Review: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Straddling the genres of alternative history, fantasy, and historical novel, “Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell” (SN hereafter) is a slow start, over 800 pages long, with an unsatisfying ending. It seems moralistic at the beginning, and the character you’re waiting for to appear gets one page, 30 pages from the end.

But I still recommend it! That was all the bad stuff – there’s plenty of good.

Good writing
On almost every page, Clarke’s wry sense of humor and wit comes out. It’s enjoyable to read, even when you aren’t sure where the plot is going. This “saves” the book at points where it is weak, and readers may be tempted to give it up. The very craft of writing I believe is a major point of the book, and she does it well.

Clarke also draws on various English mythologies: fairies, the Raven King, etc. It was a bit disconcerting reading this along with Game of Thrones, which uses much of the same: King in the North, 3-eyed raven, etc. They draw on the same legends. This evokes a sense of wonder, of the supernatural – see below.


Critique of academia
I couldn’t find this in any online reviews, but I believe a major theme, especially at the beginning, is a devastating critique of the academic world, probably English literature departments, specifically. Norrell is the establishment, seeking to control the information flow and retain power. Strange is the gifted iconoclast with no respect for accumulated knowledge or tradition. The very format of SN, with its many extensive footnotes, caricatures academic writing. The footnotes veer from the superfluous to the extremely important, just as academia is awash in information but cannot often sift what is important.

The strongest critique is that the craft of magicianship (often a metaphor for the academic pursuit of literature, I think) is focused on reputational rivalry, and arguing about schools of thought, instead of evoking wonder in the reader. I found this very enjoyable, and an apt assessment. Clarke does her best in much of the book to evoke that wonder, hinting at the history of magic and the Raven King throughout. She pulls it off quite well, drawing on folklore like fairies, giving you a sense that there is more out there than you think: other worlds, dimensions, etc.


Realistic friendships
Norrell takes on Strange as a pupil/disciple. The two have an uneasy friendship, as Norrell wants to retain the upper hand, even though Strange is gifted. They have a serious falling out which isn’t resolved until the very end. Friendships sometimes fray, and need time to mend. C.S. Lewis noted once that friends unite around a common hobby or enterprise or interest. Clarke depicts this dazzlingly well at the end. Rivalry subsides with a common mission, which we must keep in view as primary.


Realistic spirituality
This one may surprise you, as SN incorporates all kinds of fantasy magic and mythology that isn’t real: fairies, ancient Raven Kings, etc. But it dawns on you over the course of the book that there are malevolent spiritual powers out there seeking to use and exploit you. We call them demons. This is real. In SN they are presented more benignly at first as fairies. But you shall know them by their fruits, and the unveiling is hideous indeed.

This is true also of various human characters, who find themselves facing poetic justice for their gossip, dissension, exploitation of others, murder, etc. Clarke does a great job describing them in all their despicableness in the first part of the book, and then letting them get away with it for 700 pages until their demise. Justice happens, but only after a long time coming, and only at the arrival/advent of the King.

Strange pursues his magic, sometimes to the detriment of his wife. I found this another realistic tension between marriage and career. I did not like the resolution. The message seemed to be, spouses need to give each other space to do what they feel they must, career-wise, even if they disagree. This puts vocation before marriage, which is a dangerous manifestation of the modern self-fulfillment idea.

One other aspect of realistic spirituality, or Christian worldview, is very similar to the Lord of the Rings. What do fallen people do when they get power? They pursue it for themselves, and use it to advance themselves. But here, at the end, for one brief moment, an unlikely character winds up with way more magical power than the magicians. And he uses it to stop wickedness from continuing. He redeems a hellish realm, Lost-Hope, to be a place of refuge again.


Christian symbolism
That was one of the several Christ figures in the book, whether Clarke meant them as such or not. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, whether magical, miraculous or otherwise. And He uses it to defeat the accuser and redeem us and restore hope. Another character is a scrubby street-sorcerer who most take as a charlatan. But he has the letters of the King written on his body – he is a living book (Word!). He is hanged from a tree by a fairy/demon, aided by a human under his enchantment, and later brought back to life by the King.


So it’s worth the read, but it isn’t for everyone. If you like the mystery of Medieval history, Merlin-esque fantasy, and magical novels, this is for you.
3 stars.


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