This has been described by someone as " a silly book for smart people". Enough to put anyone off! It's a very funny, quirky read involving the adventures of Thursday Next, a sort of literary detective, who ends up entering the pages of Jane Eyre to try and catch the elusive villain Hades Acheron and to protect Jane from the aforementioned villain. If you enjoy books and are openminded you'll enjoy this sortie into the parallel universe of Thursday Next. I think it's possibly a "love it or hate it" book because the author has made it so original and has taken risks but I can't wait to get into the next one in the series. I hope I'm not disappointed as sometimes really original concepts don't have that frisson the second time round. The same could be said of some excellent tv series (especially the comic ones) which just can't repeat that initial thrill in the second series.

This was one of my holiday reads Treez and I found it great, particlularly for a holiday where belief is 'sort of' suspended for a week or so anyway. I really enjoyed it and have 'Lost in a good book' waiting to be read.

This is what I wrote in that thread
Original, funny and very quirky story telling. Likened by some to Pratchett and Douglas Adams but the only similarity, to me, is that they are all unique. Ffordes world could be a parallel of ours. There is enough the same to recognise and enough different to suspend any belief. Ahead of us technology wise in so many ways, yet other of our gadgets are nowhere to be seen. I’m definitely up for reading more Fforde – to the extent where I have swapped for one of his cousin’s (Katie Fforde) books as there are none available of his.

I love these books , apparently there is a new one out next year.

Sounds good, think I'll give it a try :-D

Lovely Treez - read all the series. I loved them but I'm glad he finished them when he did as I think he'd taken Thursday Next as far as he could. I love the characters names (we've had discussion on here about them before).

Read the "Big over Easy" earlier this year - which is the first book in the Jack Spratt - Detective Inspector of the Nursery Crime Division - series. I will admit I didn't enjoy as much as the Thursday Next series ... but I think that was more down to me than the book!

kendie:

Read the "Big over Easy" earlier this year - which is the first book in the Jack Spratt - Detective Inspector of the Nursery Crime Division - series. I will admit I didn't enjoy as much as the Thursday Next series ... but I think that was more down to me than the book!

I prefer Thursday Next too!

Did love the nursery rhyme references though :D

Oh, no. I've got so much catching up to do... I'm intrigued by the nursery rhymes especially since I've exhausted my whole supply on my two year old this evening :-D

Lovely Treez - he names his characters after Nursery Rhyme characters ... Jack Spratt, Humpty Dumpty, Mary Mary.

Got my swap copy a couple of days ago. Can't wait to read it!

 Dug up this old thread because I've finally got around to reading this.

I thought it was brilliant.  Just the right length to tell the story without being annoying (as often funny books can be).  An imaginative plot which all comes together well.

It definitely suits readers who have "read well" or have a wide knowledge of books/plays and think it would help to know the story of Jane Eyre but just having watched an adaptation would suffice.

And how I laughed at the "Richard III" production - I want to go and see it! (it made me think of the Rocky Horror Show)

Trying to get hold of a copy on a swap after someone suggested Fforde being similar to Pratchett and after reading this thread, makes me want a copy all the more

Sorry ladies...having reading the reviews it does not appeal to me.....but hey we are all different...wouldn't be right if we were all the same....

 Sounds interesting and will put this on my wishlist - which is getting longer and longer every day since I've started coming here..

 I love all these books, though you need your wits about you to keep up with what is going on! Also love the Nursery Rhyme murder books. I know some people are not bowled over - a friend of mine was totally unimpressed, but they just appeal to my sense of humour.

Do hope you'll enjoy the rest of them, Wendy!

I've loved all of his books so much, they are keepers for me, and I have met him a couple of times, and have one of them signed!

Nat