saying that I have a delivery at the post office to pick up more books... It's okay I've had the book for about 4 years now. This is going to be the year it will be read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 That is impressive ... it really draws you in though doesn't it My 'couple of chapters' turned into a further 90 pages, so I'm almost halfway through now. It really does draw you in, it's just SO easy to read. It keeps making me laugh out loud, too, which is rare in a book. Even a chapter title cracked me up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anika Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I put this one down about a third of the way through--not because I wasn't enjoying it but other books kept calling to me, so...... You know how that goes. After reading this thread I feel in the mood to get back into it now! Thanks, guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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