Having just recently read an article by Henry Lion Oldie about the art of understatement and leaving things unsaid, and having agreed with the fact that a reader must not demand full clearness from the author where he does not really intend to be fully clear but instead intends that the reader has some thought himself, I really shouldn't be complaining about the world of 'Strange and Norrell' not being described in full, the actions of the characters not being explained in full, the events taking place being bereft of meaning and the ending being so entirely open.
Still, I don't really think I am too demanding when I expect some narrative logic in a book or a movie or a TV series.
'Strange and Norrell' presents brilliant actors portraying interesting characters in a wonderful historic setting with an intriguing start of the story. There was something Pickwickian in Mr Norrell constantly worrying about consequences and his loyal but just and down-to-earth servant Childermass, rash and passionate Strange and odious Drawlight. There was something Rowling-ish in the legends of the Raven King and spells with mirrors and water. I daresay there even was something Shakespearean in the world of the sly fairy. But in the end, it was Susanna Clarke's tired and boring. I saw it everywhere. She had been writing the book for ten years they say, apparently there was no strength left in her, and no will and/or time in her editors to make the story coherent. The scattered episodes were glued together as they were, with hardly any intermediary, leaving me constantly wondering why this or that event took place. Something bad happens, and they do nothing about it. Then something worse happens and they still do nothing. And what's the worst, it ended in nothing particular, and not because it was the author's intention, but because she could no longer keep writing. Or so I hear. I would, I really would gladly put up with the open ending, but all these small irrelevant things make no sense to me.
But then, they make sense for each respective character. I can totally understand why Norrell kept silent. I can totally understand why Strange struggled on his own. I can totally understand that Childermass wanted to know the truth in order to follow his conscience, and I can understand the fears of the government, the greed of Lascelles and the despair of Stephen.
The problem is, they keep on minding their own business and it's not until the last minutes of the last episode that they finally start interacting with each other.
Surely I'm not too demanding when I expect that interaction sooner, the coherence higher, when I expect the English humour and English irony after so many people commented on having seen those things, and when I expect a story about magic being magical. However, it turned out to be even more realistic than any realistic historical movie - with the promised sharp wit never appearing, it's about how different people behave according to their beliefs and interests, but in the end, what a pity, even though I can totally understand each of them, I find no one to admire.
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