At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England--until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight.
Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear.
literary awards
Hugo Award for Best Novel (2005),
Man Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2004),
Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2006),
Locus Award for Best First Novel (2005),
Guardian First Book Award Nominee (2004)
World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (2005),
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature (2005),
Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Adult Fiction (2005),
Cena Akademie SFFH for Kniha roku (Book of the Year) (2007)
Susanna Clarke was born in Nottingham in 1959. A nomadic childhood was spent in towns in Northern England and Scotland. She was educated at St Hilda's College, Oxford, and has worked in various areas of non-fiction publishing, including Gordon Fraser and Quarto. In 1990, she left London and went to Turin to teach English to stressed-out executives of the Fiat motor company. The...
- 本书以拿破仑战争时期的英国为背景，构建了一个魔法复苏的架空历史世界。作者采用严谨的学术注脚体与伪史笔法，将奇幻元素深度嵌入英国社会史，展现了魔法从被质疑到成为国家力量的过程，这种独特的叙事形式在奇幻文学中极具开创性。
- 故事核心围绕诺瑞尔先生与斯特兰奇两位性格迥异的魔法师展开。前者保守、学究且排斥婚姻，后者浪漫、危险且追求禁忌魔法。两人从合作对抗法国到理念决裂，深刻探讨了权力、责任、伦理以及魔法对人性与社会结构的腐蚀性影响。
- 作品融合了简·奥斯汀式的社会讽刺与哥特式恐怖美学。书中不仅有对阶级、性别、种族等社会议题的尖锐批判，还包含大量令人毛骨悚然的黑暗魔法描写。结尾部分情感爆发力极强，所有伏笔收束，展现出一种悲壮而宏大的悲剧美感，极具震撼力。
- 读者普遍认为本书前半部分节奏缓慢、沉闷，甚至令人劝退，但坚持读完者多对后半部分及结局给予极高评价。这种‘慢热’特性是本书的主要争议点，但多数完成阅读者认为前期的铺垫是必要的，结尾的情感爆发与主题升华值得之前的等待。
- 读者高度赞赏作者独特的叙事风格与语言艺术，认为其将学术严谨性与奇幻想象力完美结合，具有极高的文学价值。但同时也指出，这种风格对翻译要求极高，中文译本在幽默感、讽刺意味及语言流畅度上往往大打折扣，强烈建议阅读英文原版。
- 读者对书中涉及的黑暗、残酷及反英雄元素印象深刻，认为其打破了传统奇幻的善恶二元论。虽然部分读者对结局的悲剧色彩感到不适或不满，但更多人认为这种处理深化了作品关于人性、权力与代价的主题，使其成为一部具有深刻思想性的经典之作。
- "“他要是没有结过婚就更称我的心了，”诺莱尔先生心烦地说，“魔法师根本没有权利结婚。”"
- "I cannot help you with your question, sir, for I do not understand it. It is a wrong question, sir. Magic is not ended in England. I myself am quite a tolerable practical magician."
- "“那我只能告诉你这些了。在他莫名其妙地执着于自己的亡妻之前，占住他心思的是另外一个人：约翰•乌斯克格拉斯。这你一定早就看出来了吧？目前我对英格兰魔法师知之甚少。他们在我眼中无非是一帮沉闷无聊、浑身是灰的老家伙——唯有约翰•乌斯克格拉斯是个例外。他完全是另外一回事！他是驯服了世外人[1]的魔法师！他是唯一击败了死神的魔法师！连路西法都只好与他平起平坐！如今，斯特兰奇只要拿自己与这位伟人相比——他时不时必要来这么一次——他就能看清自己的真面目：一个闷头苦干、脱不了凡俗的庸才！他一切成就——在那座荒芜小岛[2]上被捧上了天——放到人家面前，顿时化作尘土一抔！这种对比能给人带来多大的绝望，你怎么想象都"
- "索普先生一直想亲笔给诺瑞尔先生去信，然而此时屋里大多数魔法师一心想让那位不知天高地厚的诺瑞尔先生受点教训，他们认为，能令此人蒙羞的最好办法莫过于请福博士执笔。事情就这么决定了。不出所料，他们很快便收到一封怒气冲冲的回信： 敬启者： 近年间，约克魔法师学术协会一再来信，诚恳至此，吾不胜荣幸。今，信又至，字里行间，意甚不满。约协好意，来之突兀，去之匆匆，实令人不知所措。信中责怪鄙人夸大己力，造谣生事。万般无奈，现回复如是：有才疏学浅者，一事无成，偏怨生不逢时。然法术并非择时而生。近廿年，鄙人屡试不爽。精诚所至，金石为开；然不才积年孜孜不倦，却落此“欺诈”骂名。学力遭轻薄，言辞引疑惑。蒙此不公，约协"
- "想出国的可不止斯特兰奇一人。突然间，出国成了件特别时髦的事。因抗击波拿巴的战火，英国人在自己的岛国上关了太久——这么久以来，他们急于赏新景、观奇人的渴望只能靠游览苏格兰高地、英格兰湖区或是德比郡峰区来满足。如今一停战，他们便可到欧洲大陆观赏别具一格的山峰海滨，过去只在书本或是版画复制品上见过的艺术名品，如今也可以亲眼瞧瞧真迹。有些人迈出国门，图的是在欧洲大陆生活兴许比在国内便宜。有些人是去躲债或是干了丑事过去避避风头。而有些人则和斯特兰奇一样心理，为的是寻找自己在国内再也找不回来的平和心境。 乔纳森•斯特兰奇致约翰•斯刚德斯： 我猜我大概比拜伦勋爵晚着一个月的行程。 无论在什么地方停留，那地方"
- "It is their contention that Miss Absalom did what she did in accordance with the commonly-held belief that all ruined buildings belong to the Raven King. This presumably would account for the fact that the magic at the Shadow House appeared to grow stronger fter the house fell into ruin. "All of Man"
- "The English take great pleasure in humbling the great and the noble. A great many Worthies throughout history have suffered from their vicious persecutions – people such as Charles I, Julius Caesar and, above all, you and me!"……………… Though why it should matter to them who is King of England, I canno"
- "Across the expanses of northern England a thousand, thousand darknesses, a thousand, thousand places for the King to be. “I greet thee, Lord, and bid thee welcome to my heart.""
