Lizard begins this section with a brick of a novel he's been meaning to read for a long time. Lizard also tends to refer to himself in the third person. Allegedly, this indicates a lack of self-esteem and a low ego. Lizard will leave it to Lizard's friends to comment on that.

Jonathan Strange And Mr. Norrell

OK. I've had this brick sitting on my shelf for two months now, and since the Book Club is doing "Snow Crash", which I've read already, this is a good month to read it. As it stands, I'm on page, like, 15 or something. I've heard many good things about this book, and sometimes I just like to read things for the sheer bulk of them. At some point, I will read all of the Wheel Of Time, when it's finally done.

So, in the first 15-odd pages, not much has happened, but it's the most interesting not much happening I've read in a long, long, time. Despite there being very little action so far, the clear, crisp, and flavorful writing has drawn me in, and I definitely wish to read more. At this point, all we've established is that sometime in the early 1800s, in England, we have quite public societies of magicians who are chiefly distinguished by not actually doing any magic, though apparently magic was done in the past -- and we have met the Mr. Norrell of the title, who claims to be an actual practicing magician, and who has been challenged, in the polite manner of the era, to put up or shut up, and whether he does or not will be, I presume, what I read next.I am looking forward to it.