Wordcandy loves Susanna Clarke

Susanna Clarke's new book, The Ladies of Grace Adieu, is due out on October 17th. Apparently, it will be a collection of short stories set in the world of her first book, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but featuring various historical figures (with appearances from some of her own characters). I love the cover art, I love the idea, I'm mega-excited about the book... but I have a few concerns. First, of the eight stories in the book, seven have already been published, but the book is still twenty-four dollars! For the sake of hardcore Clarke fans, I hope that the one original story is pretty damn impressive. Second, are we going to need to re-read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell to understand this book? If that's the case, better start reading now, gentle readers. You've only got a few months.