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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So the first thing I will say is, I'm glad I read this book now in 2025 when I can go immediately into the relatively recently released sequel. The book was written in 2009 it seems, which is a long time to have had to wait.
The book centers around a fantastical world where people's eyes are dramatically different than how they once were- people can only see certain colors with any clarity, and even then it's in percentages. They exist in a world that suffered some calamity so far in the past that there's no record of it.
It's a very good read that only slowed down for me briefly - a lot characters to sort out, and a lot of plots and schemes and otherwise human machinations.
By the end of it I was just reminded how delightful I find Jasper Fforde's writing. I remember reading the first few Tuesday Next series many, many years ago with a feeling of undisguised glee. I may not have had that same 7/5 stars reaction to this book as I did that one, but they are definitely in the conversation.
The book centers around a fantastical world where people's eyes are dramatically different than how they once were- people can only see certain colors with any clarity, and even then it's in percentages. They exist in a world that suffered some calamity so far in the past that there's no record of it.
It's a very good read that only slowed down for me briefly - a lot characters to sort out, and a lot of plots and schemes and otherwise human machinations.
By the end of it I was just reminded how delightful I find Jasper Fforde's writing. I remember reading the first few Tuesday Next series many, many years ago with a feeling of undisguised glee. I may not have had that same 7/5 stars reaction to this book as I did that one, but they are definitely in the conversation.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well! This is quite a departure from the Fforde who creates worlds out of literary worlds. He's still creating a new world, but it's future dystopian this time around, so he left behind fantasy/film noir and shot into more solid sci fi. His future occurs approx 400 years after The Something That Happened in the latter 2000's? At that point the leader Munsell provided the structure, in an elaborate set of rules, that formed the basis of the new order. This new order smacks of communism, but could also be Fforde taking stabs at the European Union (purely conjecture on my part) Munsell left behind an elaborate book of rules that dictates almost every aspect of daily life. It is populated by people whose societal rankings are tied to how much color they can see, and no one gets more than one color. Even medicine is tied to viewing appropriate color swatches, and death is assisted by a visit to a room of a certain hue of green that brings such intense contentment that death is virtually painless.
The main character is an "alpha" red--he has exceptional abilities to see various hues in the red spectrum. No one can see in the dark, and anyone left out in the dark of night goes nuts from the sheer terror. In addition, this culture is predicated on simplification--as time has passed since the TSTH, there have been rollbacks where books, cars, electricity, etc have been gradually eradicated from the culture. Eddie, this main character, gets sent away from his home district as a punishment for an infraction of the rules, and away the story goes. Now, it doesn't take a lot to realize that what is supposed to be utopian in a book like this (or in life for that matter) is more likely to be dystopian. How dystopian? Read the book!
The main character is an "alpha" red--he has exceptional abilities to see various hues in the red spectrum. No one can see in the dark, and anyone left out in the dark of night goes nuts from the sheer terror. In addition, this culture is predicated on simplification--as time has passed since the TSTH, there have been rollbacks where books, cars, electricity, etc have been gradually eradicated from the culture. Eddie, this main character, gets sent away from his home district as a punishment for an infraction of the rules, and away the story goes. Now, it doesn't take a lot to realize that what is supposed to be utopian in a book like this (or in life for that matter) is more likely to be dystopian. How dystopian? Read the book!
Pleasantly surprised with this book.
I had not read Jasper Fforde before. It has some great off the wall humor, silly things, dry and subtle humor as well. I enjoyed the style and writing. It had a more complex plot than I expected. So I am very intrigued to see where the series goes.
Interesting premise, dystopian setting, "Something happened", the "Previous" left items that the current people find interesting and valuable; especially spoons. Persons can only see one color hue. Shades/hues of reds, greens, yellows, blues, etc. They are named in their color. The main character is Eddie Russet, with a few friends, Bertie Magenta, Travis Canary. A few Nemesis persons as well; Cortland and Sally Gamboge, Bunty McMustard. Your color also determines social status. Grey is the lowest. Ultraviolet the highest.
Eddie's father is a swatchman; or a doctor of their time. He shows patients color swatches to treat illnesses, or give pain relief, help females ovulate, etc.
Also when the lights go out at night, they are completely blind, no night vision at all!!!
It's a fun book, it may seem slow at first but the author is creating his world and developing characters. It's not predictable. I hope he can get to writing the next two books in his Trilogy. He has set it up that there are many situations that need to be explained, events to happen, authority to be challenged and revelations to be revealed.
I did find out the author took a few years off, but he is now back at it. I am going to check out his other books, starting with his "Thursday Next" series.
Overall; Very creative, very enjoyable. Recommended.
If you enjoy Terry Pratchett, you might like this book too.
I had not read Jasper Fforde before. It has some great off the wall humor, silly things, dry and subtle humor as well. I enjoyed the style and writing. It had a more complex plot than I expected. So I am very intrigued to see where the series goes.
Interesting premise, dystopian setting, "Something happened", the "Previous" left items that the current people find interesting and valuable; especially spoons. Persons can only see one color hue. Shades/hues of reds, greens, yellows, blues, etc. They are named in their color. The main character is Eddie Russet, with a few friends, Bertie Magenta, Travis Canary. A few Nemesis persons as well; Cortland and Sally Gamboge, Bunty McMustard. Your color also determines social status. Grey is the lowest. Ultraviolet the highest.
