Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

It’s been some time since I’ve had read a really good book. I’ve read some nice ones and some bad ones, but none that really reminded me why it is that I love to read.

And then came ?Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell?.

Two magicians shall appear in England. The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me?

It is the most astonishing book I’ve read this year. In fact it’s most astonishing book I’ve read in years. It’s the story of two magicians, Jonathan Strange & Gilbert Norrell, and how they try to revive the long lost tradition of English magic in the 1800s.
It is set in this historical setting and we get to meet some of the historic figures of the time; Lord Wellington, Napoleon and the mad King George.

Even if fantasy books (it’s about magic and not your everyday David Copperfield-kind of magic, but more like magic Merlin and Gandalf are performing), try it out.
It has been heralded as the adult Harry Potter, and since I’m not the biggest Harry Potter fanatic you can find (I’ve only read the first one and have since just seen the movies) I can’t say that it is or isn’t. But what I find refreshing about the book is that in the England that Strange and Norrell resides, magic might not be your everyday thing but there is nothing strange or supernatural about it. It?s just there.

The book is funny, you often laugh out loud. It’s exciting in the description of the characters and their actions and adventures, and even terrible mellow at some points when you read about all the hardship that Jonathan Strange must endure.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough and must urge everyone to pick up a copy. There is even a great website of the book with tons of information (even some about an upcoming movie-version?!?) and the first chapter of the book is also online.

Oh, and one last thing. You just gotta love an author that says this:

Who are your five favourite authors, and why?

Alan Moore [..] who, in the words of Jonathan Ross, causes middle-aged men (and women) to fall to their knees in comic shops, weeping in gratitude.

[..]

Neil Gaiman who is the most audacious and surprising writer. In the first comic of his I read, he emptied Hell. I was quite shocked. I thought ‘Are you really allowed to do that?’ Apparently you are.

Joss Whedon and other assorted writers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not perfect. The plots often creak. But the dialogue is wonderful and the characterisation is as almost as good. Apparently Joss Whedon starts from emotion. He asks what emotion does the viewer need to feel? and what emotion does the character need to feel? These are very good questions for any writer in writing any fiction. Get that right and your readers/viewers will want to keep reading/watching.

Updated: this is turning out to be an evolving post about the book, every time I press ?Post? something else / more about the book springs to mind.