tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post7826381651265838648..comments2024-03-29T10:24:20.171+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: The Restoration of English Magic (re: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell)Bruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-71746258261149096272015-08-31T17:26:15.878+01:002015-08-31T17:26:15.878+01:00This parallels your genius problem - "What ha...This parallels your genius problem - "What happened to the geniuses?" We are shown that with evil motivation the power of genius is not a good thing; and of course an evil, selfish, jealous genius would seek out to destroy all potential competition.Nathanielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04531664498277638757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-76799885746488058992015-08-30T17:42:18.345+01:002015-08-30T17:42:18.345+01:00@John - I think along similar lines - that there w...@John - I think along similar lines - that there will be some such happening - a time of destiny; although the outcome will not be predetermined - and the people could reject their destiny.Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-36048273719737541822015-08-30T09:29:03.951+01:002015-08-30T09:29:03.951+01:00I must read this book. Your do,meets about fairies...I must read this book. Your do,meets about fairies are very interesting. They remind me of the stories of the 'Sidhe' in Ireland - those who dwell in the 'Hollow Hills' - stories that I'm very familiar with due to my background.<br /><br />I think there's something deeper at play here though. I'm intrigued by this notion of an England (or Britain) that's somehow deeper, richer and more profound than the England of our day to day, surface level experience. C.S. Lewis, in 'That Hideous Strength' refers to it as Logres, and Alan Garner (in my opinion) taps into something similar in his early books, particularly Moon of Gomrath - the idea of a deeper stream of reality running parallel to the quotidian levels of business and consumerism and secularism and what have you.<br /><br />Tapping into that deeper stream and working wth it for good is the key thing. I have often wondered, a propos of this, what a specifically English Apocalypse might look like. The word 'apocalypse' means 'unveiling', of course, and I have the sense that when this event occurs it will take the shape of this deeper England bursting through the simulacra of what we call England now. The great Cathedrals, I feel, will have a part to play in this. They have a brooding watchfulness and huge symbolic power, and whatever else one might say about the C of E it is an undeniable fact that visits UK Cathedrals and Cathedral services have increased quite dramatically these last 10 years or so. <br /><br />On that day of unveiling, we will think, 'Ah yes, it was always this way, it was always like this. How could we ever have believed in that other England?'<br /><br />But by the we will have already forgotten about that 'other England' we take so seriously now. It will have disappeared. Reality will have broken through. John Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13951246561259007162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-19577441598371653052015-08-29T05:45:42.653+01:002015-08-29T05:45:42.653+01:00@jj - Good luck, hope you like it.
@dl - In my o...@jj - Good luck, hope you like it. <br /><br />@dl - In my opinion, I don't think any particular allegory or grand metaphor was intended; at least I wasn't especially aware of any such during my first reading - but, as with Tolkien, the story has considerable and multiple applicability, in the way that really good work always does. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-31463950100911350562015-08-29T03:01:28.094+01:002015-08-29T03:01:28.094+01:00Off your recommendation I purchased the book, so I...Off your recommendation I purchased the book, so I will come back to this post in about 3 months (It's 1000 pages!). <br />Don't want to spoil it!jjbeesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-76212098633385194322015-08-28T23:03:53.322+01:002015-08-28T23:03:53.322+01:00I have been reading this, and it occurred to me it...I have been reading this, and it occurred to me it is a giant metaphor for many of the things you talk about here, which is why you like it so much. Does magic stand in for science, and the time of the story for the current time? The loss of magic for the loss of science and intelligence? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com