Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is the kind of book that made me want to sit in the library of a haunted, gothic mansion. It’s a book deserving of a leather armchair, a cup of strong tea, a burning candle, and a healthy amount of cobwebs.

My favorite part of the book by far is the rich atmosphere that Clarke is able to build through well-crafted faux academia – complete with footnotes expanding the lore. This style reminded me of Good Omens, which also makes good use of footnotes to build out the mythos of the story without directly interrupting the narrative. The world-building in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is incredibly detailed. The unnamed narrator regularly inserts their own opinions and personality, allowing the reader to engage with these observations as a layer on top of the story itself. All of this amounts to a unique read with lots of character.

While this story does lean heavily into the dark academia aesthetic, this isn’t a purely romanticized version of the genre. Clarke emphasizes the many flaws of academia, especially as it would have been in this old-fashioned era. Infighting and competition among the magicians constantly lead to knowledge being inaccessible, progress coming to a halt, and a disproportionate barrier to entry for women and other minorities.

My earlier comparison to Good Omens comes with the caveat that Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is missing the whimsy and high action that made Good Omens a quick read despite the detours. While the intricate world-building, quirky characters, and mysterious atmosphere are all in its favor, the pacing is all wrong. This book is its own worst enemy. The meandering plot reads more like a series of vignettes rather than one continuous arc. Combined with the already intimidating length, that makes this book a beast to finish. I found it frustrating how long the main characters were in the dark about the central conflict of the story.

While it's clear to the reader that Arabella has been kidnapped, the reader must watch Strange grieve her for another hundred (+?) pages before realizing what's happened.

I did enjoy the ending- it was satisfying to see all of the elements of the story finally converge.

Some might be sad to see Strange and Arabella apart for the foreseeable future, but to me, it felt apt to me that Strange would remain with Norrell. These two rivals learning to tolerate and respect each other, bound by their love of magic over any of their many differences, is the heart of the book. Both Strange and Norrell and deeply flawed characters, but they are at their best when they are working together. While this ending felt inevitable for Strange & Norrell, I was extremely relieved that Arabella, Lady Pole, and Stephen also made it out alive. I enjoyed how the prophecy was fulfilled with Stephen as a king on his own terms.

I wish I could give this book a higher rating because it did so much so well, but ultimately my enjoyment was too impacted by the density and pacing. That said, I would be very interested to read more of Clarke's work since I appreciated the voice and overall themes.