book recommendation

I just happened to stumble upon Susanna Clarke's "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell", a book that nearly made me miss my home train station. I was saved by the fact that it is the end station and the train has 20 minutes before it travels back, but still... That event is rare enough to warrant a "book recommendation". ;)

I highly suggest making sure to grab an issue holding the delightful pencil sketches of Portia Rosenberg such as the Bloomsbury pocketbook (don't be fooled by "pocketbook" - the things till weighs a ton in the bag!) so in addition to reading in train (and accidentally making extra-journeys) I also perform daily fitness exercises. *g*
Okay, that might not be about the content...

This is: The book is about two exceptionally (as in they do have magical talent instead of merely teaching and preaching about it) magicians in the England of 1806 (hint: war with Napoleon). The style of the book conveys the atmosphere of the time without referring to the overly stilted dialogues found in Regency novels. Needless to say, it stars magicians (mischievious and otherwise), would-be-magicians, plagiarists, fairies, statues with issues, spells, and much more...

( longer summary )

...unfortunately, it lacks an "I carry myself"-spell attached to it, but that is only a minor downturn so far. :)