There is another 1985, somewhere in the could-have-been, where the Crimean war still rages, dodos are regenerated in home-cloning kits and everyone is deeply disappointed by the ending of 'Jane Eyre'. In this world, there are no jet-liners or computers, but there are policemen who can travel across time, a Welsh republic, a great interest in all things literary - and a woman called Thursday Next. In this utterly original and wonderfully funny first novel, Fforde has created a fiesty, loveable heroine and a plot of such richness and ingenuity that it will take your breath away.
A book set in an alternate reality where a literary detective chases after a criminal into the world of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, sounds like an awesome idea for a book. I love books about books, and adding a detective should have been a recipe for success. Sadly this wasn’t the case for The Eyre Affair, which is book one in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. While some people like the mix between fantasy and humour, I could never really get into this book. It was a light read with nothing that really appealed to me. While a lot of people loved these books, I’ve found it a little too smug and in need of a rewrite. It was missing the right formula for a good fantasy or detective novel.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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22 July, 2011:
Finished reading
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22 July, 2011:
Reviewed