Brilliant Storytelling

 

I am thankful that in the last year I have discovered many writers, especially a wonderful, brilliant writer and storyteller, Susanna Clarke. I am absolutely enchanted by her writing, her style, her subtle themes and metaphors that reach into the past from writers, myths, and legends that influenced her. She writes with elegance and magic that I find so often missing from today's writers.

For years I was curious about Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, but had not read it. Yet I wanted to at some point. Then, in September her newest book came out, Piranesi. In the last year I have been more intentional about supporting writers and their new releases as Covid had shut down so many bookshops and events/talks for authors. So in September, my interest was peaked, as this was already an author I wanted to read. 

I ordered Piranesi and read it in a couple days (it's not a long book at all - less than 250 pages), in a mysterious, enchanted, puzzlement of a story wrapped in wonder and imagination I deeply desire in a good book. It is difficult to describe the book without spoiling important things, but all I will say is - it is marvelous. I was left wanting more, and the feeling automatically swept over me that I wanted to read it again. 

The next step was to finally read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which I did. You can read my post about it HERE. It was a heavy volume of more than 1,000 pages, and I loved it. I was further enchanted by her talented writing. After that epic book I still wanted more, and discovered that there was one more book available, The Ladies of Grace Adieu, which is a collection of short stories. I just finished reading this collection and feel that want for more yet again. These were all written whilst she wrote Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and they feel like footnotes from that epic book (if you read it you would have noticed how her footnotes were stories themselves, often extending to the following pages). Indeed, even Jonathan Strange and other familiar characters appear in a few of the stories. The magical charm and wit of each story and her writing in general is sweeping my imagination with wonder-filled stories and I am only sad that there are not more books to explore by her. 

Is there an author you more recently discovered and wish there was more to read by such talent?