Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
This is a book I've been meaning to read for ages. Since its publication in 2004 it has been short listed for and won many awards such as the 2005 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel and the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Plus Neil Gaiman, who needs no introduction once said this about it. " Unquestionably the finest English novel of the fantastic to be written in the last seventy years. It's funny, moving, scary, otherworldly, practical and magical, a journey through light and shadow - a delight to read." Its a pretty hefty book with nearly 1,000 pages. One of those rare books in which you can completely immerse yourself in, you can almost step in to the page and explore a different world. I like to think of this book as a bit like JK Rowling's brilliant Harry Potter series but for adults. The book is set in 1800's London and has a real Dickensian feel to it. The narrative is utterly charming, though it did, at first take a few pages to get int...