VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

John Bruner I must whole-heartedly concur with the many proclamations of praise. Particularly with the sentiment of "Charles Dickens meets Jane Austin". And I would add: bake in a crust of Rowling's Harry Potter and you've Nearly got it.(I say nearly simply because the acting and direction are part of the reason that precisely this particular rendition deserves more outstanding accolades.)It's fun, it's smart, it's intriguing. I cannot emphasize enough, that I sincerely hope those responsible will be induced, by greatest reward to continue this wonderful epic! Truly, John B.

korereviews I stumbled upon this show, not knowing anything about the book or TV series (and honestly, given all the hype that precedes a BBC season of Sherlock or Doctor Who, I find that mystifying - this series was vastly better than any season of either). The production value is movie-quality, the acting superlative - but the writing is what really sets it apart. There are so many moments when this could (and as a world-weary viewer you're expecting it to) descend into the usual predictable clichés - but it never does, not once. Despite being a genre piece, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell surprises you at every turn - both in terms of the story and the characters. Where the lead characters in similar shows would be one-dimensional and static, Strange and Norrell have substantial character arcs (-Strange's voluntary descent into madness near the end is particularly delightful). And each of the supporting actors is interesting and well-developed - Childermass, the Gentleman, and Vinculus are especially captivating, but everyone is great, adding to the textural depth of the show. There's plenty of humour, but also refreshingly adult themes ("adult" in the proper sense, not in the "Game of Thrones" feel-like-you-need-to-take-a-shower-after-each-episode sense) in the background, including a subtle yet distinct feminist subtext to the female characters' stories (at some point you clue in to the metaphorical nature of the Gentleman's nightly abductions of Lady Pole -who is forced to "dance" with him all night long at a fairy ball, and then wakes up exhausted, suicidal, and feeling betrayed by the men in her life...). Norrell's obsessive concern to make magic "respectable" is a satirical poke at uptight, bourgeois English society, and the Raven King's association with rebellion of the oppressed working classes adds a tantalizingly modern and subversive element to the usual fantasy paradigms. The show and especially the last episode do a great job of teasing you with hints about the Raven King, who presumably (and hopefully) will play a more direct role in the next season. Can't wait for it!

Jim The plot is simple. The 'academic' magician (Norrell) has large ambitions and little experience. He blunders by summoning an amoral fairy in order to booster his reputation. The fairy does wicked things.Along comes a magician (Jonathan Strange) with little learning but enormous natural talent. He apprentices himself to Norrell and there is tension between the two.What kind of magic will prevail? How will science and magic co-exist? How many people will be victimized by the fairy before Jonathan Strange defeats him? What herculean tasks must Strange perform to retrieve his wife? Production value was very high. A good cast, decent dialogue and story line. In the end, the film was scary, heart rending and a spectacle. I cared for the characters, even flawed Norrell.At the end, the fate of Norrell and Strange are unclear. Sequel?

frode-hauge This will be spoiler free.I only just finished watching this series over the course of the weekend. As is evident by my rating, I enjoyed it tremendously. I did not know the book existed until I saw it mentioned in the credits, so I watched with no preconceived notions apart from what could be gleaned from the synopsis and cover image. In other words, a period piece set in England with magic playing some part. I did not know whether there would be magic performed, or just talked about. Whether it would be a costume drama, or something more.What a ride it turned out to be. I enjoyed literally every single character, which is unusual for me. For the most part, there tends to be some that just annoy me for one reason or the other. In this case, I even found the character that appeared designed to be annoying to be strangely entertaining. Multiple characters were believably multifaceted and conflicted with regards to their place in the unfolding events. This is something the British seem to be consistently far superior at compared to the Americans' penchant for more caricatured portrayals.I found the setting and world building to be a breath of fresh air. Granted, it touched on some familiar themes, but rarely in a straight forward fashion. I so wish television were filled with shows of this caliber. Sadly, reality will likely remain that a show like this comes around once in a while, gets poor ratings in comparison to shows that are so bland they appeal to everybody, and then time passes until someone is brave enough to try something new once again. We can do little but treasure these rare gems.