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Outstanding
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Booklist Brad Hooper
An exceptionally compelling, brilliantly creative, and historically fine-tuned piece of work. [Jul 2004, p.1797]
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Outstanding
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Christian Science Monitor Ron Charles
A thoroughly enchanting story... told with a dry wit that will appeal to fans of Jane Austen.
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Outstanding
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Houston Chronicle John Freeman
It's not where this book goes but how cleverly it gets there that makes it such a joy to read.
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Outstanding
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Kirkus Reviews
An instant classic, one of the finest fantasies ever written. [1 Jul 2004, p.590]
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Outstanding
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Library Journal Cynthia Johnson
This tour de force is sure to appeal to fans of Charles Palliser and Diana Gabaldon and anyone who appreciates a distinctive voice. [Aug 2004, p.64]
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Outstanding
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Publishers Weekly
May seem a bit stiff and mannered at first, but immersion in the mesmerizing story reveals its intimacy, humor and insight, and will enchant readers of fantasy and literary fiction alike. [12 Jul 2004, p.41]
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Outstanding
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Salon Laura Miller
Although "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" is about magic... it is also about a certain literary voice, the eminently civilized voice of early 19th century social comedy. That voice reached its pinnacle in Jane Austen and, for all its reason, its common sense and skeptical wit, it works its own brand of sorcery. It seems impossible to combine two such contradictory literary delights, but Clarke does it with ease.
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Outstanding
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Slate Polly Shulman
It's the real thing: original, mesmerizing, with uncompromising literary integrity.
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Outstanding
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Daily Telegraph Helen Brown
Clarke makes her magical story ridiculously engrossing.
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Outstanding
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The New Republic Sacha Zimmerman
She has accomplished something extraordinary: historical revisionism at its most imaginative.
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Outstanding
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The Onion A.V. Club Tasha Robinson
A terrific, phenomenally ambitious book.
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Outstanding
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The New York Times Book Review Gregory Maguire
Clarke's imagination is prodigious, her pacing is masterly and she knows how to employ dry humor in the service of majesty.
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Favorable
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The Independent Charles Shaar Murray
If the book ends up as engaging rather than riveting, cosy rather rather than visceral, that represents a distinguishing mark of its sub-genre as opposed to a flaw in the author's craftsmanship.
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Favorable
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USA Today Edward Nawotka
It takes 100 pages for Clarke to establish her milieu, but most readers, once enchanted, will remain under her spell until the very last page.
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Favorable
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Village Voice Grady Hendrix
The book's major defect is that the narrative drive jostles disconcertingly with the novel's sherry-dry, Jane Austen tone.... But an entertaining story is so rare that anything short of a major crime is forgivable.
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Favorable
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Washington Post Michael Dirda
Though I admire Susanna Clarke's imaginative dexterity and deeply enjoyed Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, I didn't find it quite as spellbinding as expected.
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Favorable
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The Economist
The plot grows foggier as the action leaves London and moves northwards; where once the writing shone with humour and wit, it too begins to lose its shine.
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Favorable
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The Globe And Mail [Toronto] Kenneth Oppel
Reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a bit like admiring a beautiful neoclassical building, but beyond the façade there is a certain emptiness to its grandeur. [18 Sep 2004, p.D10]
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Favorable
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San Francisco Chronicle Michael Berry
She displays great verbal dexterity and a firm command of narrative technique. Nevertheless, there's an awful lot of wind-up before the plot of "Jonathan Strange" actually drops into gear.
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Favorable
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Daily Telegraph Matthew Alexander
An elegant and witty historical fantasy.
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Favorable
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Chicago Sun-Times Kevin Canfield
It transcends its roots and stands as a work of compelling literary fiction.
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Mixed
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The Guardian Michel Faber
Overall this large, loquacious book has nothing much to say, the plot creaks frightfully in many places and the pace dawdles.
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Mixed
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The New York Times Janet Maslin
This novel can be as fussy and poky as it is clever.
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Mixed
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Entertainment Weekly Jennifer Reese
Sadly, there's no likable Harry Potter or Frodo to coax us through these prolonged dramatic detours; Clarke keeps her central characters -- and thereby her readers -- at a cool arm's length.
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Mixed
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The New Yorker
Her attempt to graft a fantasy narrative onto such historical realities as the Battle of Waterloo is more often awkward than clever, and the period dialogue is simply twee.
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