Reviewed by Marlyn Beebe.
Thursday's had a rough time. Injured in her last adventure, she[s been quietly recovering at home in Swindon, trying to ensure that her brilliant daughter Tuesday, now sixteen, has a somewhat normal life. Her son Friday is dealing with the dissolution of the Chronoguard and looking for a new direction for his life. And then there's Jenny, the daughter who doesn't exist.
Running a library is difficult, especially when she has to explain to the board why she's not in favour of dawn raids for library fines and deal with militant Enid Blyton fans who want the books returned to their original non-politically-correct form.
Yes, the storyline is as confusing as it sounds. That's one of the hallmarks of a Jasper Fforde novel. Fforde plays fast and loose with time, existence, bureaucracy and religion, but he has a wonderful way with the English language and the many shades of meaning a single word can have.
It's probably best to read this series in order, beginning with The Eyre Affair (2001) in order to become accustomed to Fforde's unique writing style.
The Penguin Group has kindly offered a hardcover copy of THE WOMAN WHO DIED A LOT for one of my readers. Please comment below about Jasper Fforde and/or Thursday Next, and make sure to include contact information. Entries from the US only, please.
Intriguing! Thanks for the review. How do you keep all those days-of-the-week names from driving you crazy? :)
ReplyDeleteL.J., the names are the least of the confusion! There's the time travel that doesn't happen causing things to "might have been", not to mention the temporary replacements.
ReplyDeleteVery unusual. Is it fun though?
ReplyDeleteWhat an original thinker! Thanks for the review, Marlyn!
ReplyDeleteJasper Fforde is a favorite of a friend of mine. I'll be sure and send her over to see this review.
ReplyDeleteI might be more tempted to read him if I knew how to pronounce his last name. Fee-ord?
L.J., it's great fun!
ReplyDeletePeg, it's pronounced like "Ford".
Hard up as libraries are for funding these days, I can almost understand dawn raids to collect unpaid overdue fines. Then again, they probably can't spare the personnel!
ReplyDeleteSandra
This book is set in my home town and I really wanted to like it. alas, it was not to be. I gave up less than half way through - could not make sense of the story
ReplyDeleteJenny, I'm sorry to hear that. Have you read the earlier books in the series?
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't read any of the others. I did enjoy the local places in the part of the book I read.
DeleteI love the Thursday Next series (although I felt One of Our Thursdays is Missing fell short of the mark) and have purchased several copies of The Eyre Affair because friends I've loaned it to don't seem to return it. I'm looking forward to reading this one.
ReplyDeleteI haven't started this series because I wasn't intrigued by any review until now. Now I have to start at the beginning and will look for the first book at my Library. Dee
ReplyDeleteI love clever wordplay. Douglas Adams is a particular favorite. Thanks for this please enter my name to win a copy.
ReplyDeleteAha!! Contact information, always my downfall. Use this address: carlscott(at)prodigy(dot)net(dot)mx
ReplyDeleteGram, what a wonderful compliment about my review! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteCarl, if I had to compare Fforde to anyone, it would be Douglas Adams!
ReplyDeleteJasper Fforde has been proven to compare to Marmite - I love him but my friends can't get their minds around him. Obviously need a particular "bent". Please put a Thursdaybag of dehydrated water in a Thursday book. Handy in dry places! Karen
ReplyDeleteLoL, Karen. If you'd like to enter the drawing, please respond with your contact info.
ReplyDelete