Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - conclusions

[alobear]

Finished in nine days! (Though I had two days off work in the middle to help.)



The first half was entertaining, the second half was compelling. I certainly didn't expect it to get all dark, angsty and exciting, but it did - or at least it did, compared to the first half!

There was a great deal of poetic justice in the conclusion, which was very satisfying, but also some things left unresolved. I wouldn't be surprised to hear tell of a sequel, and I'm certainly not surprised to learn that New Line are making it into a film.

My favourite characters, whom I feared were being reduced to bit parts, all got a great deal more attention in the second half, so I was very pleasantly surprised. What I thought was going to be a throwaway amusement turned into an extremely enjoyable read.

Highly recommended.

Comments

Wow

[lareinemisere.livejournal.com]

I started it in October, and am just hoping I finish it over the holiday. You is scary person.

Re: Wow

[alobear.livejournal.com]

Well, this is one of the advantages of having a 90 minute commute each way every day, and also not reading a newspaper...

I'll be interested to know what you think when you finish it.

Re: Wow

[lareinemisere.livejournal.com]

Finally finished it between Christmas and New Year: lack of work and only seeing one newspaper a week - vs. about 11 in a normal week - is a very good combination for upping my book-reading time.

Very impressed overall. I loved the use of irony and the faux-19th Century style. I liked that it got more and more fraught and exciting as it went along - repays the effort the reader puts in - and I was most relieved that Ms. Clarke didn't make the horrible thing that happened to Mrs Strange permanent.

I would love to see a sequel (and am restraining myself from buying the cute three-volume box set version in the mean time).

Re: Wow

[alobear.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I liked the build-up of excitement too. She's definitely left it open for a sequel, so I guess we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, who would you cast as the two main characters in the film that's in development?