Amph I Fell Into the Well of Lost Plots- Jasper Fforde Ffans

Well, I'm not sure if Thursday Next is strictly fantasy, but it's the best genre I can think of to categorize this series. It's certainly always been a dream of mine to be able to enter the books I'm reading, so that's good enough for me.

I'm a huge fan of Fforde's writing. He has a fantastically witty and sarcastic style of writing that makes reading his books truly enjoyable. I've read everything he's put out, from The Eyre Affair all the way to The Big Over Easy, and I can easily say he's my favourite recent author.

When I grow up, I totally want to be a Prose Resource Operative for Jurisfiction.

So- any other fans wandering about?

 

I've just discovered the Thursday Next books. A friend recommended them, I got mixed up about the order, bought Lost In a Good Book, and was halfway through the story before I realized that I was reading the second book. I loved it, though. The writing is brilliant, the characters completely believable, and the whole alternate reality of Thursday's England is wonderfully convincing. I'll definitely be reading the whole series.

 

I read the first two of this series, and really quite enjoyed them. The third book however, lost my interest. I really should give it another crack. I actually met the author at an event designed to publicise the third book, and got my copies signed and stamped. He's a really nice bloke, really up for conversation about his Universe.

 

You should definitely make it through the third book, since the fourth is the best in the series (IMHO). I would love to meet Jasper Fforde, shake his hand, and tell him what a monster he's created. I started a Thursday Next-style fic for fun, and it's starting to take on a life of its own. After all, fanfic has to have some sort of place in Book World, and I don't think it's officially approved by the Council of Genres, as some people have tried to assert.

I love the world he's created. You can never look at a book the same way again. I was watching Narnia, and every time the Minotaur walked on, all I could think of was Norman Johnson, the pagerunning Minotaur from Something Rotten, and how he must have made it all the way to Narnia without Thursday finding him. And you've always got to wonder what those characters are doing between chapters.

So much love. I'm probably going to read them again over Winter Term while I still have the time.

 

Gah! I'm just starting Something Rotten. I'm enjoying these stories tremendously as well. I loved Lost in a Good Book and the Well of Lost Plots a lot. Very rich imagination, and I, too, would love to meet characters of my favorite stories.

 

I love these books! It's such an original idea. Witty, humurous, lots of action and I'm a total book nerd so I love the idea that the whole series is based on. I've only read the first three books I think. But I definitely intend to finish reading this series. So funny!

 

Go Swindon Malletts!!!

 

Thanks for creating this thread - the title was weird enough to draw a click, and today I saw The Eyre Affair at the library and picked it up on impulse. 127 pages in - it's fantastic

 

Hooray for discovering the series. I'm re-reading The Well of Lost Plots at present, and I'm always amazed at how brilliant the books are.

I eagerly anticipate July, when The Fourth Bear is being released. Yet another adventure with Jack Spratt- should be interesting.

Also, I heard he's writing another Thursday Next novel, taking place between The Well of Lost Plots and Something Rotten. Very exciting.

 

So, DWH, did you like Nursery Crimes? The NYTimes seemed to think the plot device was getting a bit tired and pretentious, so I didn't get it, but I definitely enjoyed the four Thursday Next books.

 

The Nursery Crime is not really like Thursday Next in style at all, so I don't understand why they thought the plot device was getting old. I mean, you still get the distinct impression that they're living inside a book, since a lot of the book deals with detectives trying to one-up each other in narrative uniqueness, but it's not nearly as crazy as Thursday Next like that.

It was different, but I enjoyed it. I still like Thursday Next better, but I'm going to get my own copy of The Big Over Easy,, and I'm going to get The Fourth Bear when it comes out. So it's at least worth a read through, in my estimation.

 

I can't wait for another Thursday next story!
Is he really writing one?

 

I actually hope he doesn't write any more Thursday Next. I wouldn't mind seeing her in a supporting role or a cameo in another book, but it seems to me from reading Something Rotten that he's pretty much wrapped up things with Thursday.

I'm going to try to get his The Big Over Easy at some point to see what he does with Jack Spratt, but I hope that Fforde will use his inventiveness at some point to branch out of this novel hopping type of story.

 

Well, to be fair, it's supposedly not about the continuing adventures, as it were. From what I've heard, it's supposed to take place between The Well of Lost Plots and Something Rotten. And there are two blank years there. *shrugs* As long as he doesn't get corrupted by promises of more cash, I'll be happy. I can always use more books to read when I should be working.

And if you want a break from book-hopping, Jack Spratt will do that pretty well. They stay pretty much in one spot, but the stories behind the Nursery Rhyme characters are fabulous. It's got really twisty logic that makes my head spin, but that's okay. I've acquired a soft spot for the NCD.

 

Love the Thursday Next series. At first, I didn't like The Well of Lost Plots as much as the others, but once I saw how it really all lead up to a climax, I enjoyed it a lot more. Was still kind of sad not to see the real world cast (Spike, LiteraTec, etc.)

I haven't read The Big Over Easy, but I plan to buy it soon. I have a couple extra copies of books I need to exchange...

Has anyone seen thursdaynext.com? There's some brilliant stuff there. I especially like the Goliath merchandising section. I think I might buy a Toast shirt at some point. The special features are quite interesting for all the books.

 

thursdaynext.com is amazing. I think I'm probably getting a SpecOps-27 t-shirt, and a friend of mine is getting the Jurisfiction shirt. We figure it'll be better if we order together, just so we don't have to sell our souls for the shipping. Also, the Book Upgrade Centre is fantastic, and one of these days I'm going to sit down and upgrade my copies of the books, if for no other reason than I can.

 

Swapped in The Eyre Affair for Lost In A Good Book at the library earlier today and finished it half an hour ago. It's very good, but my head hurts

Considered opinion later - on first impressions I still like TEA better, but there are some absolute gems in LIAGB. In particular the description of Cardenio makes me wish it really existed.

 

I actually thought The Well of Lost Plots was the best one. It seemed to me that Fforde hit his stride as he went along. Something Rotten is also very good, but I liked WOLP the best out of the four.

 

I thought that LIAGB was better than TEA. The writing seemed more polished to me, and the whole story more comfortable, as though Fforde himself were more familiar with the unique world he'd created, and could do it better justice. Due to DRL, I'm only about halfway through WOLP and haven't started Something Rotten, but I'm really enjoying WOLP.

 

I think that WOLP and Something Rotten are the best, personally. I just love the concept behind WOLP, it's a fascinating little world he built there. I like playing around in it. I mean, how much fun is there to be had with the Well itself? Absolutely fabulous.

 

Well of Lost Plots was good only because at times you really felt you were in a lost plot! It worked - But I liked Lost in a Good Book best.

 

I like all of the thursday next books, and i just finished The Big Over Easy last night, and I can't wait for the Fourth Bear to come out.

TBOE is different than the Thursday Next books, but in a good way. At times, I forgot it was the same author. The best part about it though is the way he uses the nursery rhyme characters, especially the Gingerbreadman, who is a phsycopathic murderer.

 

Gah! My eyes! My eyes! I was just starting the Big Over Easy and I didn't know who did it!!!

 

Who said that the Gingerbreadman was the murderer? I think I can safely let you know that you have not been spoiled. And you'll likely get very confused before the end... It's a little weird like that.

 

Whew! Well, that's good to know.

But of course, that's unless you're faking me out!