It is Odd How I Will Miss Mr. Strange

Of course, I will also miss Mr. Norell, both from the BBC America series Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell that broadcast earlier this summer.  The two magicians - whether together or apart - make for a compelling story that shows the light and dark sides of magic.  Think of it as Harry Potter for adults.  The seven-part series is worth seeking out and can be found on iTunes and elsewhere.  This trailer gives you some sense of what you are missing.

I have already started the book by Susanna Clarke to learn more about the characters and other happenings most likely left out of the series for brevity or some other purpose.  For instance, my reading have already shown that the talking church statues in pilot episode filled the viewers with awe more than fear, yet BBC America took at different tact in its retelling.  So it goes with television and film, yet the BBC America adaptation is certainly worth revisiting and I recommend it to anyone with or without the book.  

And speaking of books, a new book titled "The Ingenious Mr. Pyke" was recently written by Henry Hemming.  Geoffrey Pyke was an interesting may who had the idea of building a navy out of water.  Sound familiar?  In Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell, we find that Mr. Norell also constructed a naval blockage using rain water.  Mr. Pyke's ships would have been made of ice and served as extra-large aircraft carriers, but they could have been just as scary and even more practical than Mr. Norell's ships.  You can read more about this idea here.  It just shows you that reality continues to keep pace with fiction in many ways. 

Image Credits:  Jim Kay's Concept Art