Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrill is a novel emulating the style of a Victorian English novel. As such, I can completely understand why some would not enjoy it. It is very long (between 800 and 1,000 pages, depending on the edition) and can seem to drag in places if you are not already swept up into the world the novel is creating. It is written as a hostorical account complete with footnotes explaining phrases or events to give a richer understanding of what is being discussed. Although I ended up liking the novel more than I expected to, I could see how a reader may feel like he is asked to endure much for little reward. Perhaps if the three volumes of the novel were divded into individual books it would seem less tedious to those who feel it too cumbersome.