Finally got caught up with the Mythgard Academy class on Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.  There are two things that didn’t get mentioned, so I’ll put my takes on them here.

The Gentleman with the Thistle-down Hair tossed two children out of a tower, and thought it was worthy of commemoration.  I’m pretty sure he did that on behalf of Richard III.

There was a long discussion about how the above-mentioned Gentleman didn’t seem to attach any significance to the color of Stephen Black’s skin apart from the aesthetic. It’s like he didn’t even see the difference between black-skinned people and white-skinned people.  That reminded me of this passage:

To sheep, other sheep no doubt appear different.  Or to shepherds. But Mortals have not been our study. We have other business. (LotR II.i.311)

I wonder if, even in a book that has nothing to do with Middle-Earth, JRRT’s influence didn’t intrude itself on Susanna Clarke’s writing.