Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Warning: this book is long, really long! The story is divided into three volumes, and the first definitely requires patience and a lot of will to go on reading. It is mostly because it is very directed at developing characters and no so much at advancing in the story. It tells us how magic is slowly leaving England, how nobody seems to know how to use it any more and how the magicians left are actually theoretical magicians that read books on the subject. Then Mr. Norrell comes along and we find out that he can actually perform magic. He's a reclusive man that is also awfully full of himself and decides that no one should be studying magic besides him, after all, he is the only practical magician alive. Norrell ends up in London doing what he wants: helping the English fight the French with magic - Clarke writes beautiful scenes on account of that. In the meantime, the magician also spends a lot of energy trying to stop the other so-called magicians and hides every book of magic he can get his hands on. This volume is quite slow paced but some of the scenes where magic is taking place are beautifully described and a pleasure to read.

But it turns out Norrell is not the only magician left, since there's also a handsome man called Jonathan Strange who can perform magic, even if he's quite unaware of his abilities until someone tells him he is part of a prophesy. Mr. Norrell takes this news badly and sees Strange as his rival. The second and third volumes are easier to read. I've read some review that said some readers could start in the second volume if they think they cannot endure the first one, which probably is a good advice. Jonathan Strange is brought into the spotlight in the second volume and he is much more likeable than Norrell, even though he is too easily distracted to understand at once what's happening and that is a little exasperating sometimes. As the war against France escalates, Strange is sent to Portugal to help Wellington fight the french with his magic. Clarke did an amazing job intertwining her magical story with England's History. There's also a funny and suspenseful scene involving a visit to King George, the mad King who happens to be able to see and talk to fairies - like most madmen apparently do. Although this book is not exactly funny and sometimes is rather dark, some bits do feel like magic.

I don't give it five starts for a set of reasons, starting with the first volume being quite dull. The footnotes are too many and too long, some of those footnotes could be standalone stories. It's interesting to know that the whole world behind the book is so well thought, but at the same time it keeps breaking the pace and a number of times I lost track of the story when I got back to the main text. I guess some readers can just ignore the footnotes altogether. I have to admit I was beginning to cringe at every paragraph that started with "Stephen and the gentleman with the thistle-down hair", most of it was just chatter that didn't enrich the story or helped it move on. Honestly, I was as bored as Stephen listening to the fairy. And I still don't understand the magic court "The Cinque Dragownes" chapter, it seems completely pointless.

I think I would have made it quite shorter, but this book is undoubtedly a beautiful read full of magic. It's like you're transported to a complete different world and feel each character as a friend and understand their doubts and actions. It's really well written.