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Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Sep. 4th, 2004 09:20 amSalon's review of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell continues to amazing pre-press publicity for this book. Of course it is written by Laura Miller, who obviously has never read a fantasy book other than Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter books before.
My feelings of the book, ater reading it, are thus. Its big, too big. It doesn't really gain that much from its size. Other, smaller books, have successfully created a world without bogging you down. It help that the characters are boring for about half the book, I don't hold to the Jane Austen comparison at all.
It is not unique. I can effortlesly think of other fantasy novels that tread the same territory. Sorcery and Cecilia, Freedom & Necessity, and tons of stuff by Avram Davidson. And then there are the Randall Garrett books. All different, of various degrees of proficiency, but prettty much all in the same school of fantastic writing that Susanna Clarke's book falls into.
As far as size goes, this book left me with the same feeling most of Neal Sephenson's recent books do. I like any given section but the whole leaves me exhausted. I don't like to feel exhausted after I've read a book.
I'm always glad when fantasy books get main stream attention, and this book is certainly a fine book. But its not amazing, ground breaking stff. And I'm mystified as to why its being treated as such by the mainstream press.
My feelings of the book, ater reading it, are thus. Its big, too big. It doesn't really gain that much from its size. Other, smaller books, have successfully created a world without bogging you down. It help that the characters are boring for about half the book, I don't hold to the Jane Austen comparison at all.
It is not unique. I can effortlesly think of other fantasy novels that tread the same territory. Sorcery and Cecilia, Freedom & Necessity, and tons of stuff by Avram Davidson. And then there are the Randall Garrett books. All different, of various degrees of proficiency, but prettty much all in the same school of fantastic writing that Susanna Clarke's book falls into.
As far as size goes, this book left me with the same feeling most of Neal Sephenson's recent books do. I like any given section but the whole leaves me exhausted. I don't like to feel exhausted after I've read a book.
I'm always glad when fantasy books get main stream attention, and this book is certainly a fine book. But its not amazing, ground breaking stff. And I'm mystified as to why its being treated as such by the mainstream press.
