The Rich Literary Influences of Susanna Clarke's Debut Novel
That Susanna Clarke was born in Nottingham, England is entirely appropriate, since that fabled place, which holds such prominence in various fictional, yet enduring, tales, is as rich with history as is Clarke's writing style with grand influences. Though she has thus far released only a single novel, the award-winning "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell," her first work was so rich in detail and literary style that the British author has already gained widespread attention. Her fans, which are many after her first release, are now clamoring for more from her, and for good reason.
With Jonathan Strange, and like Tolkien before her, Clarke weaves an entirely mythical world though, unlike Tolkien, this alternate world exists within a very real England and Venice, Italy. The depth of detail surrounding the "practical magic" that is studied and practiced by the venerable societies of magic in England is such that the novel actually includes a long reference section, with in-text documentation explaining minute details of mythical magic reference manuals and published works. The depth of imagination is indeed worthy of Tolkien, while some of the dialog, character development and description of scenery hearkens back to the days of Jane Austen and Dickens.
Clarke actually developed the idea for Jonathan Strange while teaching in Spain, and notes that the book was based, at its very heart, on a dream that she had while there. Clarke had also just finished re-reading "The Lord of the Rings," another factor that inspired her to write the novel as she did. While she had some critical success early in the tight-knit community of fantasy writers, she ultimately spent over 10 years working on Jonathan Strange before it was finally published.
That first novel, published in 2004, is an epic blend of fantasy and alternate history in the styles of J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens and many others. Her style is not necessarily unique, but is said to be a pastiche of various styles of 19th Century writers, and when one sits down to read Jonathan Strange, the impulse is to immediately relax in a comfortable chair near the hearth of a roaring fire and to partake in a cup of tea.
Based in England around the time of the Napoleonic Wars, the central premise to the novel is that magic has always existed in England, but has become something of an academic pursuit - much as one may study history - rather than a practical craft. While one character in the novel - Mr. Norrell - wishes to keep things that way, and thus hoards all texts and references that may rekindle the practice of practical magic in England, it is the younger Jonathan Strange who seeks to learn all that he can of practical magic, and to practice it to fine effect.
One of the most notable aspects of the novel is the existence, side by side, of the supernatural with the most common and mundane details. It is this blending of styles that is at the heart of the novel's success, at least in the minds of many critics, and it is also this element that renders visions of past styles in the minds of many readers. For those who enjoy the old style of literature, and looking for something more than merely a fine tale, Susanna Clarke's first, seminal, work, is definitely worth checking out.
