Jasper Fforde
- Thread starter Bouncy Castle
- Start date
Currently reading Shades of grey and i'm half way through it. I have to admit its brilliant so far. Quirky sense of humour and a sharpness similar to terry.
The missus is hurtling her way through the Thursday next series(starts with the Eyre Affair) and is loving them as well. By far the funniest stuff aside from terry she has read.
The missus is hurtling her way through the Thursday next series(starts with the Eyre Affair) and is loving them as well. By far the funniest stuff aside from terry she has read.
Many here have read them, myself included. I find his books very funny and refreshingly original. I enjoyed Shades of Grey most myself, which isn't part of a series (or rather, the first in a series).
There's the nursery crime series and the Thursday Next series. I'd recommend starting with The Eyre Affair, his first of the Thursday Next books. Its about the world behind books, and hard to explain
The nursery crime books are kind of a spin-off of the Thursday Next books. You might want to read his work in the order it was written.
There's the nursery crime series and the Thursday Next series. I'd recommend starting with The Eyre Affair, his first of the Thursday Next books. Its about the world behind books, and hard to explain
The nursery crime books are kind of a spin-off of the Thursday Next books. You might want to read his work in the order it was written.
The Thursday Next books are great - especially the first one, 'The Eyre Affair'. But be warned that you really need to read them in order and some of the middle books in the series are a little disappointing because they are setting up for the final book - which was Something Rotten, but isn't any more. 
I'd definitely recommend them.
I'd definitely recommend them.
When I first read 'The Eyre Affair' I thought that is Fforde was one of the most original writers out there, even though his whole concept was an expanded riff on Woody Allen's classic short story "The Kugelmas Episode" from the 1980s.
However, the quality of each addition volume in the Thursday Next series declines expontentially. The last one was nearly unreadable.
Also, the more books I read from authors like Robert Rankin, who was writing years before Fforde, the easier it is to tell that Fforde essentially is simply trying to outdo Pterry, Rankin, Adams and other fantasy/far-fetched fiction actions in originality and cleverness, and in some cases rips them off entirely.
For example, when I ready "The Big Over Easy," published in 2005, I thought it was one of his best and most original books in years--far better than all of the sequels to "Eyre Affair." (Its sequel, The Fourth Bear, is horrible).
Then, last year, I read Rankin's Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse, published in 2003, which had a nearly identical plot and used many of the same nursery rhyme characters.
From there it became quite apparent that Fforde had based his story on Rankin's.
Which basically has led me to the conclusion that while on the surface Fforde seems very clever and original, he really has very little to offer in terms of truly original ideas, and those that he had were all spent in full in The Eyre Affair. Everything that has followed, for me at least, has been increasingly plodding, overwritten, and unoriginal.
But, as they say, YMMV.
However, the quality of each addition volume in the Thursday Next series declines expontentially. The last one was nearly unreadable.
Also, the more books I read from authors like Robert Rankin, who was writing years before Fforde, the easier it is to tell that Fforde essentially is simply trying to outdo Pterry, Rankin, Adams and other fantasy/far-fetched fiction actions in originality and cleverness, and in some cases rips them off entirely.
For example, when I ready "The Big Over Easy," published in 2005, I thought it was one of his best and most original books in years--far better than all of the sequels to "Eyre Affair." (Its sequel, The Fourth Bear, is horrible).
Then, last year, I read Rankin's Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse, published in 2003, which had a nearly identical plot and used many of the same nursery rhyme characters.
From there it became quite apparent that Fforde had based his story on Rankin's.
Which basically has led me to the conclusion that while on the surface Fforde seems very clever and original, he really has very little to offer in terms of truly original ideas, and those that he had were all spent in full in The Eyre Affair. Everything that has followed, for me at least, has been increasingly plodding, overwritten, and unoriginal.
But, as they say, YMMV.
I enjoyed the Thursday Next series (so far) but I'm not into the books covered in it.
I thought the Nursery Crimes Division series (another still to come) was really good.
Shades of Grey, although it took me a while to adjust my thinking, was brilliant and I can't wait for the other 2.
I've read some of Rankins stuff too and its a lot more abstract so I don't see the comparison really.
Jasper is a really nice guy too, met him at the Fforde Ffiesta (a Con) and had a great time. Its an annual event at the end of May in Swindon (now twinned with Disney World)
I thought the Nursery Crimes Division series (another still to come) was really good.
Shades of Grey, although it took me a while to adjust my thinking, was brilliant and I can't wait for the other 2.
I've read some of Rankins stuff too and its a lot more abstract so I don't see the comparison really.
Jasper is a really nice guy too, met him at the Fforde Ffiesta (a Con) and had a great time. Its an annual event at the end of May in Swindon (now twinned with Disney World)
michelanCello said:
Sjoerd3000 said:
I enjoyed the Thursday Next books
Exept that I refused to read First among sequels 'cause I thought Something Rotten had such a perfect ending, I didn't want to ruin it...
I don't know if our overseas chums will be able to watch it - or how long it will be available, but here's an interview with Jasper Fforde.
