JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL by Susanna Clarke

After a summer hiatus, The Bookshelf is open once again, and what better way to recommence than by highlighting a book that features books and bookshelves prominently. One thing, however, sets these volumes apart: Magic.

Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is much like reading an adult Harry Potter novel by way of Charles Dickens. Set in England in the early 1800s, the novel tells of the rise, divide, and eventual destiny of two magicians who bring magic back to England. This is not the magic of parlour tricks and sleight-of-hand, but real honest to goodness magic: ships made of rain, prophecies, Eternal Nights, Fairies, and that sort of thing. The novel spans just over a decade--and at 782 pages, there is plenty of detail to fill up that time period. The book is footnoted extensively with references to fictional histories, letters, tales, cross-references, and so on. Some of these elements--such as Britain's Northern Kingdom and the 300 year reign of the Raven King--are entirely fictional. Others--like the Duke of Wellington and the country's struggles with Napoleon and the madness of King George--are based in fact. When woven together, Clarke creates a deep and richly textured world.

And don't let my refernce to Harry Potter fool you. The magic in JS&MN is not cutesy magic with silly names and punning gags. It is treated in the novel with complete seriousness--a profession with a history and weight behind it that put the practice of magic on a level equal with that of Law or the Church. In otherwords, practical magic (distinct from theoretical magic) is the sort of profession a gentleman can take part in, though most real knowledge on the subject has been lost.

Clarke also depicts magic as something unsettling and not entirely natural. When Mr. Norrell causes all the statues in a cathedral to speak, for example, as a show of his ability as a magician, the scene is not silly and winking. Instead, the statues speak of crimes they have seen committed in the chapel; they call for revenge and groan their complaints in voices like stone grinding against stone. Thus magic in this world may be wonderful, but it is also awful--in both senses of the word.

I'll admit there are times when the novel drags. Clarke's ear for 19th century prose and eye for detail are great talents, but I wonder if she couldn't have cut the book down by a hundred pages or two. The world is painted vividly, and at times it jumps from fascinating to tedious. For the most part, however, her attention to the peculiarities of London life as England begins to take center stage in world events makes the book really enjoyable.

I'm a sucker for historical fiction--especially historical fictions set in the 19th century. Clarke's skill as a writer and the intiricacies of the world she creates make this one of the most enjoyable books I've real all summer. While researching for this review, I found out she will have a book of short stories (some of which deal with the characters in this novel) published in just a few months. The fact that--even after nearly 800 pages--I still look forward to more tales in Clarke's world confirms for me just how gratifying her writing can be. Get to know Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.