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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
the only reason this gets stars is for entertainment on a long train ride. its super cheese. sorry roommates.
I'm not sure why but this was hard to get into. The book takes place in a bizarre alternative Earth where the rules of science and logic just don't apply in the same way, and history follow(s)/(ed) a different path. The world is one that puts books on a pedestal, and I'm sure I missed a ton of references as a result. The most references are to the story Jane Eyre - aha, did you see that coming?!
Still, the world-building is interesting and Thursday Next is generally a relatable character... except maybe regarding her romantic interest. I certainly enjoyed the book to give the next in the series a try... And now I sort of want to pick up Jane Eyre as well.
Still, the world-building is interesting and Thursday Next is generally a relatable character... except maybe regarding her romantic interest. I certainly enjoyed the book to give the next in the series a try... And now I sort of want to pick up Jane Eyre as well.
honestly this book was so blah. i'm struggling to find something complimentary, apart from the fact that the various concepts were cool. there were just way too many of them!! the world felt so not lived in, and thursday was beyond bland. none of the characters seemed three dimensional, and i just felt like this was a total slog. also it was really hard to follow the action scenes! the names also made me cringe. would not recommend.
One of my favorite books. Really enjoyed re-reading it. If you like quirky, this is the book for you. it's a mashup of police procedural and fantasy set in an alternate 1985 England where books are THE THING!
The plot is kind of a roller-coaster from the perspective that it has 4 distinct arcs, and the Crimea belongs to the Russians sub-plot is a wild read here in 2023. The female protag is handled mostly well but there were occasional moments that made my ovaries shrivel.
I wanted to like this much more than I did. The literary references were limited, it took far too long to actually get to Jane Eyre but the biggest problem, I felt, was the lack of establishment of the 'other' timeline in which they were living. I spent too long trying to figure out this world they were living in to actually start to care about it. Disappointing.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This novel was a trip & if your a fan of Jane Eyre and you want something fun and light this book is for you. It’s got so many inside jokes for booklovers - I really enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed the Fforde's creativity. A world where we can jump into a novel or a poem and experience the characters firsthand is outlandish and fascinating. I also grew to enjoy the main character, detective Thursday Next. She spouts some very humorous lines and makes some very witty observations. I am off to read the second installment of this highly creative series. Thanks for recommending this book Bambi!
I first read this a decade ago, and after I found a copy in our local Little Free Library, decided to revisit. I wasn't quite as charmed by this book as I was when I first read it in 2005, but it's fun and clever and breezy, nice bedtime reading.