Susanna Clarke’s The Wood at Midwinter is a short story set in the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, though it requires no knowledge of the bigger book to enjoy. The story, easily readable in one sitting, weaves a wintry and ambiguous tale with mysterious vibes. 19-year-old Merowdis Scot leaves her sister at the…
Piranesi is the most recent novel by Susanna Clarke, best known for her truly massive book, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Normally I wouldn’t put this much emphasis on an author’s past work, but Norrell might be the largest book I have ever read both in page count and in density. While Norrell is a…
I am a sucker for huge sweeping stories. Two of my all time favorite series are The Black Company and Malazan. At about 10 books each, they are masterpieces of world building, plot intricacies, and character development. But they are not good because they are long; they are good despite being overly long. One of…
Continue reading ➞ Standalone Novels: Small Books With Big Stories
