Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel

Mr. Norrell has a mission. He's going to push for the return of magic to Britain! At the beginning of the 19th century in England there are only magician-theorists, whose occasional meetings are more like a discussion group of sedentary gentlemen. Yet one of them, the reclusive Mr Norrell, manages to bring the statues in York Cathedral back to life, and word of the return of real magic sweeps through the island country ruled by a mad king. Mr Norrell travels to London to help the nation fight Napoleon and unexpectedly comes across a gifted young magician whom he takes on as an apprentice. But Jonathan Strange is not only a charming talent, but also an arrogant rich man, whereupon the relationship of the disparate duo is distorted by rivalry. While the master revels in secrecy and bellowing, the apprentice is drawn to the ancient and dangerous magic of the mysterious King Raven. Both their partnership and the fate of everything they hold dear are at stake. The author's magnum opus, which won the Hugo and Locus awards and has won awards outside the fantasy genre, can also be seen as the BBC series of the same name. "The whole big (in size and meaning) novel is one colourful circus full of magic, entertaining characters - and last but not least, subtle but all the more catchy humour." - Fantasya.cz "A traditional English novel clothed in fantastic garb. It combines the best of the sarcastic spirit of W. M. Thackeray, the dry and gentle humour of P. G. Wodehouse, Hector Hugh Munroe's puckish obfuscation, and Lawrence Norfolk's dark fantasy." - Intercom "Unlike the usual bestsellers, this is a really fine novel, and in the fantasy genre to boot. Fantasy for adults, fantasy free from established clichés and returning to the essence of the genre. For fantasy comes from the word fantasy..." - FantasyPlanet.cz "Those who find Harry Potter too childish, those who are not satisfied with most of the current fantasy literature, those who are looking for a fantasy that is intelligently and wittily written and perhaps even transcends the genre, should reach for Susanna Clark's novel. The combination of the two genres - the fantastic and the historical novel, which is very realistic despite the presence of magic - may excite many." - iLiteratura.cz "Mr. Tubbs was no magician," said Mr. Norrell. "I never even heard him claim to be one. But even if he were the greatest mage in Christendom, his wish to linger in the company of elves would still be a mistake. A more poisonous and hostile tribe to England does not exist. Too many mages, either out of laziness or ignorance, abandoned proper study and instead made every effort to acquire an elven servant - and when they did manage to get one, they had him do everything for them. English history is full of such men, and I am glad that some at least have been punished for it." - excerpt from the book