Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell discussion thread - No spoilers until 28 March, please

[CoteDAzur]

A number of us over on 50-Book Challenge thread are interested in reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by 28 March. Everyone is welcome to join in, and feel free to start posting, but please refrain from spoilers until 28 March. Enjoy

Footnotes are very important in this book. I was wondering how they handled the footnotes in the audiobook version. Have they not included the footnotes at all in the audiobook, then?

On part 3 now! I want it to hurry up and be finished now so I can start something else!

anitmatter I've partially listened to it on audible and now reading it in book format and the footnotes do make a difference IMO. But then again I do have a fondness of footnotes.

I didn't realise until afterwards there were suppose to be footnotes so I'm fairly sure they are omitted all together.

when I get the book I am going to compare both but pretty sure they aren't in the audio version

That's a shame. Much of the story and its entire background is given in the footnotes. My Kindle copy says that the footnotes make up about 7% of the book. That is a lot to miss.

How's everyone getting on? I'm about 3/4 of the way through. I have been ill in bed for 2 days but struggled to read much of it as I find I need to concentrate whilst reading it!

I think Post office has it waiting for me.... will check tomorrow.

I am really enjoying the historical detail. I end up really believing the magical twists in the Napoleonic wars really happened

I am starting very shortly - probably this weekend :)

Started this morning. 1% read, 99% still to go :o

Well done on the first 1% Duchess

I'm planning to start as soon as I finish my current book - probably in a couple of days.

signing in too!

6 weeks to read nearly 800 pages. That is at least 20 pages a day to be on a safe side. I got this second hand book of what must have been an original hardback, it weighs a lot! I won't be able to read it in my bed

Only half way through War and Peace at the moment so don't think I'll be rereading JS&MN before it's on TV but just wanted to say last time I was in York Minster and the tannoy came on it made me think of this book . I did enjoy it, found it quite a page turner and absorbing and I was quite upset to leave that world when I finished reading the book.

Finished! Incredibly disappointed tbh, had high hopes for it but I feel it didn't really go anywhere and the ending was rubbish. A bit like a primary school child who writes "and then I woke up and it was a dream" kind of ending (that's NOT how it ends can I add before anyone says I'm spoiler-ing! )

Just out of interest Admiral - how long did it take you to read it?

I started it yesterday, and have read 80 pages so far. Feels like it might be a very slow read (getting a bit bogged down with the tiny print of the footnotes) and can't justify buying it on kindle as well.

BUT, I do like what I've read so far. Intrigued to know where it's heading. Like the writing style.

Duchess I'm glad someone else mentioned the tiny print, I was beginning to wonder if I needed a new prescription for my specs.

Yes same here. Had time yesterday for quite a run at it so it does now look as if I've read a fair sized chunk of it. Not sure what's going on with Lady Pole and Samuel Black's story yet. I'm sure all will become clear later though.

ERM it took me maybe a month? But I get very little reading time at home so it was just on the bus to work 3x a week and the odd half hour when dd sometimes had a nap!

Its a good old slog at any rate!

No such thing as tiny print on the Kindle, thankfully

I have just finished reading the very long pure mathematics paper wrongly masquerading as a biography called Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges. If anyone here has watched the film reputedly based on this book (ha!) and thinking of reading it, my word of advice is... Don't even think about it unless you have a pretty good understanding of higher mathematics and would like to learn much more.

I'm on a quick read to cleanse my palate and give my poor brain a few days to recover, then I'll be starting my re-read of JS & Mr N which I am very much looking forward to.

Signing in! Want to start it this week, will have to do some motoring to finish it in time though.

cote I had this down as one of my non fiction reads for this year think I might just watch the film instead.

Half way - already :) Enjoying the story very much so far.

I'm on 23%. Really enjoying it so far. Intriguing plot, and the writing is beautiful - the kind of book where you read the same sentence three times over to savour the choice of words.

Fab fab book - 84% in. Savoring it, love the writing style. I am thoroughly enjoying the "alternative history" and the "gentleman with the thistledown hair" will stay with me for ever!

For me the enjoyment comes from the journey of reading not to get to the end and see what the end is as I don't think there will be an ending - IYKWIM!

Gosh Duchess you have read it quickly!