Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark

I first heard of this book from Average Jane. She liked it and linked to a couple of reviews. Her description intrigued me enough to read the reviews and check out the book. It was awful. The review I read described the work as "Victorian England meets Harry Potter." Being a fan of both genres, it was a must read. I only managed the first 120 pages of the 750+ available. I'm fond of Jane Austen, Wilke Collins, the Bronte Sisters. I detest Charles Dickins, which served as the model for "Victorian" as named in the review. The work was very reminscient of good ol' Charles, right down to the making me fall asleep part. Every time I try for one of his novels, I feel as though someone is telling a joke that I'm not getting. Ms Clarke's novel gave me the same feeling. I wanted to read a few more pages, maybe another 50, but the library needed the book back. I'm debating as to whether or not I want to reserve it again. I just can't believe that it was so well received, yet, be so unappealling to me. Maybe it needed more of a chance... Which leads me to my next thought. How many pages should be read before abandoning a book?