A million ways to read a book

“Dickens with magic! How much better can it get!”

“Don’t be put off by the slightly old-fashioned style or by the dire films that have been made! This is a really exciting, rip-roaring adventure. Funny, scarry, brilliant book.”

“Tremendously rich, delectably slow in pace, and packed to the binding with much to make you think.”

“I loved the strange yet compelling world created in this book. It was one of those ones that I slowed down towards the end because I didn’t want it to finish.”

Odd though it may seem, those superlatives are for the same book, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. It has been nominated as one of the nation’s favourite books and is in the race to feature as one of the 25 selected books for World Book Night 2012. After last year’s success, the organisers have decided that the public will vote for their favourite book, a judging panel will then select 25 books from the list, in order to minimise the dominance of otherwise ubiquitous novels starring Potters, Joneses and Moles.