Comments on: Susanna Clarke’s Collection

By: Lois Tilton

Lois Tilton — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 03:13:06 +0000

I enjoyed it very much, including the digressions, sidetrips and footnotes. The ending, however, was frustrating. I would have liked to have seen excerpts from the various accounts of Strange’s life and career that the novel references, commenting on it.

By: Constance Ash

Constance Ash — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 18:41:48 +0000

My personal opinion is that the novel would have been much stronger if an incident that is about 100 pp. long had been edited out — since that series of incidents and description had no bearing at all on the outcome.

Other than that though, Mrs. Lincoln did love the play.

Love, C.

By: David Louis Edelman

David Louis Edelman — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:07:19 +0000

Someone please tell me that Strange and Norrell was worth it in the end. I abandoned it about 400 pages in, because the plot was absolutely glacial and the author hadn’t in all that time remotely set up the rules of her magical world. Charmingly written, but I couldn’t see the point.

By: Janie

Janie — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:37:55 +0000

It is *distant reading* but I am really enjoying Strange and Norrell, and I know I’ll like the short stories. I just read one of her stories in another anthology and it was very good.

A collection of stories is always a mixed bag.

By: Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:38:52 +0000

I am not much of a short story reader, as short stories don’t particularly flip my wicket, but I will probably get this (one it is out in trade paperback) because I admired Strange & Norrell so much. The footnotes alone were worth the price of admission.

By: Lois Tilton

Lois Tilton — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:13:16 +0000

The December F&SF has one of these outtakes.