Page "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" Paragraph 25

In his review for The Boston Globe, John Freeman observes that Clarke ’ s fantasy, like that of Franz Kafka and Neil Gaiman, is imbued with realism.

He argues that the footnotes in particular lend an air of credibility to the narrative: for example, they describe a fictional biography of Jonathan Strange and list where particular paintings in Norrell ’ s house are located.

In an interview, Clarke describes how she creates this realist fantasy: " One way of grounding the magic is by putting in lots of stuff about street lamps, carriages and how difficult it is to get good servants.

" To create this effect, the novel includes many references to real early-nineteenth century people and things, such as: artists Francisco Goya, Cruikshank, and Rowlandson ; writers Frances Burney, William Beckford, Monk Lewis, Lord Byron, and Ann Radcliffe ; Maria Edgeworth's Belinda and Austen's Emma ; publisher John Murray ; politicians Lord Castlereagh and George Canning ; The Gentleman's Magazine and The Edinburgh Review ; Chippendale and Wedgwood furnishings ; and the madness of King George III.

Clarke has said that she hopes the magic is as realistic as that in Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy.

This realism has led other reviewers, such as Polly Shulman, to argue that Clarke ’ s book is more of an historical fiction, akin to the works of Patrick O ’ Brian.

As she explains, " Both Clarke's and O ' Brian's stories are about a complicated relationship between two men bound together by their profession ; both are set during the Napoleonic wars ; and they share a dry, melancholy wit and unconventional narrative shape.

" Shulman sees fantasy and historical fiction as similar because both must follow rigid rules or risk a breakdown of the narrative.