Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell: Are Characters’ Views the Authors’ Own?
And introducing our new readership challenge for 2025!
[Dear readers: This issue contains discussions of racism, sexism, and antisemitism.]
In a creative writing course years ago, my instructor shared the following advice: “A story must use some sort of anchor if readers are to understand the views are not the authors’ own.” Now, of course, not every author needs to, or feels the need to, make clear that the views of the character are not their own. Other times, the author makes it very clear, through absurdity or interviews. Sometimes we know a book is a piece of social commentary or satire.
But in Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, no such anchor or clarity exists. The 850ish page book reinforces Clarke’s phenomenal storytelling capabilities. She brings 19th century England to life, as if magic has always existed. The story is captivating, the writing witty and humorous at times. We might not even know who or what we’re rooting for, but we root for the magic.
And yet gender, race, and religion are all handled quite dismissively, if not problematically. Women are limited to the domestic sphere in the novel, other than a few footnotes citing women magicians of the past. Norrell actively scoffs at women in magic, an opinion reinforced by many other men throughout the book, and Strange is just one of many men who casts aside his wife’s views and advice. (Clarke does have a short story that does center women in magic—featured in The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories—but the collection is far less popular than her two novels centering men.)
There is one Black protagonist in the novel, Stephen, and he is continuously referred to as being from “Africa,” despite having been born enslaved on a ship sailing from Jamaica to Britain (and despite Africa being a continent not a country). There’s a very weird, unnecessary scene in which, by magic, he is taken to another country, where “they are Arabs, I suppose” with a “religion of the strictest sort…almost everything is forbidden to them except carpets” (399). These problematic depictions carry over to portrayals of Judaism, with characterizations of greed and wealth.
Clarke has said that she “deliberately kept women to the domestic sphere in the interests of authenticity.” And we might assume that she would say the same about depictions of race and religion. But even if women were widely confined to the domestic sphere, we know that their roles, interests, and influences went far beyond. The late 1700s and early 1800s produced A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austen’s novels, and eventually Queen Victoria. And we can say the same for people of color and of varying religions living in England during this time, even if it went vastly unacknowledged. Plus, what does racism, sexism, or antisemitism, without any sort of anchor, such as character pushback, add to a novel published in the 2000s other than a reinforcement of problematic beliefs? Even if one believes that these views are meant mockingly of the 19th century individuals who held them, both villains and protagonists alike express them, and their inclusion feels at times like an attempt to ignore accountability, wider research, or creativity.
The 2025 ad astra Readership Challenge
As we make our reading goals and intentions for the new year, how can we include conscious readership? How can we utilize them to push for a more equitable reading and publishing industry and beyond?
Our Readership Challenge is meant to encourage all of us (ourselves included) to further invest ourselves in the books we love and the worlds they encourage us to build. Reading is political, and by taking what we read and acting upon it, we have the power to create societal change.
There are 12 prompts and every month, we’ll share resources and updates in our mid-month newsletter to help you work toward checking them off.
Folks who complete all the prompts by EOY will be entered to win a $100 gift card to their indie bookstore of choice. Those who finish at least six of the prompts will receive an exclusive ad astra sticker. In December, we'll share a submission link to complete as proof of participation. (Our downloadable tracker will be helpful for this!)
Want to participate? Join our Broadcast Channel on Instagram, follow our newsletter, and get your friends to join!
If you liked Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, read…
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova
Other books we are reading (or hope to read) this month:
✅ Woo Woo
🗓️Mrs. Dalloway (reread)
🗓️Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next)
Books new to our TBR:
Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan (we loved Bellies!)
All of these recommendations from Naomi Klein
And these 2025 disability releases from @hilaryreadsbooks
See our list of anticipated winter 2025 releases:
Other publishing updates:
Fable, the popular reading app, released end-of-year wrap up reports for its users. But the AI they used generated racist and sexist reports.
Semicolon Books in Chicago, one of the city’s only Black-owned stores, announced its closure. In their five years, they’ve donated 13,000+ books to students, built libraries for 50+ schools and organizations, and so much more. As always, support Black-owned bookstores all year long (Libro.fm’s map is very helpful!).
Thanks so much for taking the time to read! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share with friends, and consider subscribing if you have not yet already. Also, in case you missed it, we have launched prints! Learn more and place an order here.
We’ll be back in a few weeks with the latest publishing updates.
Xx,
ad astra
