Review - First Among Sequels (Thursday Next, Book 5) by Jasper Fforde (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Size: 384 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult
Release Date: July 24, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0143113560
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in Thursday Next series
Source: Audio book from Audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars


This is the fifth book in the Thursday Next series.  The sixth book, One of Our Thursdays is Missing, is scheduled for release in March of 2011.  This was a great installment in this series.  It started out a bit slower than previous books, but ended up being very engaging.  It does end on a cliffhanger though, which previous books haven't done.  I listened to this on audio book and the audio book was extremely well done.  I have really been enjoying listening to this series even more than reading it.

This book starts 14 years after the events that take place in Something Rotten.  Thursday and Landon have been happily married and have three children; Tuesday, Friday, and Jenny.  Thursday is still doing Spec Ops work but works a carpeting job as cover.  She is also still doing Jurisfiction work but using Spec Ops as a cover for that.  The nation has a huge stupidity surplus because of good government that's been in place too long and someone keeps trying to kill Thursday...again.  On top of all  of this Thursday's son, Friday, has not developed into the time traveling genius he should have and as a result time travel may not have ever been invented causing the unraveling of time as we know it. 

As usual with these books the plot is a complex jumble of seemingly random occurrences that all tie nicely together.  I had been hoping to learn more about Thursday's time traveling son Friday, and was happy to be able to do that in this book.  This book is just as witty, crazy, and well tied together as the previous ones.  And although Thursday is much older, she is just as much fun to be around.  It was nice to see how she juggled having teenagers with all her other craziness.

Thursday's children are all a delight to finally meet.  Tuesday is a mathematical genius and Friday is a lazy guitar planning stereotype.  Her husband Landon is as wonderful as ever.

All the above being said while I really liked this book, there were a couple things that made me like it a bit less than the previous ones.  It starts out kind of slow.  At the beginning I was worried, it seemed like maybe with age Thursday had lost some speed and the plot slowed with her.  This was a temporary problem and as the book continued it picked up.  I also did not like all the lying.  Throughout the book Thursday is constantly lying to Landon and that drove me crazy!  How could they have a workable relationship with all of this lying?  It was all resolved well in the end though.

Speaking of the end...this book ends on a total cliffhanger and very abruptly.  Basically in the last few pages of the book Fforde starts a completely new story line and then stops in the middle of it, so that was a bit of a bother too.

Overall a great installment in the Thursday Next series.  Starts a bit slow and all the lying Thursday does to Landon drove me crazy.  But the writing was creative, crazy, and witty like normal and things picked up in the end.  This book does end on a cliffhanger though, so I am dying to see what happens in One of Our Thursdays is Missing.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Audio Book Challenge List

Review - Something Rotten (Thursday Next, Book 4) by Jasper Fforde (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Size:  416 pages
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: July 26, 2005
ISBN-13: 978-0143035411
Stand Alone or Series: Book 4 in the Thursday Next series
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Thursday Next series.  Currently there are five books in this series with the sixth book, One of Our Thursdays is Missing, scheduled for March 2011 release.  This was an excellent addition to the series, I thoroughly enjoyed it!  The plot is complex and clever, the characters engaging, and the things that happen are ironic and funny.  This is one of my favorite series.  You definitely need to read the books prior to this one to understand what is going on in the story.

Thursday Next has decided to leave the fictional world and her position as the Head of Jurisfiction; it is time for her to return to the real-world.  So with two-year old Friday in tow she moves in with her mother.  Along with her is Hamlet, who is on leave from his play.  Back in the real world things are a mess; Kane is trying to set himself up as dictator of England, Landon (Thursday's husband) is still eradicated, and Goliath Corporation is trying to set themselves up as a religion.  Then Thursday's time traveling dad shows up and tells her that not only is someone is trying to assassinate her, but the fate of the world rests on the outcome of the World Croquette match.

This was a wonderful book and it gives a lot of closure for storypoints that have been left hanging in previous books.  This book would actually make a wonderful wrap-up for the series.  Hamlet is a wonderful addition to the character cast; with his innate indecisiveness he is hilarious and somewhat crazy.  Thursday gets to work with Spike (the werewolf hunter) some more and I love learning more about Spike. 

Throughout the book Thursday is also trying to track down the Minotaur who escaped in the last book.  Jurisficition hit the Minotaur with a serious case of slapstick; so hilarious slapstick ensues throughout...especially when the Minotaur is near.

