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One Of The Best Modern Fantasy Novels Is Getting A Gorgeous Anniversary Edition
Susanna Clarke’s genre-bending debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell was a literary sensation in 2004. It garnered many rave reviews and spent three months on the New York Times Best Seller list while nabbing a litany of nominations for coveted awards. It would go on to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel–the most prestigious award in science fiction and fantasy–as well as the World Fantasy Award and Locus Award. It’s a big book with big ideas, and there hasn’t really been anything quite like it since.
If you haven’t read it or if you’re looking for an excuse to dive back in, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is getting a 20th Anniversary Edition with gorgeous new cover art. The new hardcover edition will be published by Bloomsbury on October 22 and is available to preorder now at Amazon for a 17% discount, dropping the price from $31 to $25.61.
Long-time fans of Clarke’s debut novel will also be happy to learn that the 20th Anniversary Edition will be published the same day as an illustrated short story set inside the same world as the book. The Wood at Midwinter is available to preorder in hardcover and Kindle ebook formats. Plus, a new paperback edition of The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, a 2006 short story collection set in the same world, will release October 22, too. Yes, Bloomsbury is really celebrating this anniversary.
$26 (was $30)
The 20th Anniversary Edition of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell releases on October 22. Preordering right now will get you a slight discount and lock in Amazon’s preorder price guarantee–so if the price drops further ahead of its launch, you’re entitled to the lower price.
This hardcover version of Clarke’s novel features a new hardcover design and clocks in at a staggering 864 pages. Along with the original novel, you’ll get a new introduction from V.E. Schwab, an American author known for her novel Vicious and the Shades of Magic series.
An alternate history fantasy novel set in 1806, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell tells the story of two magicians from England who change history when they bring magic back into the public eye. The two team up to help England in its war with France, though Jonathan is quickly drawn to a darker form of magic that strains his relationship with Mr. Norrell. What follows is a riveting and consequential tale of friends turned enemies.
If you enjoy the novel, BBC adapted it into a superb seven-part miniseries in 2015. It’s available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
And as mentioned above, you can further explore Clarke’s magical world in The Wood at Midwinter, a 64-page illustrated story that will be available the same day. The Wood at Midwinter follows a young woman named Merowdis who has the ability to communication with trees and animals. While walking home with her pet pig Apple–everyone takes their pet pig for walks–she encounters a mysterious figure. Though Clarke and her publisher are keeping plot details under wraps for this story, it’s safe to assume this meeting ropes Merowdis into the enchanting world from the novel.
$230
If you’re a long-time fan of Susanna Clarke’s novel, you should take a look at The Folio Society’s unique edition. This version splits the novel into three volumes totaling 1,008 pages. Each book is bound in blocked cloth and can be stored in a premium slipcase with beautiful artwork. Fold-out endpapers with distinct designs and another
Scattered throughout the three books are illustrations–18 in full color, six in black-and-white–which were also illustrated by Vess. Each volume also has fold-out endpapers with distinct designs. If you want to take a peek at some of the remarkable illustrations, check out this insightful video of Vess detailing his process for creating art for Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.
Meanwhile, the upcoming reprint of The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories contains 10 fairytales centered on characters from the novel such as Jonathan Strange as well as real-life historical figures and people you’ll meet for the first time. The Ladies of Grace Adieu features illustrations by award-winning artist Charles Vess. You technically don’t need to wait for the new release, as an earlier paperback edition is available to ship for the same price ($18) right now. The same goes for Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which is available in paperback for $16.60 at Amazon.
Clarke’s follow-up to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell didn’t release until 16 years after a superb debut, but Piranesi was well-worth the wait. Published in 2020 to critical acclaim, Piranesi is a brilliantly inventive novel about a man who lives in a home with infinite halls and rooms. Piranesi is alone in this endless maze of a home. Well, there is a guy who finds him a couple times each week to talk about A Great and Secret Knowledge. Piranesi is every bit as impressive as Clarke’s first novel, though it’s much shorter at 272 pages. Once again, Clarke deftly weaves fantasy tropes with magical realism while also injecting some psychological horror into the mix. You can pick up a paperback copy of Piranesi for $10 and the hardcover for $22.
Susanna Clarke Novels & Collections
Preorder: All three release October 22
Available now
