Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clark

Well written and most striking for its creativity. A parallel fantasy world playing out alongside early 19^th century England and Europe into which the reader is drawn slowly and mostly effortlessly by the author. Despite its artful craftsmanship, I finished it only because the storyline is captivating. The middle third is long and at times pendulously tiresome. The character development is lacking for an 800+ page novel. Mr. Norrell we know only through his words and actions; there is no glimmer of his internal world; he is a shell, a vehicle of actions, the catalyst for other events around him and, in the end, only a plot-making component of the narrative despite his omnipresence. We never get to know Norrell in any meaningful way. Closer we get to Jonathan Strange who reveals his desires, including his search for the Raven King. But, too, absent is the view into his mind I would expect of such a potentially complex character; he is most akin to Melville’s Captain Ahab. The other supporting characters serve as scenery and counterpoint to the actions of Norrell and Strange. The most highly developed is the bad guy, the man with the thistle-down hair, who is of the world of Faerie. He is not human and Clark goes at great length to demonstrate how singularly twisted he is. Readers and fans of fantasy will like this book. There is enough quality writing to keep your attention and the plot quickens in the final third. However, for some, the ponderous weight, both literally and figuratively, will keep it from being read.