FilmAlicia My review contains mild spoilers: "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell," Susannah Clarke's clever alternate history novel set in England during the Napoleonic wars, was no literary gimmick in the manner of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" or "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter." It was an impressive piece of fantasy literature which served as the basis for the outstanding 2015 BBC mini-series of the same name.If anything, the 900+ page story, adapted into a 7-part mini-series, seems like the prologue to a larger tale. I am reviewing the mini-series, and am hoping with many other viewers, and readers, that there will soon be a sequel.The central conflict in the story, from my perspective, concerns the pursuit of knowledge. Norrell and Strange have diametrically opposed attitudes to magical knowledge: While Norrell is inclined to keep secret, and hoard, magical knowledge, Strange thinks that knowledge should be dispensed freely to everyone who desires to use it, without sufficient awareness of the possibility that some might misuse it. The story's chief villain, the Gentleman, dispenses knowledge selectively, and, also controls how others employ it, magically manipulating them to prevent them from revealing what they know.Eddie Marsan is brilliant as Gilbert Norrell, conveying the character's fearfulness, timidity, and selfishness, while revealing occasional glimpses of a more childlike, winsome personality that make it impossible for us to completely hate him even when he continually does the wrong thing. Bertie Carvel exudes offbeat charm (and sex appeal) as Jonathan Strange, the more adventurous, impulsive, and generous of the two magicians, but also the one whose arrogance in the pursuit of magical knowledge recalls the story of Baron Frankenstein. As for the supporting characters, I particularly liked Enzo Cilenti (also sexy) as Childermass, Paul Kaye as Vinculus (though I couldn't really distinguish his character from the one he plays on "Game of Thrones") and Alice Englert, as Lady Pole. (Is Englert really Jane Campion's daughter? Wow!)Samuel West, as Sir Walter Pole was good, as he always seems to be, in yet another thankless role, and Ariyon Bakare, Charlotte Riley, and Vincent Franklin were all excellent as Stephen Black, Arabella Strange, and Drawlight. I must confess I was not wild about Marc Warren, as the Gentleman (with the Thistledown Hair). Although he was good at conveying the character's malevolence, I never really believed he was from a different world, as he didn't seem in the least uncanny. One reviewer described him as "like Sting dressed as a Q-tip for Halloween" – he reminded me of a bad Malcolm McDowell imitation, dressed in a mix of glam and grunge. Without giving away plot points, I think the story's conclusion left plenty of room for a sequel. Now that magic has returned to England, I can't wait to see what happens next!

John Bruner I must whole-heartedly concur with the many proclamations of praise. Particularly with the sentiment of "Charles Dickens meets Jane Austin". And I would add: bake in a crust of Rowling's Harry Potter and you've Nearly got it.(I say nearly simply because the acting and direction are part of the reason that precisely this particular rendition deserves more outstanding accolades.)It's fun, it's smart, it's intriguing. I cannot emphasize enough, that I sincerely hope those responsible will be induced, by greatest reward to continue this wonderful epic! Truly, John B.

korereviews I stumbled upon this show, not knowing anything about the book or TV series (and honestly, given all the hype that precedes a BBC season of Sherlock or Doctor Who, I find that mystifying - this series was vastly better than any season of either). The production value is movie-quality, the acting superlative - but the writing is what really sets it apart. There are so many moments when this could (and as a world-weary viewer you're expecting it to) descend into the usual predictable clichés - but it never does, not once. Despite being a genre piece, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell surprises you at every turn - both in terms of the story and the characters. Where the lead characters in similar shows would be one-dimensional and static, Strange and Norrell have substantial character arcs (-Strange's voluntary descent into madness near the end is particularly delightful). And each of the supporting actors is interesting and well-developed - Childermass, the Gentleman, and Vinculus are especially captivating, but everyone is great, adding to the textural depth of the show. There's plenty of humour, but also refreshingly adult themes ("adult" in the proper sense, not in the "Game of Thrones" feel-like-you-need-to-take-a-shower-after-each-episode sense) in the background, including a subtle yet distinct feminist subtext to the female characters' stories (at some point you clue in to the metaphorical nature of the Gentleman's nightly abductions of Lady Pole -who is forced to "dance" with him all night long at a fairy ball, and then wakes up exhausted, suicidal, and feeling betrayed by the men in her life...). Norrell's obsessive concern to make magic "respectable" is a satirical poke at uptight, bourgeois English society, and the Raven King's association with rebellion of the oppressed working classes adds a tantalizingly modern and subversive element to the usual fantasy paradigms. The show and especially the last episode do a great job of teasing you with hints about the Raven King, who presumably (and hopefully) will play a more direct role in the next season. Can't wait for it!

Charles Herold (cherold) I read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell about a year ago, which helped a lot in terms of following the story. My girlfriend, who read the book many years ago, found it more confusing.The book is terrific, wonderfully combining history and fiction, and the author had a wonderful ear for writing of the time. The movie generally tells the story well, but it can be episodic and at times truncates elements in a way that makes them seem almost extraneous. The actors are quite good, particularly Marc Warren as "The Gentleman" and Ariyon Bakare as Stephen Black. While it's all pretty good, the series never quite grabbed me as the book had. There is something a little murky about it all, both in the lighting and in the story. I would have liked it more if it had shown the meticulousness you get in series like Downton Abbey, but the series never quite felt like history and I wish it had.I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.