ABSTRACT – SUSANNA CLARKE - JOHNATHON STRANGE & MR. NORRELL. 2004 Bloomsbury An alternative history of England in which
magic has been a part of the history for generations, but by the Napoleonic wars, the practice of magic has fallen into decline. A society of magicians in Leeds, all of who understand the theories, but who are unable to conduct spells, discover that there are magical books in the ownership of a reclusive individual called Mr. Norrell who agrees to show them what he can do with his magical powers. Norrell makes the stone statues in York Minster come to life, and he becomes a public sensation. He is now asked to join London Society and while there, he raises a young society lady from the dead, though she loses a finger in her resurrection, she is otherwise unharmed, though she
soon shows signs of collapsing into melancholic despair. Norrell now finds himself approached by the war office, to assist in the campaigns against Napoleon. Without leaving London, he creates phantom fleets of ships out of cloud and rain, to blockade the French. It is clear that strange side effects are happening because of Norrell’s actions. A black servant in a wealthy house is whisked away by a strange figure with Thistledown hair and told that he will soon be the new King Of England. Also, a young man called Jonathon Strange is showing a natural ability to do magic. With Norrell under increasing pressure to train others in magic, Strange is soon invited to be the older magician’s apprentice. Norrell is however jealous of his new protégé, and he refuses to let him have access to most of his
library of books on magic in his extensive library. Strange learns magic anyway, seemingly from nowhere. He is also much more approachable than Norrell. Instead of assisting the war effort from afar, he goes to Spain to meet the troops first hand, and eventually helps out at the battle of Waterloo. His magic is almost god-like at times. He moves roads to confound the enemy, and even transports Belgium from Europe to the middle of America. Unable to access Norrell’s books, strange write one of his own, but Norrell sabotages its publication, making every copy issued disappear, causing many to mistrust Strange. The apprentice now has another problem. His wife has been taken by magic, and many assume she is dead. Strange becomes increasingly obsessed with finding her, and desperate enough to raise a
fairy to help in his quest. He has briefly
met with the mad King George 3rd, who strange realizes has met with fairies. Strange therefore deliberately allows himself to go insane to meet a fairy and discovers that
fairies have already been watching him. Despite his warnings about use of fairies, Norrell had used one in raising a woman from the dead, and much now occurring is down to consequences of that action. Strange, operating mostly from Venice, where he has met Lord Byron, and wrapped himself in a tower of perpetual darkness, visible for miles, begins to open old fairy roads and bring back the natural magic of England. People with no apparent training in magic now suddenly perform spells. A girl bullied by a boy makes his ears fly away until he apologises. Strange now returns to England, via a fairy road, arriving at Norrell’s main library, and together with Norrell, he tries to make the acquaintance of the old Raven King, John Uskglass, Britain’s most famous and powerful magician. Strange has only one motive – to liberate his enchanted wife, which he achieves. He and Norrell are however trapped forever in the darkness as a price for their action. Norrell’s treacherous servants meet unpleasant ends in Fairie. Stephen, the black hero, declines the invitation to be the new King. A beggar, who had claimed to be a great magician, becomes the living incarnation of an ancient lost book of powerful magic. There is not a great deal of action in the book, but its evocative 18th century writing style is gripping. Thefootnotes (which often go on for several pages0 are fascinating stories and anecdotes in their own right, and the book has wonderful pencil drawings by This is highly inventive and original. It may well be one of the best first novels ever. Arthur Chappell
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