There are so many ways this project could have gone wrong, and as is usually the case with fantasy books of this magnitude, a film was considered first. Taking Clarke's genius and adapting it, however? That is not an easy task. It's one of the best fantasy books written in a very long time - it's become one of my cherished favorites. It's not all world-building with no story, either, because what would be the point of that? Clarke's characters are heartbreakingly real, and the tale she spins is unforgettable. Clarke's footnotes make you feel like you are reading a true history about real people who are talking about books of magic that actually exist. In the hands of a lesser author, that would be tedious. The book contains plentiful footnotes, all of which are based in the alternate history that she has created - she might give you more information about a particular book that a character will randomly reference, with the footnotes related to it telling you everything there is to know about that book, including who fictitiously published it. Written by Susanna Clarke and published in 2004, it is a giant tome of wonderment, but it is also very grounded thanks to Clarke's almost inexplicable gift for world-building. The book that the series is based on is itself a masterpiece of fantasy.
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