Rereading The Ladies of Grace Adieu

[prodigy]

"He is blushing," said Jonathan Strange, raising his eyes from the newspaper. "We have come, Henry, with the sole purpose of seeing Miss Parbringer (of whom you write so much) and when we have seen her, we will go away again."

"Indeed? Well, I hope to invite Mrs Field and her niece to meet you at the earliest opportunity."

"Oh, there is no need to trouble yourself," said Strange, "for we have brought telescopes. We will stand at bedroom windows and spy her out, as she goes about the village."

Strange did indeed get up and go to the window as he spoke. "Henry," he said, "I like your church exceedingly. I like that little wall that goes around the building and the trees, and holds them all in tight. It makes the place look like a ship. If you ever get a good strong wind then church and trees will all sail off together to another place entirely."

Jonathan Strange is basically from another planet. This is why he is the best. Regency-set books are full of male characters who are irritating macho douchebags dark and brooding, or at best, manly and honorable (yawn); if only more of them were complete space cadets. He's like the lost, ginger Lovegood.