c o l u m b i n a

"by her keen and active wit, she [ is ] able to hold her own in every situation and emerge with ease and dignity from the most involved intrigues." ~ Duchartre

Friday, November 26, 2004

jonathan strange & mr. norrell

finally finished the 782-page behemoth yesterday and set it aside with equal parts pride, relief and glee. The phenomenal writing style of Susanna Clarke is what sets it apart from other HP wannabes, and it is a delightful winter read. The twist at the end, if one can even call it a twist, was unexpected and though one hopes for a little more solvency, it finishes well. (Certain individuals had hinted to me that the ending was revolutionary which of course, set my wheels a-spinning. I was convinced for some while that Strange and Norrell would be found to be the same person, just divided, somehow. This, however, is complete bollocks, as is the assumption that the final chapters turn the whole world upside-down.) Anyway, brava Miss Clarke for a heroic and well-written first novel, and I expect to see much more in the years to come.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home