Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell Discussion - Spoilers Allowed

[DuchessofMalfi]

This thread is for anyone who has read J S & M N and has questions which might involve spoilers.

Don't read on if you haven't finished the book yet :)

I'll go first - I was confused by the identity of the "nameless slave". Towards the end, we're told that The Raven King aka John Uskglass was known also as the nameless slave. He also had a faerie name which we're not told iirc.

However, the Gentleman with the thistledown hair (shuddering :o) all along was persuading Stephen Black, Sir Walter Pole's valet, that he was a king and should be King of England. He said that he was the nameless slave, but that he (the GWTH) knew what his true name was. He never did tell Stephen though, did he? So was Stephen really the nameless slave? Or are we to assume that each King of Faerie in succession is known as the nameless slave also?

And, at the point where Vinculus is cut down from the hawthorn tree and is revived, the man who approaches John Childermass - was that John Uskglass the Raven King? A bit confused here. And if it was, where did he go afterwards and how is it that he didn't defend his title as King when Stephen Black assumed it?

Have I completely misunderstood something here, or did anyone else find these bits a bit muddled?

Oh, and one more thing - did anyone else pick up on the references to tarot cards? I don't know anything about tarot, so had to google it - came up with pictures of the hanged man (Vinculus presumably), the black tower (events over in Venice), the magician (obvs).

Does anyone know anything about tarot to explain this a bit more?

Marking my place. I'm 11% through re-reading JS & Mr N

Found you!
Right - off to read the thread and offer my own unanswered questions

started to post that have had too much wine to cope with this tonight particularly as I have the same question about the nameless slaves

So glad it wasn't just me who found that confusing. Thought I must have missed something but I read it so carefully and went back and reread but still felt confused.

Finished! Great book, I really enjoyed it.

Duchess, here are my thoughts on the nameless slave. John Uskglass went by many names (probably deliberately, to confuse anyone trying to perform magic against him). One of these was the nameless slave (because of his early life). Stephen Black was also a nameless slave as his mother died before telling anyone his name. So JS and MN accidentally give him lots of powers which they're trying to give John Uskglass (by naming him ambiguously). I don't think this means that every King of Faerie is known as the nameless slave though. I think it's just a coincidence between these two.

Yes, I assumed from the description that it's John Uskglass who cut Vinculus down from the tree. Can't answer your other questions though. I think "his time is done".

Can anyone tell me what happens to Lascelles? Why does he go down the Fairy Road to the castle of the Plucked Eye and Heart - what's he hoping to achieve? It seems like a surprising move for someone described as lazy and cowardly?

I just finished rereading it

re the identity of the "nameless slave" - As tumble says, Raven King called himself "the nameless slave" (hiding his real name so that nobody could enchant him by using his name in their spells. However, Stephen was also a nameless slave, which is why he accidentally got all those powers at the end for a brief period of time, until nature realised that he is not Raven King.

"And, at the point where Vinculus is cut down from the hawthorn tree and is revived, the man who approaches John Childermass - was that John Uskglass the Raven King?"

Yes, that was the Raven King.

"And if it was, where did he go afterwards and how is it that he didn't defend his title as King when Stephen Black assumed it?"

He didn't have to. The wind, the sky etc quickly realised that he is not Raven King and took back his powers.