More about Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell

I am really not sure that I made it clear that I adored this book. I really did love it. Oh sure I was hesitant to embrace it at first. When it tried to kiss my cheek I scowled and held out my hand and made it shake my hand instead.

But gradually it wormed its way past my defenses. We laughed and cried together and it made me worry. Oh how it made me worry. Even now, two days after I finished it I worry. I worry about characters that I think were never adequately cared for. I want them all to be happy. Even the rotten ones deserve some sort of peace. But the ones I loved the most, Stephen Black, Mrs Strange, Lady Pole, the woman who loved Stephen Black whose name I cannot recall, Mr Honeyfoot, Mr Segundus oh! How the list goes on, I want them all to be happy.

I find myself alternating between dreaming up ways that they could all be happy forever and asking the author, why, why, why? Please explain to me why, precisely, you felt it was necessary that such and such have this fate?

Don't think this means the book has a sad ending. I think many people would think it was a perfectly fine ending. I am not sure if it is happy or sad myself because I am unable to look at this book as having stopped at the last page. I am too easily able to imagine more of the book.

The book itself is unspeakably sad in parts and riotously funny in others. I'm curiously homesick for the book now. I keep thinking I can't really be done with it. There must be more. It's about magic isn't it? Maybe if I pick it up again this time there will be more, this time all my questions will be answered...

While I wait to see if this book is enchanted you must go and get your own copy and read it for yourself. No thanks are necessary but they are always welcome.