Eddie's father is a swatchman; or a doctor of their time. He shows patients color swatches to treat illnesses, or give pain relief, help females ovulate, etc.
Also when the lights go out at night, they are completely blind, no night vision at all!!!
It's a fun book, it may seem slow at first but the author is creating his world and developing characters. It's not predictable. I hope he can get to writing the next two books in his Trilogy. He has set it up that there are many situations that need to be explained, events to happen, authority to be challenged and revelations to be revealed.
I did find out the author took a few years off, but he is now back at it. I am going to check out his other books, starting with his "Thursday Next" series.
Overall; Very creative, very enjoyable. Recommended.
If you enjoy Terry Pratchett, you might like this book too.
It took me a little while to get into this book, despite (or because of?) the barrage of clever, funny, and weird. It was a lot to take in. But I loved the way the world unfolds, and came to really care about the characters. It's so original, and entertaining, and surprisingly dark. I'll definitely be checking out the sequels!
I'm so sad to give a low review to one of my favorite authors, but this one just didn't work for me. The book was 80% set up for 20% story. It seems to be a start of a series, so perhaps the next will be better.
I am in the middle of reading this. It is very fun and odd. It is like a dystopian future written by P.G. Wodehouse. Very much what I was expecting from Fforde. Worth the wait.
I really enjoyed this, but then again, I was expecting to. I think that might point to Fforde's theory of "Schrodinger Night Fever", the idea that you can change what you think of something by going into it with a positive or negative outlook.
I do think that this has a much slower build than the Thursday Next or NCD books. You are less thrown into the world than gently led into it. There are some things that are not explained until near very close to the end of the book, which again, is something to expect from Fforde, but this time it's not just part of the mystery that isn't explained, it's something that is fairly crucial to understanding the world of the book. But despite the fact that I was confused for a large part of the book about some things I really really loved this book. It's brilliant.
The story is nearly impossible to describe without spoiling something about the world the book is set in, but it's basically that the world is run in much the same way a British Public School is run, with a town not being run by a Mayor, but by a board of Prefects. There is also a class system based off of what color you can see, and something happened(referred to in the book as The Something That Happened) that made people see only one color rather than how we see things. There's a mystery at heart but it's not the most vital thing in the book and as you might expect in a Jasper Fforde novel there's a weird sporting event.
What I liked most about this is that it all works. When I finished it I realized that there were a couple plot points that totally changed how you thought of some characters, and how much power there is in the most innocent seeming characters. The end of the book left me feeling a bit chilled, but I think that was the point.
I really look forward to the next book in the series. I need to learn what happens next, he left it not so much with a cliff hanger as with a fully established world just about to have something happen, and I want to know what happens and what the consequinces are. I want to see the Emerald City. I want to see the offices of National Color. I want to learn what the Something That Happened was. I want to read more, and that's surely the sign of a good book.
I really enjoyed this, but then again, I was expecting to. I think that might point to Fforde's theory of "Schrodinger Night Fever", the idea that you can change what you think of something by going into it with a positive or negative outlook.
I do think that this has a much slower build than the Thursday Next or NCD books. You are less thrown into the world than gently led into it. There are some things that are not explained until near very close to the end of the book, which again, is something to expect from Fforde, but this time it's not just part of the mystery that isn't explained, it's something that is fairly crucial to understanding the world of the book. But despite the fact that I was confused for a large part of the book about some things I really really loved this book. It's brilliant.
The story is nearly impossible to describe without spoiling something about the world the book is set in, but it's basically that the world is run in much the same way a British Public School is run, with a town not being run by a Mayor, but by a board of Prefects. There is also a class system based off of what color you can see, and something happened(referred to in the book as The Something That Happened) that made people see only one color rather than how we see things. There's a mystery at heart but it's not the most vital thing in the book and as you might expect in a Jasper Fforde novel there's a weird sporting event.
What I liked most about this is that it all works. When I finished it I realized that there were a couple plot points that totally changed how you thought of some characters, and how much power there is in the most innocent seeming characters. The end of the book left me feeling a bit chilled, but I think that was the point.
I really look forward to the next book in the series. I need to learn what happens next, he left it not so much with a cliff hanger as with a fully established world just about to have something happen, and I want to know what happens and what the consequinces are. I want to see the Emerald City. I want to see the offices of National Color. I want to learn what the Something That Happened was. I want to read more, and that's surely the sign of a good book.
I honestly couldn't put this book down. I was so disappointed that the second and third installment in the series haven't been published yet! This book is an excellent example of fabulous execution of a book that keeps you following the mystery without being annoying or playing the pronoun game. Everything about this world that Fforde has masterfully crafted and is so specific that it creates a rich environment for character interaction and plot development. It is the perfect balance of silly, snarky, and dark. But I think the winning feature of this book is the protagonist, Eddie Russett. He is seemingly a simple man that wants what everyone wants out of life: to be liked and useful, but out of his plain-ness develops a personality that ultimately makes him important and enthralling.
It took me a while to get into the story but once I did the scope of the book is amazing. It is so visually awesome that you forget you are actually reading.