is a quirky, crazy, very different kind of story. Thursday Next is a LiteraTec officer - investigating crimes against literature like forgeries, illegal duplications, and manuscript theft. When the Martin Chuzzlewit manuscript is stolen by the nefarious Acheron Hades, Thursday finds herself caught up in a race to save some of literature's greatest characters.
Things I Liked:
I really loved the literary nature of the book. A book about books and characters, especially when the relationship between readers and books becomes more real. Fforde really is a very good writer, his phrases dripping with wit and sarcasm. The story (once it got started) was very intriguing and fun. Here's a favorite quote from Acheron:
"I am the most debased individual on this planet and quite the most brilliant criminal mind this century. The plan that we embark upon now is easily the most diabolical ever devised by man..." p.158-159Things I Didn't Like:
All that said, I think the book had too much going on; the plot seemed overly complex and a lot of extraneous things seemed added just so Fforde could get in all his humorous literary ideas. The beginning was very difficult to get into - the action slow to start. None of the characters were very complex, except Thursday. I definitely felt there was not enough about Acheron in the book to make him a believable and complex villain.
Read-alikes:
This is rather a unique book, but it was similar to the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke and a bit like the Harry Potter series (with its nefarious villain).
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#$%
lots of them
mrg-factor: X
a bit of innuendo
v-factor: ->->
some shooting and other violence
Overall rating: ***
Posts
Loved this, but yeah, lots going on!
ReplyDeletePlus it took me like half the book to realize that "Thursday Next" really is her name...
Did you read any others in the series? I'm wondering if it's worth the effort to continue.
ReplyDeleteI have this in audio, waiting for me. I've been hearing that the rest of the series is really good ... Quirky sounds good, although I find too much going on in a book tends to tire me out.
ReplyDeleteBelle, yeah I got a little overwhelmed by everything. Maybe I'll pick the rest up sometime. I bet the audio will be fun if they got a great narrator, though.
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to read the rest of them.... :D
ReplyDeleteI'm interested enough in the premise, just haven't gotten to it yet.
The Big Over Easy (first in his Nursery Crimes series) was hilarious.
Britt, thanks. I think it is a very clever premise, but don't know if I'll get around to them. Nursery Crimes...that sounds pretty funny though.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think the Nursery Crimes series is maybe a little more accessible.... Not quite as crazy.
ReplyDelete:D
Great review. I couldn't get into this one and agree with what you said. I haven't bothered reading the rest of the series.
ReplyDeleteBritt, I think I'll give Nursery Crimes a try (or at least add it to the ever-growing TBR pile).
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I don't know that I'll ever get around to reading more of the series either!