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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
This book was originally recommended to me by my English teacher, quite possibly after a conversation about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I thanked him for the book recommendation and went about my day, not giving it a further thought. Then, the next time I saw him, he thrust the book into my hands. And you know me - or you don't, as the case may be for many of you, so I shall elaborate. Once I get my hands on a book, even if it's just something I randomly picked up from somebody's coffee table, I actually have to be physically restrained in order not to begin reading. So read is what I did, and it took less than ten pages for me to realise that this book was pretty much my soulmate - Soulbook? Bookmate? Is that a thing? I digress.
The best way to describe The Eyre Affair is a a sort of literary Hitchhiker's Guide, and by that I don't mean that this book is a work of literary fiction, but rather that its subject matter is, in fact, literature. I honestly don't know how this book should be classified - I suppose it could generically be labelled as science fiction or some kind of fantasy, or possibly alternate history, but that really doesn't cover it. It doesn't have a science-fictiony feel to it, if you know what I mean. The closest I could get would be a scifi/alternate history/humour/metafiction hybrid, and even that isn't doing it justice. The only thing I am quite sure this book is, really, is 100% awesome.
By the way, it is wonderfully enjoyable even for ignorasmuses (ignorasmi?) like me who haven't read Jane Eyre. (I know, I know. It's going to happen someday, I promise.) Just think about this: If this book is worth five stars to someone who hasn't read Jane Eyre, can you imagine how may stars it could be worth to someone who has? That's not a rhetorical question, I'm genuinely interested. Perhaps I'll re-read it after getting round to reading Jane Eyre and find out.
The best way to describe The Eyre Affair is a a sort of literary Hitchhiker's Guide, and by that I don't mean that this book is a work of literary fiction, but rather that its subject matter is, in fact, literature. I honestly don't know how this book should be classified - I suppose it could generically be labelled as science fiction or some kind of fantasy, or possibly alternate history, but that really doesn't cover it. It doesn't have a science-fictiony feel to it, if you know what I mean. The closest I could get would be a scifi/alternate history/humour/metafiction hybrid, and even that isn't doing it justice. The only thing I am quite sure this book is, really, is 100% awesome.
By the way, it is wonderfully enjoyable even for ignorasmuses (ignorasmi?) like me who haven't read Jane Eyre. (I know, I know. It's going to happen someday, I promise.) Just think about this: If this book is worth five stars to someone who hasn't read Jane Eyre, can you imagine how may stars it could be worth to someone who has? That's not a rhetorical question, I'm genuinely interested. Perhaps I'll re-read it after getting round to reading Jane Eyre and find out.
this really is a fabulous read. Fforde has a clever and innovative take on classical literature - in the main Jane Eyre but there are references to Shakespeare and Martin Chuzzlewit. He juggles an introduction to the life of Thursday next with a mystery story surrounding Acheron hades, Goliath and Spec ops. yes there are some things that jar in the storyline but overall it is a great read. I have read a lot of Fforde and love to know what he has against Wales
I enjoyed this more than I thought I might. Audio got me thru the story . I have a paper copy but started and stopped it many times .
Definitely will read book 2
Definitely will read book 2
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Erm. Parts of this we're good. The literal event to book is named for doesn't take place until LITERALLY 80% of the way in. That part of the book is actually pretty good but the rest is a fairly average plot that strangeness is used to add some razzle dazzle to
This is a 3.5.
Parts of this book were great, other parts felt disjointed, or rushed. Overall I enjoyed the book and am intrigued to read more, but to me this sadly feels like less than the sum of its parts.
Parts of this book were great, other parts felt disjointed, or rushed. Overall I enjoyed the book and am intrigued to read more, but to me this sadly feels like less than the sum of its parts.
The first in the Thursday Next series introduces that somewhat odd world that Fforde has created - an alternate England where the Crimean War is still going on after 150 years, Wales is a communist state, and people are overtly interested in literature. Other key features are the Special Operations divisions of the security apparatus that range from Literary Crimes (Spec Ops 27), the Chrono Guard who investigate time/space anomalies, a malevolent corporation, and reintroduced cloned Dodos. Oh, and it would be prudent to mention that in this universe it is possible to travel in and out of works of literature.
I've just re-read it and still enjoy the wit with which these works are crafted.
I've just re-read it and still enjoy the wit with which these works are crafted.
It's hard to articulate my feelings about this book. Overall I enjoyed it, but at times I felt that it was just a bit too clever. It's so smug in its cleverness that it rendered parts of the story unbearable. I hated every conversation revolving around Shakespeare, especially the Rocky Horror Picture Showesque style of Richard III.
I liked Thursday Next, even if I did feel she focused way too much on her love life. Seriously, your aunt and uncle are kidnapped and you go on a date? The romantic elements in the book felt forced. I preferred it when it focused on the stolen manuscripts and the abduction.
One of the best parts of the series was the fine line between fiction and reality. Literary characters can leave books and people could visit their books...literally. I liked that even as The Eyre Affair has an Alternate History, the book Jane Eyre also has an alternate history (ending) in this world.
I plan on reading the second book. The world building is quirky and just plain interesting. A blend of 1980's and Science Fiction.
I liked Thursday Next, even if I did feel she focused way too much on her love life. Seriously, your aunt and uncle are kidnapped and you go on a date? The romantic elements in the book felt forced. I preferred it when it focused on the stolen manuscripts and the abduction.
One of the best parts of the series was the fine line between fiction and reality. Literary characters can leave books and people could visit their books...literally. I liked that even as The Eyre Affair has an Alternate History, the book Jane Eyre also has an alternate history (ending) in this world.
I plan on reading the second book. The world building is quirky and just plain interesting. A blend of 1980's and Science Fiction.
Not a fan of the lowbrow humor. I was excited as a librarian because I thought that a book where the plot is literary characters being murdered would be fun, it would be thrilling, it would be entertaining at the very least. I thought wrong. Beyond not being able to let go of character names like "Jack Schitt" and "Thursday Next", the actual plot line is so very drawn out that I was enjoying the drama between Thursday and Landon than I was concerned about anything the bad guy was doing.
Ugh. I really wanted to like this one. I finally got around to reading this after hearing about it from friends for several years. It has that classic speculative fiction problem where the ideas are fabulous but the execution is terrible. It's just badly written, I kept wanting to edit it as I was reading it. I HATE the cutesy names (Jack Schitt? please).
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No