Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Now I know I said I'd go through my books as they lie on my shelf, in alphabetical order by author's last name, but I felt my first reviews ought to be of The Top 10, the oh-so prestigious group of texts that have warranted the title of the best books I have ever read. These books were selected painstakingly and with many tears; each and every one has earned the spot it has. I will start with the only member of my Top 10 actually numbered, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

Literary fantasy is a rare thing. I'm not bashing my favorite genre, simply stating the facts. Many a YA novel is deeper than than it appears at first glance, and even many of the books I would consider "cheap reads" hold characters and stories worth getting to know, but finding true literature amidst the fairies and elves can sometimes seem a quest worthy of a prophesied Chosen One.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell fulfills this need and more. The New York Times describes the novel as a marriage of Jane Austin and J.K. Rowling, and I couldn't agree more. It portrays dark and mysterious magic alongside British high society in a seamless masterpiece worthy to be called a literary classic.

Some summary, before we continue. The book takes place in England during the early 1800's, where societies of scholarly "theoretical magicians" study great feats of magic preformed long ago and write long papers on the history of English magic. It is prophesied that two men will restore magic to England, and soon Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, the first two practical magicians in a hundred years, take up the task.

Susanna Clarke does an excellent job of creating her scene. Her footnotes citing fictitious sources and the dry wit with which she references them combines with her excellent knowledge of history to create a setting so real that it has you wondering if there really is a tradition of English magic that you haven't heard about.

Her magic is even more compelling, a thing of riddles and shadows, strange other lands, and above all fairies - creatures of great magic and little reason, unable to discern good from evil. The only thing that can match it are her characters, which complement each other perfectly and slip from simplistic to complex with the a grace I have yet to see in any other writer.

If you are not someone for the witty social commentary and clever banter, be warned. For the most part, Jonathan Strange is not what you would call a fast-paced book. That being said, it is undeniably the best book I have ever read.