Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Dec. 12th, 2015 03:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scripsiI have been re-reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke at the same time as I have re-watched the series and have fallen in love with the book even more than after my initial read. For some reason the book languished on my bookshelf for nearly a decade as I, as so many other, were a bit put off by all the footnotes. But last year when were were going to Venice I needed a good, hefty book to read and finally blew the dust of it. I was very pleased with my choice and as part of it takes place in Venice it felt quite fitting as well. Now I can’t understand why I waited so long, because this is just the kind of book that appeals to me; long, slow-moving and with a big cast. Two of my all time favourites are The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and American Gods by Neil Gaiman. And of course I love Jane Austen.
I really enjoyed it, but I usually enjoy books I like more on the re-read. The first time you read it you are new to the characters and you may not notice all their little quirks and habits. And you are very focused on how the plot will evolve and be solved. SOme books you never want to read again, but I re-read most books at least ones and my favourites every second year, or so and some even more often. I thought JSAMR was a lot better the second time. The footnotes felt more integrated with the general plot and I enjoyed having the images of the series along with it.
I’m not completely sold on the series as I felt it diminished Stephen Black’s character too much. In my view he is the real hero of this book, but in the series he is a lot more passive and at times it seems he is on the Gentleman’s side against Lady Poole. I also think it’s a pity that his love affair was cut out. I also miss the Gentleman’s whimsical charm, something I think make him more menacing and also explain why Stephen doesn’t hate him as Lady Pole does.
But I love the casting and the sets, which looks just right to me. Enzo Cilenti’s Childermass is exactly as I had envisioned him as is Eddie Marsan’s Norrell and Edward Hogg’s Mr. Segundus and Ariyon Bakare as Stephen Black. Bertie Carvel doesn’t have red hair, but I think he does a great job being Jonathan Strange. And I love both Charlotte Riley and Alice Englert as Arabella and Lady Pole; they do a wonderful job fleshing out their characters. That’s one of the things really like with the series, making them more into personalities and I love that Lady Pole is more active in her attempts to make people understand her plight. Most character’s look very right to me, apart from Lacelles and Sir Walter. Especially Sir Walter, because even if I think Samuel West do a very good job, he is a handsome man, when the book clearly says that Sir Walter isn’t. Clarke seems to have based him on the real life politician Charles James Fox.
And now I have finished both book and series and want more! The Wikipedia page says there will be a sequel which will focus more on Childermass and Vinculus, but, well, it’s eleven years since JSAMN was published now. As it took Clarke ten years to finish that book one may hope the next will be done soon, but I haven’t seen anything about it anywhere else. I plan to read The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories soon, though. But I would really, really like to know more about Childermass, who is my favourite character. I was quite convinced he was an avatar for the Raven King, but it seems not. There is still an obvious connection there, which I would like to know more about. And I want to know about Stephen as king of Lost-hope and about Arabella and Lady Pole. And of course, how Strange and Norrell will cope with the Darkness.
I really enjoyed it, but I usually enjoy books I like more on the re-read. The first time you read it you are new to the characters and you may not notice all their little quirks and habits. And you are very focused on how the plot will evolve and be solved. SOme books you never want to read again, but I re-read most books at least ones and my favourites every second year, or so and some even more often. I thought JSAMR was a lot better the second time. The footnotes felt more integrated with the general plot and I enjoyed having the images of the series along with it.
I’m not completely sold on the series as I felt it diminished Stephen Black’s character too much. In my view he is the real hero of this book, but in the series he is a lot more passive and at times it seems he is on the Gentleman’s side against Lady Poole. I also think it’s a pity that his love affair was cut out. I also miss the Gentleman’s whimsical charm, something I think make him more menacing and also explain why Stephen doesn’t hate him as Lady Pole does.
