So, I read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell last year, and even by the time I was finished, I still wasn't sure if I liked the book or not! XD It's *extremely* well written, and she has a tendency to use footnotes as though it was an actual history book, which I really enjoyed. The plot was interesting, it was magic in Regency England (one of my favorite time periods) and there was really no earthly reason for me not to absolutely love it. But for some reason, I couldn't connect with ANY of the characters. Not one. And for a book that long....well, it's definitely unusual for me. But about halfway through the book I realized that, while I enjoyed the plot, I wasn't invested in it. I found myself not really caring what happened to anyone. This only changed during the last maybe hundred pages or so, when I finally found myself getting attached to someone (Strange's wife) but that was it.

Clearly, my experience was rather unique, but it's well-written and engaging enough that I'd still recommend it. I just hope you get closer to the characters than I did! XD

Shannon//Ravenclaw