Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Sometimes you just find that book that has... everything. I was so completely enchanted by this book that I'm in despair that it's over, and though I was initially intimidated by its length, I now wish it had been fifty times longer at least. I have had my eye on this book probably since the age of fifteen, and I'm so happy that I didn't read it earlier because I don't think I would have really appreciated it. It's everything I love: satire, historical fiction, comedy of manners, (good) fantasy. I don't remember when I've last laughed so much, the narrative voice is absolutely hysterical, it was like The Chronicles of Narnia written by Jane Austen. One of my favourite things about it was its discursive, almost picaresque nature. There's almost no sustained central conflict, and the actual main narrative is not very interesting, I think I forgot all about it for the most part. I hugely enjoyed the little stories, like mini-fairy tales, that come up all over the book and the footnotes are absolute gems. I loved the way there are exceptionally lyrical and poetic passages bursting out suddenly from the satirical ones, the change of tone somehow works wonderfully. I'm extremely impressed with the way Clarke handled the tone of the narrative overall; she managed to combine moments of genuine horror, emotional intensity, whimsy, and the most lively humour into an absolutely irresistible cocktail of magic and Georgian manners. Clarke also knows what to leave out; we never find out anything much about Faerie, or the Raven King, or other realms, but we find out just enough. So much is left tantalizingly unexplained (in a book of this size!), we never even know the name of the Gentlemen with the Thistledown Hair, who is an absolutely wonderful creation. Mr. Norrell is also a great character; he hovers on the edge of the Dickensian benevolent old gentleman stereotype, a sort of more effective Mr. Pickwick, but is much more satisfying (as a character). While in Dickens, there might be a straightforward progression of a character from self-centered to generous, this doesn't happen here, Mr. Norrell remains both selfish and somehow appealing and even lovable in his confused affections and attempts to both help everyone and keep himself comfortable. I think this is important in Clarke's eschewing of traditional linear narrative, and favouring a modern flexibility in such a conventional setting, creating a delightful combination. Oh, and Lord Byron is also there is and he is hilarious.