Who? Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell!What? The revival of magic!
Where? London
When? 19th century
How? And that is where the essence of the book lies!
However, reader beware! This lovely book spans 800 pages! That's right. Eight HUNDRED pages. But don't let that scare you away! It's a brilliant read~
When I first saw this book hit the shelves of my local borders, I was immediately drawn to it by its title and illustrations. When I read the synopsis, I was hooked! However, I put the book back down because it looked like a bible! Fate had my reach for this book again, when my tutor students wanted to read a more contemporary novel. I immediately thought of this book because of it's Harry Potter-esque storyline. [Warning: Harry Potter and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell are very different magicians]. In any case, I'm very glad I did!
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell are two magicians who have dedicated their lives to magic. There is beauty and danger when one becomes too involved in their art. This is a concept that I can most readily attest to. I know that sometimes I can get so incredibly absorbed in my work that I forget that there is another world out there. It is a fine line between dedication to your science and becoming a slave to it.
So...go out and get some brunch!
I went to Rialto Cafe in Fullerton because when I was reading, Jonathan Strange was walking along the rialto in Venice. So imagine my surprise when I saw a cafe called Rialto Cafe? I just had to go!
It was such a cute cafe and downtown fullerton has such a homey feel. But the sidewalks were so small, I thought cars were going to run over us!
I got a veggie burger...for brunch...yes I'm strange...[no pun intended. hehe!]