Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Novel (Strange & Norrell #1 of 3) [J0317]

2020 PB reprint of the 2004 original, 846-pages, in nice clean condition. The 20th Anniversary Edition of the Hugo-award winning, epic New York Times Bestseller and basis for the BBC miniseries, where two men change England's history when they bring magic back into the world, now with a new introduction from V.E. Schwab. In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England - until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity. Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wild, most perilous forms of magic, and he soon risks sacrificing his partnership with Norrell and everything else he holds dear. Susanna Clarke's brilliant first novel is an utterly compelling epic tale of nineteenth-century England and the two magicians who, first as teacher and pupil and then as rivals, emerge to change its history.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "This is full of very realistic and human characters that are all so complex, you hate them at times and love them at others. All the women were some of my favorite characters. Even though they aren't necessarily main characters, I loved anytime we got to read about them. The magic in this is also very realistic, I liked that Susanna didn't use it as a tool to solve all their problems, but instead had them think through conflicts and use other, non-magical means sometimes as well."; "Beautiful writing that feels authentic to the time period portrayed. It reads like a historical fiction with magical realism."; "A magically fabricated world in which a story charms you right up to the last page."