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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
OMG, I LOVED this book! I started to write a description, then changed my mind - just read the blurb. If you love Terry Prachett or Monty Python, this book is for you. However, it would behoove you to be familiar with the story of "Jane Eyre", as the back half of the book deals with Jane having been kidnapped from the novel. Off to read the next in the series!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am kinda regretting recommending this book to the book club. Forgot how weird it is. Oh well!
I tried. I'm 4 hours in and this book is so boring. I love Jane Eyre but so far there's been ONE interesting reference to the book. The rest is building up an 1980s dystopian backdrop and a shadowy personal life I haven't been given a reason to care about. Maybe the issue is that the book is over 20 years old. Modern books are better written.
Well, that was an adventure! What reader wouldn't like a chance to hop into a beloved book?
Imagination on steroids!
There is so much to like about this book. The fantastic world, set in 1985, that the author introduces us to has several mesmerizing characteristics. There is time travel, history can be manipulated as can books already published by changing the original manuscripts, and there are some diabolical criminals roaming around.
Thursday Next, a female agent that works in the Literary Division of Special Ops is on the chase of Hades, a criminal with some very nifty powers, and who steals original manuscripts and kills some of their characters. First the story deals with Martin Chuzzlewit, but soon enough the story turns to deal with Jane Eyre. This is where things get really interesting, and if you have read this book before, you will thoroughly enjoy the nuances between what is shown in this book and the original story. How actions in Thursday's world affect the book, and how the end is different from the one we know, are some of the most interesting aspects in this story.
There are many references to historical events in our world, that are different in Thursday's world, and the more you know about history and literature, the more you will enjoy this book. I am pretty sure I missed quite a few references, but at least I was able to enjoy quite a few too. I am also grateful to this author for finally making me ready Jane Eyre, which had been on my to-be-read pile for the longest time. That was a pleasurable experience and it made me enjoy this book all the more.
Besides providing us with thrills, humor and parallels to literary works, this story has some romance in it, and the author does this well too. The only point I have to bring up as a criticism is that the story before Jane Eyre was introduced drags a little in some sections. This overall does not take a whole lot from the overall experience though.
There is so much to like about this book. The fantastic world, set in 1985, that the author introduces us to has several mesmerizing characteristics. There is time travel, history can be manipulated as can books already published by changing the original manuscripts, and there are some diabolical criminals roaming around.
Thursday Next, a female agent that works in the Literary Division of Special Ops is on the chase of Hades, a criminal with some very nifty powers, and who steals original manuscripts and kills some of their characters. First the story deals with Martin Chuzzlewit, but soon enough the story turns to deal with Jane Eyre. This is where things get really interesting, and if you have read this book before, you will thoroughly enjoy the nuances between what is shown in this book and the original story. How actions in Thursday's world affect the book, and how the end is different from the one we know, are some of the most interesting aspects in this story.
There are many references to historical events in our world, that are different in Thursday's world, and the more you know about history and literature, the more you will enjoy this book. I am pretty sure I missed quite a few references, but at least I was able to enjoy quite a few too. I am also grateful to this author for finally making me ready Jane Eyre, which had been on my to-be-read pile for the longest time. That was a pleasurable experience and it made me enjoy this book all the more.
Besides providing us with thrills, humor and parallels to literary works, this story has some romance in it, and the author does this well too. The only point I have to bring up as a criticism is that the story before Jane Eyre was introduced drags a little in some sections. This overall does not take a whole lot from the overall experience though.
4.75 stars (there is a difference ok)
I felt as if I couldn't give this book the full five stars as it didn't emotionally challenge or teach me anything, however, it was absolutely brilliant! It's unlike anything I've ever read and it's just so quirky. Don't let the fact that it isn't the full five stars make you think that I didn't completely adore it, as it is very close!!!
I think all the details and world-building that Fforde included really made this book. I loved the different departments in SpecOps, and as a book lover the SpecOps27 was so appealing, it's like me dream job! I loved reading all Mycroft's inventions which I thought were so interesting and unique. This book is just brilliant, I can't put into words; as I said before it's the details that made me love this book so much, and however much I just want to list them all, it doesn't make for a very good review!
The prose portal was a great idea, and I really want to read Jane Eyre now, as from the snippets in this book I think it's what I was expecting from 'Pride and Prejudice'.
It makes me so upset that I can't remember all the different quirky details of this book, and this is such a crap review because I'm just so excited about this book!
Just read it ok. I loved it so fricking much.
I felt as if I couldn't give this book the full five stars as it didn't emotionally challenge or teach me anything, however, it was absolutely brilliant! It's unlike anything I've ever read and it's just so quirky. Don't let the fact that it isn't the full five stars make you think that I didn't completely adore it, as it is very close!!!
I think all the details and world-building that Fforde included really made this book. I loved the different departments in SpecOps, and as a book lover the SpecOps27 was so appealing, it's like me dream job! I loved reading all Mycroft's inventions which I thought were so interesting and unique. This book is just brilliant, I can't put into words; as I said before it's the details that made me love this book so much, and however much I just want to list them all, it doesn't make for a very good review!
The prose portal was a great idea, and I really want to read Jane Eyre now, as from the snippets in this book I think it's what I was expecting from 'Pride and Prejudice'.
It makes me so upset that I can't remember all the different quirky details of this book, and this is such a crap review because I'm just so excited about this book!
Just read it ok. I loved it so fricking much.
4.5/5 stars.
Full review can be found at Story and Somnomancy.
Initial thoughts: This book was so much fun! The world isn't perfect and definitely chaotic in a sense, but literature is on a hey day here. I must have laughed way too many times over the shenanigans happening when Thursday and the other characters got thrown into the novels mentioned in the book.
Full review can be found at Story and Somnomancy.
Initial thoughts: This book was so much fun! The world isn't perfect and definitely chaotic in a sense, but literature is on a hey day here. I must have laughed way too many times over the shenanigans happening when Thursday and the other characters got thrown into the novels mentioned in the book.