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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
This was a 3.5 till the ending, then it got boosted up to a 4. Fun, if a bit disjointed in some places, but I liked it all the same. It wasn't what I expected but then again I don't really know what I expected so it worked out alright. This was not an in-depth, or deep look at the story. Oh well.
As a first installment this book is excellent. Fforde has created his own little universe where physics and quantum-mechanics don't work the way we think they work. The humour is sharpe and witty and the idea of being able to change books forever by changing the original manuscript is genius. Thursday Next is a great heroine, brave but vulnerable, she's intelligent and knows how to use her brains but still feels defeated about how to control her personal life. A classic female copper in a not so classic world.
This book has such a fun concept that I'm sad to say it doesn't quite deliver. There are plenty of laughs and it's fun to spot all the literary references. Plus there's Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester and no story can be all bad with the two of them! The failure is that there is so much going on, so many storylines in a rather short book, that in the end it gets confusing and frustrating. Frankly, I think the whole Shakespeare storyline was unnecessary and uninteresting.
Despite these criticisms I did enjoy the book, the silly names (Jack Schitt still gives me a giggle!) and as I already said, trying to spot and name all the literary references. With a little bit more focus this could have been a new favourite.
Despite these criticisms I did enjoy the book, the silly names (Jack Schitt still gives me a giggle!) and as I already said, trying to spot and name all the literary references. With a little bit more focus this could have been a new favourite.
2.5 stars. This was pretty weird, and hard to follow in parts. It bounced around a bit and just seemed odd. I wanted to like it, and appreciated all the literary references. But it was too weird. I may give the next book a chance to see if it redeems and gets better, but that’s TBD…
Quite a strange alternate universe in this book, with time travel and blurry lines between fiction and non-fiction, which make for quite a fun story. I liked the main character, Thursday Next, who insists on tackling the tough cases herself, even when told off by other authorities. Not being a huge fan of Jane Eyre (I know - so kill me), I enjoyed the monkeying with its original text as well.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-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:
Yes
Full of clever literary puns and allusions. The revisionist history (the Crimean War between England and Imperialist Russian is still going in the 1980s) is zany and fun. Playful, silly, lighthearted. For all that, there's some sound commentary on massive corporate power and the futility of war. I thought it started out much stronger than it finished. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels, and I love literature, history, fantasy and puns, so this was a good story in my book. I don't think I'll re-read it, though.
A really fun, clever cozy mystery set in an alternative England where the Crimean War is still bring fought well into the 1980s. The Eyre Affair appeals to a variety of readers, and Thursday is funny, interesting, and clever. The literary references are a delight for any fan of the canon, and Fforde has put together a very engaging world.
What makes this novel so enjoyable is the clever word play throughout and how the author manipulates history and literature to create a fun and fascinating alternate society where art, in all forms, is valued by everyone, including villains.
I'll admit that the book would have been much tighter if it had been either written in third person omniscient or entirely from Thursday's perspective (no jumping into other people's thoughts), especially considering the time Fforde spent explaining how the action in Jane Eyre (another novel written in first person) is solely determined by what Jane narrates. It seemed he didn't understand his own point.
That being said, the book uses paratext seamlessly to create a light-hearted and comedic read.
I'll admit that the book would have been much tighter if it had been either written in third person omniscient or entirely from Thursday's perspective (no jumping into other people's thoughts), especially considering the time Fforde spent explaining how the action in Jane Eyre (another novel written in first person) is solely determined by what Jane narrates. It seemed he didn't understand his own point.
That being said, the book uses paratext seamlessly to create a light-hearted and comedic read.