Macmillan Audio is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell with a new audiobook edition narrated by Richard Armitage.
Clarke’s fantasy novel, published in 2004 by Bloomsbury, tells the story of the two title characters, men who bring magic back to England in the era of the Napoleonic Wars.
The book became a bestseller and drew praise from critics, including one for Kirkus, who wrote in a starred review, “An instant classic, one of the finest fantasies ever written.” The novel won the Hugo and Locus awards, and it was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It was also adapted into a BBC miniseries directed by Toby Haynes. A previous audiobook edition was narrated by actor Simon Prebble.
Armitage is best known for his roles in films including The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and its sequels and the television series Robin Hood, Hannibal, and Spooks. He has also narrated several audiobooks, including Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, Alice Feeney’s Rock Paper Scissors, and Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
Joining Armitage on the new Jonathan Strange audiobook will be author V.E. Schwab (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue), who will read her introduction to the novel.
“Embarking on this project, I was immersed once again in the spellbinding world Clarke has created,” Armitage said in a statement. “It’s a privilege to voice Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, a story so layered and dynamic.”
The audiobook edition of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was released on Oct. 22.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
