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.

The Wood at Midwinter is a whimsical and atmospheric short story that captivates with its enchanting charm. Susanna Clarke’s writing remains exceptional, weaving a tale that is both imaginative and immersive. The story’s setting and mood are beautifully complemented by the book’s design, which features stunning illustrations that enhance the reading experience. Overall, this book is a delightful and visually stunning read that showcases Clarke’s talent and creativity.

What a lovely, weird little story! If you liked The Ladies of Grace Adieu, this fits the vibes of that collection perfectly, and the illustrations are wonderful. It is just the one short story, but it’s nice to revisit the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell again no matter how briefly!

Beautifully illustrated, albeit quite short - a lovely melancholy fairytale. Mostly of interest because of the author, of course.

Susanna Clarke's signature gift for the uncanny shines through this short story. Merowdis and her animals make for a melancholy fairy tale, but one that hums with the power of the woods and the natural world. I especially loved the interrogation of saintly behavior, so pointedly done in 50 pages. The play of the woods off of clearly Christian imagery deepened the uncanny valley already extant in the world of Strange & Norrell. A delightful winter fable for fans of Clarke's other works.

A short story perfect to be read aloud, with pictures to admire in an illustration style that perfectly reflects the folkish mood of the tale. I love Susanna Clarke and so deeply enjoyed Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell that I immediately got myself the related short story collection, The Ladies of Grace Adieu. The problem is that there can never be enough Clarke for me, and even if this had been twice or twelve times the length I would still be asking for more. Still, in a short time she captures an atmosphere of an England two hundred years old that is recollecting an even Older England. She draws out a small portion of a world the imagination wants to explore. She leaves things ambiguous, resolved but with a sense of wondering, of, "yes, but...?"

Plenty atmospheric, lovely drawings, genius Susanna Clarke continuing to try new things and awe us all.

This was my first experience with Susanna Clarke and perhaps it wasn't the best to start with. I found the writing style to be a bit juvenile while the material was certainly not, which gave it a weird feel overall. I loved the illustrations. Perhaps reading this in winter instead of in the heat of summer would have set the mood a bit more.

This is very nice, but very slim - really a short story, and I was hoping it would be novella-length at least.

Shorter than I expected given the page count--a significant portion of the book is illustrations and author's note--but I really enjoyed this. The illustrations are gorgeous and perfectly fit this odd and haunting little story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

This was a nice and cozy, winter folklore tale that would be ideal to read midwinter in front of a fire. The art is pretty, the story is short, and the animals are cute, so it's definitely worth the read.

Per the acknowledgements, this takes place within the Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell universe, which is really cool.

Thank you NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing, and Susanna Clarke for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Wood at Midwinter is a charming, magical little tale with delightful illustrations. It felt like it was a portion of a larger story; I would have liked to see it expanded.

Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scot is an unusual girl who talks to animals and is happiest when walking alone in the woods. Her loving sister Ysolde considers her a saint and aids her solitary nature pursuits. The animals of the forest understand Merowdis and converse with her; even the forest itself speaks to her and tries to understand her dreams of having a midwinter child all her own.

This story combines elements of Christmas with something stranger and darker. I would recommend this one for readers who don't mind mysterious tellings that are left somewhat to the imagination. There is a very nice afterword by the author explaining her inspirations and thought processes behind some of her works, including Piranesi, which was so interesting and helpful.

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for this ARC!

Part fairy tale, part picture book, The Wood at Midwinter is an unsettling story about a young woman, Merowdis, who goes on a wintry walk and sees her future. The language is beautiful and the illustrations are perfectly strange and beautiful. This is a very short story that's more about giving the reader a sense of eerie atmosphere: and it succeeds.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the story.

I enjoyed this short story, but it really was very very short. So short that it needed the afterword from the pov of the author to explain a bit about it. I enjoyed the animals and their dialogue. I also enjoyed the connection to the word "saint," and the sentence in the afterword helped solidify why it was used. I did enjoy it and the art, but I think that it slightly lacked some effectiveness.

This was just an absolute treat! The entire time I had a warm, fuzzy feeling all the way down to my toes - it felt like Christmas morning when I was a kid as I read this delightful book. Nostalgic fantasy with the most exquisite illustrations, this was just a delight from start to finish! Thank you so much to the publisher for letting me experience this wonderful book! Highly recommended for: EVERYONE (I just LOVED it!).

The master is back again! To think we went so long after Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell before we got another book from Susanna Clark, and now we've gotten two in the space of a few years. Granted, this one is shorter, but it's masterful nonetheless. This is one I'm not gonna be shutting up about for a long time.

Ms. Clarke always writes story that have mysticism and folklore as the theme. This reads as a folktale about 2 sisters.
Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scott 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 day she encounters something unusual and it changes her life forever. Hard to give review without revealing the story too much. Very short