Saturday, March 3, 2012

The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde

My father had a face that could stop a clock. I don't mean that he was ugly or anything; it was a phrase the ChronoGuard used to describe someone who had the power to reduce time to an ultra-slow trickle. 

If you're a fan of Inkheart and of science fiction or alternate reality, this is the perfect for you. In this alternated world in 1985 in Britain, time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos have been resurrected,) and literature is taken very seriously. People can get lost in poems and stories, and first editions are forged. This is all usual for Thursday Next, a literary detective. But then someone begins kidnapping characters from stories. And when Jane Eyre is kidnapped, Thursday has to track down the villain and go into the novel herself.

This is a really great book; playful and wonderful. I loved the world-building in the book, though there were a lot of specialized terms that you had to learn to make sense of the story. Also, I really liked the character of the villain, Acheron Hades. He was so deliciously evil. And seemingly invincible. Fforde's writing style was really great too; you know, that British style. It was straightforward but also had dry humor. And action, but not too much action. Fforde is actually from Wales, I think.

I actually looked this book up on Amazon and it had mixed reviews from the customers. Some people just loved it, and some people thought that it was the stupidest thing ever. Though it was a little silly at times, it had a good premise and I think that I'm one of those people who just loved it. It had very clever moments, though at times it was a bit over-the-top. But still, a great book.

This is the first book in the Thursday Next series, which includes Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots, and Something Rotten.

Read The Eyre Affair:

  • if you are a fan of alternate realities
  • if you enjoy fantasy, especially Inkheart
  • if you like science fiction 
  • if you like thrillers 
  • if you like mysteries (especially with female detectives)
374 pages, 5 stars.

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