Right, finally - no.26 Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell
There's no getting away from the fact that this is a hefty chunk of a book.
An alternative historical novel, this follows the fortunes of two English practical magicians set against the backdrop and aftermath of the Napoleonic wars.
I loved the writing - it was elegant and witty and mostly engaging. Their were some compelling characters, in particular Childermass and the dialogue feels authentic for that time period (disclaimer: I know nothing about that time period).
I did feel it lost its way a bit in the middle-later parts of the book. I felt Jonathon Strange wasn't as well developed as I would have liked and I think a significant event in the book was somewhat glossed over.
It was also a little over-long. There was a fair chunk of stuff that didn't add much to the story, and although I enjoyed reading it, I was glad to have finished it.
And the footnotes.
The footnotes are an integral part to this book - much of the story is, in fact, in the footnotes. However, there are far too many of them and my iPad kindle app isn't great at navigating them.
I felt that they disrupted the flow of the book significantly, particularly when a footnote goes on for several pages. Most frustrating was when the footnote was just a reference to another fictional work - totally pointless and a PITA.
I am really glad I read it though - and will certainly re-read it again, once its had time to 'settle' - I suspect I will get more out of it on second reading.