Something Rotten

Thursday Next in SomethingRotten by Jasper Fforde, 385 pages

 

Something Rotten is the fourth book in the Thursday Next series and could be my favorite so far. This is due to the appearance and duel by the Cat formerly known as Cheshire. The duel itself is pure silliness with both sides summoning various literary champions to fight for them. There are very few rules with the only notable one being no summoning krakens.

 

This book also has an underworld like place, a company trying to become a religion, the threat of nuclear war, croquet, and some strange after-death stuff. Did I mention the Neanderthals and the possible returning of a prophet? Of course it also still has all the stuff we enjoy like Pickwick, the dodo, and Thursdays various fictional adventures.

 

I know I have enjoyed the series, and through my description of it my brother has also started reading it. This is one of those series that will never get boring or old.

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Lost in a Good Book

Thursday Next in Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde, 399 pages


This is the second book in the Thursday Next series. If you can take everything I said about the first book and then add dialogue taking place through footnotes, lots of time travel, the Cheshire Cat, famous literary characters, and lots of coincidences and you would get this book.

I absolutely loved reading it and though Thursday is the star of the book I love the appearance of the Cheshire Cat. I always was a fan of his double speaking and sarcastic attitude and it really shows up here. The story is getting more convoluted as it goes but also brings about enough silliness to make you not care.

Since this series is getting better as it goes, I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Though if it keeps going at its current pace, its going to be nothing but puns by the final book!

Eyre Affair

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, 374 pages

This book, and the Thursday Next series it belongs to was recommended by Kara K. The setting is a somewhat futuristic society in which fiction has become the centerpiece of the culture. There are also extinct species brought back to life, werewolves and other supernatural beings, time travel, and more puns, oddities and hilarity then deserves to be in one book.

The book is silly to the point where you are rolling your eyes at the puns and jokes but just crazy enough that it is acceptable. While it did not have me laughing out loud I did have to stifle some chuckles. Despite the length of the book I managed to finish it in one day. Not because I wanted to, but because I couldn't put it down. If you can handle the silliness I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, especially if you work around books.