Strange, on the other hand, decides on a whim to simply Be A Magician.

Norrell compels them to disband their silly gabfest club, and goes about quietly studying and practicing magic all on his own. You can’t help but dive in! The Learned Society of York’s “theoretical magicians” (i.e., old white men who study the history of magic, even though they can’t perform it) is stunned to learn that Mr Norrell – curator of the world’s largest personal library of magic books and books about magic (they’re different) – can actually perform it. The first chapter of Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell is exquisitely crafted: word built, exposition clear (but not patronising to the reader), and the hook baited. Mr Norrell is a cantankerous bookworm, a fusspot of the highest order.Ĭlarke’s mastery of storytelling is on display right from the get-go. Jonathan Strange is young, adventurous, and impulsive. As Clarke tells it, magic once ran rife through the British Isles, but has since disappeared entirely… only to suddenly return to two particular men, Jonathan Strange and (you guessed it!) Mr Norrell. Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell is an alternative history, set in early 19th century England (think Napoleonic war era). (And by the way, there are some gorgeous illustrations in my edition, contributed by Portia Rosenberg – I highly recommend seeking out a copy that includes them!) (I’m an affiliate, so any time you buy a brilliant book through a link on this page, I’ll earn a small commission.) Buy Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell here.

Mr strange and mr norrell book