Norrell/Strange is very reminiscent of Moby Dick in its mode of storytelling (the asides, citations, footnotes and stories within stories). And I'm sure if Herman Melville was considering writing a fantasy epic devoid of allegory, then it might be set up like this. The novel itself started off promising, but I found I really disliked it by the end. There is a lot of dicking around and dawdling, with much belaboring of points, and the climax is...anti-climactic. But I heartily suggest reading the first few chapters, which are excellent. Then stop.
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