Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
#6063.88 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2004 Reading commitment Low Susanna Clarke Last reviewed 2026-08-06
Overview
Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004) is a single-volume alternate-history novel set in Regency-era England during the Napoleonic Wars, in which practical English magic, dormant since the legendary medieval reign of the Raven King, is revived by two rival magicians with opposing temperaments and methods. Written in a pastiche of early-nineteenth-century prose complete with extensive scholarly footnotes and an invented history of English magic, it drew rare dual recognition from both the mainstream literary establishment, earning a place on the 2004 Booker Prize longlist, and genre awards, winning the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, the Locus Award for Best First Novel, and the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature, all in 2005. It was adapted into a seven-part BBC One television miniseries in 2015, starring Bertie Carvel and Eddie Marsan as the titular magicians.
Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004) core · 3.88 (262,751 ratings); Alternate-history Regency England (1806-1817) in which practical English magic, dormant since the medieval reign of the Raven King, is revived by two rival magicians. Written over roughly a decade; pastiche 19th-century style with extensive scholarly footnotes constructing a fictional history of English magic. Clarke's only novel in this world.
Library / Expanded (2 works)
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories (2006) ; 8 stories + a fictional scholarly Introduction, illustrated by Charles Vess. Six stories are clearly in-world (the title story features Jonathan Strange in person and is footnoted in the novel's Chapter 43; the closing story features the Raven King). One story, 'The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse', is set in the village of Wall from Neil Gaiman's Stardust, out-of-universe, annotated rather than excluded; 'Antickes and Frets' is in-world by framing convention only.
The Wood at Midwinter (2024) ; 64-page illustrated short story (illus. Victoria Sawdon), originally a BBC radio broadcast (December 2022). Registered as in-universe on the publisher's explicit framing ('set in the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell'), flagged as publisher-asserted and textually tenuous, since reviewers find no direct links in the text itself.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell? Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell's Core Canon is 1 book, plus 2 more in the wider Library/Expanded material.
- Is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell finished? Complete (2004).
- How much reading does Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~1,006 pages).
- How is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell ranked? #606 in this site's official ranking, based on 262,751 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #606?
Ranked #606 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.88 across 1 core book.
- Backed by 263k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #605, The Broken Sword (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 263k ratings · Ranks #606 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment historical fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Hugo Award (Best Novel), 2005: won: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 2005: won: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
- Nebula Award (Best Novel), 2005: nominated: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell; SFWA files this under the 2006 ceremony year for 2005-eligible work; lost to Joe Haldeman's Camouflage.
- Locus Award (Best First Novel), 2005: won: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell; Locus reader-poll winner (1st place). The win is in Best First Novel, some secondary sources sloppily cite 'Best Novel'.
- Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (Adult Literature), 2005: won: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
- British Fantasy Award (August Derleth Award (Best Novel)), 2005: nominated: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
- Man Booker Prize, 2004: nominated: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell; Longlisted, rare mainstream literary recognition for a genre fantasy novel.
- Whitbread Book Awards (First Novel Award), 2004: nominated: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell; Shortlisted; Whitbread-era name (renamed Costa in 2006).
- Guardian First Book Award, 2004: nominated: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell; Shortlisted.
- BSFA Award (Best Novel), 2005: nominated: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
- World Fantasy Award (Best Collection), 2007: nominated: The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories
- Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (Adult Literature), 2007: nominated: The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories
- Locus Award (Best Collection), 2007: finalist: The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories; Locus reader-poll placement, ranked 4th.
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novella), 2001: nominated: The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories; For the constituent story 'Mr Simonelli, or the Fairy Widower' in its original 2000 anthology publication, later collected here, award applies to the standalone publication (Dying Earth/Cugel's Saga precedent).
Related universes
- Same author Piranesi: Both by Susanna Clarke. Piranesi was explicitly confirmed to share no diegetic connection with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, different setting, no crossover characters, no shared magic system.
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Suggestions computed from what Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Once Was Willem Mythic fantasy / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.03
- The Once and Future Witches Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.02
- Hrolf Kraki's Saga Mythic fantasy / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.97
- The Fox Wife Historical fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.97
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.88 across 262,751 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell admitted; single-work universe; Piranesi confirmed separate accepted 2026-08-05
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Related universes: see the Related universes section above.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-06
Rule: Core = the single 2004 novel (single-work, the second use after The Once and Future King). Expanded = The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories (2006; six of eight stories clearly in-world, one set in Neil Gaiman's Stardust village and annotated as out-of-universe rather than excluded) and The Wood at Midwinter (2024, publisher-asserted in-universe, textually tenuous, flagged).