This book is truly beautiful, both the prose and the illustrations. I've read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell several times, and it's one of my favorite books. Every time I get to step back into that world is such a pleasure. I loved experiencing this short read, and the beautiful images soothed the sting of knowing the story would be over so quickly.

Thank you Bloomsbury for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Wood at Midwinter in exchange for my honest review.

I understand that it was originally created as a radio broadcast that I haven't listened to. I feel like the original format would add more atmosphere to the story itself. I thought the illustrations were charming! The ending was quite abrupt, it caught be a bit off guard.

Overall, I thought it was a cute and charming wintery short story that I'm sure many will enjoy

Confession: As of yet, I've not read any books by Susanna Clarke. Until this one. :)

I've got a couple on my TBR list (part of several summer-reading challenges), and this prompts me to move them up on the list--of course, reminding myself that they are probably not short picture-type books like this one is. ;) But this is a gorgeous read, even if ending a bit abruptly and too early ... but the sheer beauty and meatiness to it makes up for it. I'm intrigued and curious to enter the JS&MN world now--much more than I had been before reading this.

And, it's simply a gorgeous winter book that did wonders for my soul in a still-too-warm-for-my-tastes Southern-USA summer. #feels

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This was kindly provided to me by NetGalley as an ebook but the review is, as always my own.

Susanna Clarke, popular author of Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, has added a short story to her world and its a perfect fit. The book is filled with haunting illustrations that accompany the tale and give it a ghostly feel. It almost reads like a haiku or a fairy tale oft repeated around the fire. Once you see this book you will immediately start thinking who you can gift it to and believe me you will want to share this story again and again. Clarke is a master crafter of time and space with words. This is just another example of her mystical powers at play.

A definite addition to the bookshelf, and if you've never read any other of her titles than what are you waiting for.

I just read "The Wood at Midwinter" by Susanna Clarke with illustrations by Victoria Sawdon. I received a free eARC from NetGalley.

Ysolde Scot and her sister Merowdis are traveling through the woods around Christmastime. Ysolde recognizes something special in her sister. Her love of animals is beyond that of ordinary people. For that reason, and because the woods are a dangerous place for a woman alone, Ysolde drops Merowdis off to walk through the woods with her pig Apple and her two dogs Pretty and Amandier. While there, Merowdis has some unexpected visitors who make her an offer she doesn't want to refuse.

This story takes place within the world of "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" and what a lovely little story it is! It reads like a mix between an old fairy tale and a piece of folklore. There's an undercurrent of old magic in the woods, and this is truly captured by the illustrations by Victoria Sawdon. The illustrations alone are so stunningly beautiful, Clarke's words wrap around the images beautifully. I'm not sure what I was expecting (one can never be sure when reading Susanna Clarke) but what a truly beautiful little story this is. Rich in allegory, packs a big punch in such a short book.

Astounding. A Written form of a BBC radio play from a few years ago, it is the tale of a woman's longing to be a mother in the only way she knows how. vivid and atmospheric, Merowdis felt very much like an extension of myself to me, always herself with her animals and in the woods. there were stark differences between us, she wants to be a mother and is equally at home in a church, I would rather anything over being a mother and think I might burn where I stand if I enter a place of worship. I think all of us, especially neurodivergents, can see themselves at least a little in Merowdis, deeply seated in our passions which those around us fundamentally misunderstand. I definitely need to seek out the radio play at my earliest convenience, I cannot wait to recommend this wonder of a book to my customers.

This will make a great Christmas gift for friends. It is very short and I feel like big fans will be a bit disappointed that it isn't a bigger story but for what it is it was a pleasant, quick read.

(As posted at Kaiju & Gnome)

Welcome back to Climbing Mount TBR where I, your humble Book Kaiju, struggle to climb to the top of my to read pile one book at a time. This time we’re looking at The Wood at Midwinter, the newest work by Susanna Clarke. I want to give a special thanks to the publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing, who gave us here at “Kaiju & Gnome” an eARC in return for an honest review.

I jumped at the chance to once again read Clarke’s magical prose. Her previous book, Piranesi, is on my short list of favorite fantasy novels ever and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is fantastic. There is a magic to her prose that drags you in and doesn’t let go.

The Wood at Midwinter is set in the same world as Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, but no prior knowledge is required. So don’t let that be a barrier to stop you from reading it. It’s just a fun fairy tale set in the world of a larger story.

So what’s it about?

Well, there is this girl, Merowdis Scot, and she’s rather… odd. She loves the woods, even in the dead of winter. Her best friends are her dogs and a pig, that she talks to…and they talk back. There is a possible marriage in her future that she doesn’t want, but she wouldn’t mind having a kid, in a Virgin Mary kind of way. Basically, she’s a saint in the making.

The story is simply her walking through the woods and talking to her pets. Then talking to a fox. Finally, talking to the trees themselves (it’s that kind of story). She receives a vision of her future and then the story ends.

Yep, that's it. At first I thought maybe I received only a partial copy, but nope, the story is only sixty pages long. It’s not really a novella, more of a short story. An illustrated short story, so it’s more of a Golden Book for adults. The illustrations are beautiful and make the story come alive.

Should you read it? Yes, it’s a gorgeous short story with great illustrations. The prose reminds me more of Piranesi than Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. There is this pervasive sense of loneliness and isolation that Merowdis has. No one really understands her, not her family and not even her pets. The setting of a quiet woods at wintertime helps set that mood.