This book gives more depth to Thursday's character.  Watching her deal with the complex happenings around her, while she tries to find decent childcare and reinstate her husband, adds a dimension to her that makes her even more personable.  A lot happens to her in this book.  To be honest this was probably the most intense book in the series.  I laughed a lot, but there were also points where I was almost in tears...so many bad things happen to Thursday that you just wish she would finally get a break and find some happiness.  Well take heart, the book ends on an up note and treats the characters well.

Once again Fforde's ability to weave this extremely complex story without confusing the reader is absolutely amazing.  I am in awe of how clever and engaging the story is.

Overall an amazing book.  If you love this series you will love this book.  If you have never read this series...well...what are you waiting for?!  Read it!  The tone of this story reminds some of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and other types of spoofy fantasy; but this story blows all of those out of the water.  Loved it and can't wait to read First Among Sequels, the next book in this series. 

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Review - Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Book 2) by Jasper Fforde (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery
Paperback: 399 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books
Release Date:  February 24th, 2004
ISBN-13: 978-0142004036
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Thursday Next series
Source: Swapped through paperbackswap.com
Rating: 5/5 stars


This is the second book in the Thursday Next series.  So far there are five books in this series with a sixth book "One of Our Thursdays is Missing" schedule for a March 2011 release date.  This was a wonderful book.  Not a super easy read, but very different from anything else I have ever read.  You got a society very focused on books and book crime, time travel, travel through books, a little fantasy, a little mystery, a little sci-fi, and a lot of humor.  A great addition to this series.  I liked it even better than the first book in the series "The Eyre Affair".

Thursday Next is newly wed to Landon and has recently found out she is pregnant.  Well of course this is when all hell breaks loose.  Goliath Corporation wants Thursday to retrieve Jack Shitte from "The Raven" where she left him; in order to convince her to do this they have eradicated her husband Landon.  Now Thursday is the only one who remembers Landon ever existed.  On top of this a rare Shakespeare play has turned up, someone is trying to kill Thursday with a plethora of coincidences, and Thursday's father is popping in occasionally to let Thursday know the world is about to end any day and only Thursday can fix it.  Thursday is determined to reinstate her husband and stop the end of the world, as well as stay alive herself.  Thursday's efforts will take her deep into the department of Jurisfiction; where she learns that the literary landscape is deeper than she ever knew.

To say that a lot happens in this book is an understatement; this book is packed with intertwining plots and many strange coincidences.  It will have you laughing out loud a number of times, and also engage your mind as you try not to miss any of the strange references and follow the entangled plot.  That being said this was not a fast read, but it was a very engaging, entertaining, and clever read.

I am just flabbergasted at how well Fforde creates this amazing world and makes it engaging and not at all confusing.  We learn a lot more about Thursday's world and the introduction of Jurisfiction adds a whole new dimension to the story.  We are also learning a lot more about Thursday herself and about what makes her such an extraordinary character.  A lot of depth was added to both the world and the characters in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about them both.

Overall a wonderful book.  The plot is complex, the world and  characters more filled out, very funny and engaging.  I just loved it.  I can't wait to read the next book in this series The Well of Lost Plots.  I will mention though that this is not a fast read, type of book, it does take a bit of effort to follow all the jokes and the complex plot...still trust me the effort is well worth it. 

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (5/5 stars)

This is the first book in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. This was a great book; it's wildly creative and very interesting to read with excellent characters.

Thursday Next is a Literatec; in a world where literature is more important than ever. She comes to the rescue when books are illegally copied or original copies are stolen. Literature is king in a world where Shakespeare vending machines are on every street corner. The world gets a bit more complicated when you consider that Time Travel is also possible. Thursday's father is a rebel ChronoGuard. The ChronoGuard helps to keep time right. One funny part in the book is where one of the Guard is talking about how he is 28 years old, has clocked 190 years of work hours, and has a wife in her 80's; he thought the benefits of the job would make up for all of that. Despite all the efforts of the Special Operatives (LiteraTec and ChronoGuard alike) their nemesis Acheron Hades has found a way to kidnap characters out of literature; making books change forever and stories cease to exist...it is Thursday's job to stop Hades.

There are a number of great characters in this book; all of them have great dimension and creative personalities. The world itself is wildly creative and takes a little bit getting used to at first; but once it gets going it is an amazing place to read about. The book is action packed, dryly comical, and very creative. It is the first book I have read the incorporates a military state, time travel, fantasy-bleeding into reality, mystery, action, high-brow literary discussion, werewolves, and vampires all into one book. If it sounds a bit packed, it is. This is a dense book and you need to keep your wits about you while you read it. While Thursday may not be the most charismatic character ever, you will find yourself loving her by the end anyway.

I am so glad I picked up this book. I just loved it. I love it when I get to read a book that is really different and stands out on it's own. I look forward to the rest of this series.