UPROOTED – Naomi Novik (2015)

Uprooted caused quite a stir when it was published: it was nominated for 6 awards, and it won 4. I’m aware that awards have less and less to do with artistic quality and more and more with the industry of publishing, but still, I was intrigued, especially after I realized fairytales still have lots of potential: C.S.E. Cooney’s powerful short story collection was one of my best reads last year.

Novik apparently was inspired by Polish fairytales – her mother is Polish, her father Lithuanian – but I’m not sure to what extent. Fairytales are fairly universal – there were versions of Sleeping Beauty in ancient China too. The Wikipedia entry on Uprooted seems knowledgeable, and if it’s more or less complete, it seems the Slavic influence is surface level only: names and the sounds of names. That seems enough for a crowd that craves authenticity and deep roots.

Anyhow, Polish or not, the subject matter is straightforward and recognizable: nondescript village girl turns out to be hero extraordinary with the help of an elder mentor. The apprentice quickly outclasses the teacher, and together they take on the evil forces – an evil forest.

JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL – Susanna Clarke (2004)

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is a long book that takes its time. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has slower character development – except for books that don’t have any character development at all.

In the first half especially, this massive tome reads more like a collection of anecdotes, short stories and miniatures about magic, folklore and society, which are nearly all interesting, well-crafted, oddly poetic and at times charmingly witty.

The actual story only takes off after about 400 pages (in my pocket edition of 1000 pages). It took me quite some time to reach that mark. I considered giving up around page 300, since not that much was happening, but kept on reading because Clarke’s language and descriptions have an eerie yet funny character that retained a sense of promise about the story itself. 100 pages later, I was fully gripped.

The inventive use of footnotes and the freshness of the enthusiastic narrative voice add to the pleasure this novel provides. The entire book, which has been rightly dubbed a comedy of manners too, has a reflective, ironical vibe, and as such it is very, very English – for lack of a better word.

Lots has been written about this acclaimed book, and I don’t have much to add. Let me suffice with saying that it is utterly original, and a genuine feast of the imagination.

This comes with the highest possible recommendation – if you are willing to invest the time.

---

UPDATE: Here’s a link to my review of the lesser known The Ladies Of Grace Adieu, Clarke’s 2006 collection of short stories, most of which are set in the same faerie England. And here to a bit of a philosophical analysis of Piranesi, her 2020 triumph.

There’s also a brilliant, in-depth examination of Strange & Norrell on the Strange Horizons’ site – really stunning scholarschip by Elizabeth Hoiem. Very much worth your time if you’re familiar with the novel.

originally written on  the 13th of September, 2015