Once again Susanna Clarke captures the feel of magic. Things don’t make sense, but that confusion is amazing. We are simply jumping into a story that is already underway, we do not see the beginning nor the ending, simply a moment in time.

Read this like a picture book. A quick read that you can read again and again. Every time you’ll find something new. A bit of art will stand out that you never saw before. Some word play will finally make sense. You’ll find some new wonder to marvel at.

That's another book off the TBR pile. Only… 459 to go!

This is a charming and sweet short story, with beautiful, stunning illustrations. The story itself is captivating, but left me wanting more. The ending felt sudden and abrupt. Having read (and LOVED) the author's other work, I was looking forward to this. As I was reading, I really hoped the characters, who were set up interestingly, would get some development...but then it ended so quickly! As a stand-alone piece, this didn't do it for me. I could see it being a lovely addition to an anthology of winter tales, and the descriptions were beautiful and evocative. I would also absolutely read a longer novel or novella about these characters.

This is difficult to evaluate because its genre is so specific, it's an illustrated version of an oral radio story. I think it would probably be lovely delivered orally, in book form it feels a little underdeveloped.

ARC review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Wood at Midwinter
By: Susanna Clarke
Genre: Fantasy
Short Story
Format: eBook ARC

Thank you to @ Susanna, Bloomsbury publishing and @NetGalleyfor this ARC.

I love Susanna Clarke’s books. I read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell in high school and loved it and Piranesi more recently and also loved it. When I saw something by her on NetGalley, I got excited and signed right up!

This is a short (64 pages, less if you count the illustrations) and very sweet Christmas themed fairy tale like story.

Favorite Quote: ''A church is a sort of wood. A wood is a sort of church. They're the same thing really.'

Synopsis: “Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scot is an unusual girl. She can talk to animals and trees-and she is only ever happy when she is walking in the woods.

One snowy afternoon, out with her dogs and Apple the pig, Merowdis encounters a blackbird and a fox. As darkness falls, a strange figure enters in their midst-and the path of her life is changed forever.”

❄️I loved the illustrations! I will buy the book and look forward to seeing them in print. I included two example pages that have no spoilers or major bearing on the story as an example. My husband may have even taken down notes on this as a holiday gift as I was gushing and making “aww” sounds.

❄️I think you have to be a certain type of person to love this as much as I did. Definitely one with an appreciation for the broader world that Susanna Clarke has created (as this short story happens within the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell) as well as someone who deeply loves nature, as I do.

I also loved the creatures Merowdis interacts with throughout the story.

What a strange little story.

The intended audience for this book is the die-hard fans of the Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell universe. The format, including images, simple language, and its shortness point to it being a children's book, but the content is not what you'd expect in a kid's literature.

I appreciated the humor, especially the parallel to the current discourse on what is worse for a woman alone in the woods - a strange man or an angry bear:

"A woman alone was in danger from all sorts of predatory creatures -bears, wolves, men"

(Since the version of the story was read on BBC radio back in 2022, I don't think there is actually a connection - just a funny coincidence.)

Thank you, NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing, and Susanna Clarke, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. The book is out on October 22.

What a beautiful, cozy and comforting short story by Susanna Clark. All I wish was that there was more to this, and I could continue to live in this ferry realm and magical woodland.

I am a big fan of Susanna Clarke's novels, so I have been looking forward to reading this story. I enjoyed the dark, whimsical watercolor-esque illustrations that add to the setting and mood of this little folktale. Of course, I always love a story with talking animals and trees. I do wish the story was a bit longer so I could get to know Merowdis and her motivations more.

I particularly loved the context for the story provided by the author in the Afterword where she discusses this story’s depiction of the things/creatures women love and humanity’s connection to nature.

I will definitely be picking up a copy when it releases to read it again in midwinter.

A unique little story. I love Clarke’s books, but this one felt nothing like her other ones. Which is fine, but it wasn’t what I was expecting or hoping for. The illustrations really set the tone, and I’m sure they’ll be amazing in a print edition.

Took way too long to figure out how to read this copy, but it was worth it.

Took a while to find the best way to download but it was worth all the effort. A beautifully told tale that I will go back to again and again.

A very short, beautifully illustrated story. It felt like a classic Grimm's tale. I ended up enjoying the Author's Note at the end more so than the actual book itself, which I think speaks to the power of Susanna's ability to converse with the reader vs. the lack of quality of the short story. Embarrassed that this is my first Susanna Clarke, even though I've had her other books on my list for YEARS.

In The Wood at Midwinter Susanna Clarke paints a picture of a strange girl with strange interests taking to the wood: her chapel and her escape. As with all Clarke’s work it is thick with atmosphere and an unsettling kind of comfort, like a storm viewed from the safety of your bedroom. I loved the illustrations and the afterword and, as always, love any bit of her writing I can get my hands on.

I didn't quite understand how this is related to "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell".

It's an odd little story. I didn't find the illustrations compelling, and overall the story fell flat for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for sharing my opinions. All opinions in this review are my own. Links in this review are affiliate links, and I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Any story by Susanna Clarke is an instant-read for me, so I was very excited to see this upcoming release. I didn't realize in advance that The Wood at Midwinter is a quite short, but charming, story — almost a fable, really. The tale itself left me a little bemused at first, but the afterword really tied the whole thing together; and Ms Clarke's always-enchanting use of language pairs perfectly with the beautiful, fairy-tale illustrations. Ultimately, however, this tale mostly whetted my appetite for a more in-depth return to the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.