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Set in England in the age of Napoleon, the book focuses on the two practical magicians of the title. Up until the book's beginning, Mr. Norrell has spent his life in solitude in his house outside of London but comes to the city to aid his country in the war through the use of magic. He later takes on Jonathan Strange as an apprentice, and here Clarke juxtapositions the two characters' personalities. Whereas Mr. Norrell is bookish, fastidious, and vain, Jonathan Strange is extroverted, sociable, and ambitious. Although both wish to return magic to England, they have very different methods, and very different opinions of the mysterious Raven King. These days, most people think of Harry Potter when the word "magician" is mentioned, but if you're looking for something of that sort here, you'd probably be disappointed. There's no waving of a wand and shouting spells here, and Clarke's writing is more layered than Rowling's writing is. With the addition of explanatory footnotes describing mythological and historical aspects, and writing similar to that of the period in which the story takes place, Clarke's book reads like an entertaining treatise on the history of magic. I have to admit, sometimes I found the footnotes more interesting than the story itself. I did find that parts of the book dragged on a bit and the narrative tends to meander from one subject to another and then back again. I took a two-week break from the book at one point, but I'm glad I finished it. The end was well worth it.

2022-11-14 16:58