But I love the casting and the sets, which looks just right to me. Enzo Cilenti’s Childermass is exactly as I had envisioned him as is Eddie Marsan’s Norrell and Edward Hogg’s Mr. Segundus and Ariyon Bakare as Stephen Black. Bertie Carvel doesn’t have red hair, but I think he does a great job being Jonathan Strange. And I love both Charlotte Riley and Alice Englert as Arabella and Lady Pole; they do a wonderful job fleshing out their characters. That’s one of the things really like with the series, making them more into personalities and I love that Lady Pole is more active in her attempts to make people understand her plight. Most character’s look very right to me, apart from Lacelles and Sir Walter. Especially Sir Walter, because even if I think Samuel West do a very good job, he is a handsome man, when the book clearly says that Sir Walter isn’t. Clarke seems to have based him on the real life politician Charles James Fox.
And now I have finished both book and series and want more! The Wikipedia page says there will be a sequel which will focus more on Childermass and Vinculus, but, well, it’s eleven years since JSAMN was published now. As it took Clarke ten years to finish that book one may hope the next will be done soon, but I haven’t seen anything about it anywhere else. I plan to read The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories soon, though. But I would really, really like to know more about Childermass, who is my favourite character. I was quite convinced he was an avatar for the Raven King, but it seems not. There is still an obvious connection there, which I would like to know more about. And I want to know about Stephen as king of Lost-hope and about Arabella and Lady Pole. And of course, how Strange and Norrell will cope with the Darkness.
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Date: 2015-12-12 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 02:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 03:15 pm (UTC)http://gensplosion.dreamwidth.org/tag/-+fandom:+jonathan+strange+%26+mr+norrell
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Date: 2015-12-12 04:59 pm (UTC)As Liadt says, JS&MN has had some fab Yuletide fic written for it - plenty of Childermass in it, too.
I love Ladies of Grace Adieu (it's a really nice counterpoint to the book, too) and am also hoping that we'll not have to wait too many more years for the sequel!
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Date: 2015-12-12 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 05:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 06:08 pm (UTC)Evidently BBC was prepared to give it eight episodes and the produces said they only needed seven. I don't think that was a good decision!
I will have to go read fic tonight- that's clear! :D
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Date: 2015-12-12 06:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 08:44 pm (UTC)I had no idea the series existed! Yay!!
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Date: 2015-12-13 12:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-12-14 10:40 am (UTC)I am madly in love with JS&MN; I first read the book in a single (long holiday) weekend when it came out, because it is so very much my thing. (I went to grad school for 19th c. literature.) I actually loved the footnotes rather than not, but the grad school thing may be part of that -- I'm so used to reading things with lots of footnotes that ones in books just seem great fun to me! ;-) When we got the series on BBC America this summer I reread the book and fell in love all over again.
I completely agree with you about the miniseries -- I loved the casting, but had mixed feelings about some of their choices. As you say, Lady Pole's increased agency made her a more compelling character. And they badly mishandled Stephen -- I agree with you that he is the book's real hero and that is not clear here. I also didn't quite like the way they handled the ending for Arabella -- I liked in the book that she loved and missed him but she also got on quite well with her own life (especially if we never get a direct sequel).
I've heard that Susanna Clarke has health issues; whether that means we'll ever get another book or not, I don't know. I'd be satisfied even with more short stories -- The Ladies of Grace Adieu is wonderful. She did write a piece in the Guardian about visiting the set, so I continue to live in hope . . .
Yes, do write fic! And I'd love to see any recs that you have!
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Date: 2015-12-14 05:15 pm (UTC)Isn't it frustrating to need to gush when no one gets it?
Lady Pole's increased agency made her a more compelling character. And they badly mishandled Stephen -- I agree with you that he is the book's real hero and that is not clear here. I also didn't quite like the way they handled the ending for Arabella
Lady Pole is clearly an intelligent women who is confident enough to form and stand for her opinion's even when she's desperately ill, so I felt it very fitting to make her more active. And I think they meant to convey that Stephen of the Gentleman and his Antics, but it mis-fired. my husband, who hasn't read the books, found his behaviour very confusing. And I don't agree, I think Stephen knows very well how dangerous the Gentleman is, but he isn't terrified.
I agree with you; Arabella has a lot of common sense and she is very practical. She'll be more than able to have a good life, even if she is missing her husband.
I've heard that Susanna Clarke has health issues; whether that means we'll ever get another book or not, I don't know
That would certainly stand in the way for more books. I hope it's not too serious!
There will be fics... And probably recs too, eventually. :)