Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

Susanna Clarke’s 2004 fantasy novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is a BRICK. It’s a well-written, expertly composed brick, but a brick nonetheless. It follows a pair of magicians in 19th century England and the challenges of Faerie visitors who want to manipulate magicians to their own purposes.

I deeply enjoyed my time with the novel despite its slow, almost academic start. But it can be hard to recommend a 700+ page novel to friends and family. Fortunately, an alternative is now available.

In 2015, the BBC released a miniseries adaptation of the novel that was, until recently, difficult to track down on streaming sites. Happily, it is now included with Amazon Prime, and I binge-watched the series while recovering from COVID. I worried that the BBC’s limited special effects budget might detract from a series that involves some pretty monumental feats of magic, but they carry it off quite well, and I don’t think they could have adapted the novel any better than they did.

So, if you’re interested in history, magic, and rivalries, and less than interested in long books, footnotes, and old-fashioned charcoal illustrations, I strongly recommend checking out the miniseries.