Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
A delightful and engrossing fantasy tale
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is an adaptation of a well received book of the same name. This is another book that I have not yet had the chance to read, but now, having seen the television series, I am definitely intrigued with doing so and it is on my extensive to-read list.
I am so intrigued because the show is amazing. I was addicted to it. The world crafted before my eyes felt so natural and believable even though it was a fusion of history and magic. The magic proposed to exist in the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell had clear defined realities attached to it and was used in ways that made sense given the sensibilities and political climate of the period and setting: 1800s England, set over many years, including the rise and fall of Napoleon. Both ones.
In this England, magic is known to exist, but has long since been turned into an academic musing. No one practices magic. Magicians are merely scholars that pretend to have great knowledge of things they really do not have any idea about.
Up until Mr. Norrell, a true magician and scholar, comes out into the world, setting off a chain of events involving Faeries, war, and the ‘Raven King’ that brings English Magic back into the world.
Although the story is titled around Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange, another magician, the story truly concerns itself with a great many characters. Those influenced by magic, for good and for worse. Magic is used as a tool to illuminate Human nature. It is used for cold warfare, but leaves the user mentally scarred, and it also was used for political gains that creates much more trouble than ever expected.
There is so much richness in the magic, the story, and the characters. Everyone, including the main two magicians, is fleshed out to some degree. Each significant character has a role to play and an arc given to them. I really appreciated how even the smaller characters felt like they had something to contribute to the story-line.
Not many shows feel so complete like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
The story is there, the characters are there, the details and everything are there, and the aesthetics are definitely there. The show is gorgeous in its own eerie way. The CGI isn’t the best at times, but it doesn’t draw you out of the story and when there is a spectacle to be seen, the perhaps not excellent but certainly above-average execution of means nothing because the sheer idea and brilliance of it plays through. The second episode in particular has a scene that basically sums up the style of the magic at work, but I’m not going to spoil because seeing it fresh is a reward and an absolute pleasure.
The entire show is like that. It is so pleasing, even when the characters are frustrating, because sometimes they can be because that is who they are, because you want to continue watching and seeing it all unfold. It ends in a way that is satisfying. This season is the adaptation of the entire book, and there is only one of them. Don’t expect a cliffhanger and don’t expect any resolution. There have been talks of a second season, but there is no material for it to be based on. Part of me would like to continue exploring this world, but with adaptations and solid endings, sometimes being content with what we have is good enough and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell stands alone and firm. It does what it came out to do with incredible grace and I loved it.
Recommended for those with an interest in history, especially early 1800s England and Europe, magic, well-crafted dramas, and people who like an intriguing spectacle. Don’t miss out on this fantastic series.
