Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (second book)
Maybe because I have a cold, and also because of RL (nothing serious, just small nuisances) and fandom problems, I was more impatient while reading the second book than before. The second time Strange goes to war seemed excessive to me, maybe because I'm not that fond of Strange when he's not with Norrell ;-). And the scenes between Stephen Black and the "gentleman with thistledown hair" bored me, too (at first I liked them, but they started to sound repetitive). I was also looking forward to read more Childermass scenes, but they are very few and short : (
I don't like Strange very much because he's so charming and, until the tragic end of the second book, lucky. It's not that he's shallow, but he lacks... something. He's as selfish as most of the other characters, yet people seem not to view him as selfish, which makes me angry. Maybe I think he's a bit shallow because he's too young and never suffered before. Maybe after Arabella's death Strange becomes a more interesting character. (Maybe I'm expecting too much from him.)
Of course I identify with characters like Norrell and Childermass because I'm neither charming nor lucky... I'm as dull as Norrell, and I have to work hard to get what I want, like Childermass (I wish I were as cunning as Childermass!).
I also didn't like the end of this book, not because Arabella died, but because Chapter 43 was written in a very different tone. The narrator didn't interfere, and there were lots of back-exposition. I found it... awkward.
Yet, the second book contains my favourite moment so far: Chapter 39, Two Magicians. Oh my God. This chapter surprised me a lot. I knew Norrell loved Strange, in his own petty way, but I didn't think he could react that way.
After several moments' silence both men spoke at once.
"After all your kindness to me..." began Strange.
"You think that I am angry," began Mr Norrell.
And: "You think that I am angry, but I am not. You think I do not know why you have done what you have done, but I do."
This is the stuff my dreams are made of. These two characters interact at a different level; no one else can understand them, they live in a world apart. I don't know if you can understand what I mean, but that's what makes the story extra-special for me; this one moment. Even if they don't arrive at an agreement, it's very clear that there is something between them.
Also, I love to be surprised. If a book doesn't surprise me, I may still like it, but it will probably never be one of my favourite books.
[If you want to read my previous posts on "JS&MRN", you can find them here.]