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Jasper Fforde

30 replies

EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 01:03

I loved the Thursday Next books (finished The Woman Who Died A Lot tonight) and I'm now impatiently awaiting Dark Reading Matter. Which of his other series is best to read in the meantime?

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babybythesea · 17/02/2014 11:33

I really enjoyed the first in the nursery crime series. The Big Over Easy. Haven't read any more in the series but I thought it compared well,although it's not quite as good as, the Thursday Next series.

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EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 12:13

Thanks baby, I'll have a look. Is that with the characters from The Well Of Lost Plots?

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babybythesea · 17/02/2014 12:18

Don't know -I've not got that far in the Thursday Next series. Sorry!
It features nursery rhyme figures. The tag line for The Big Over Easy is to do with Humpty Dumpty. Did he fall or was he pushed? The same sort of oddball humour but all with nursery rhyme characters. The detective, for example, is Jack Spratt.

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EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 13:07

Definitely sounds good, thanks. Hope you enjoy the rest of the Thursday Nexts Grin.

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AnnoyedByAlfieBear · 17/02/2014 13:25

Me and dh like Shades of Grey. It's currently the only one in the series and I'm desperately waiting for the next one. It's different from the Thursday Next books but possibly better. Grin

WednesdayNext · 17/02/2014 13:30

Shades of Grey is very good.

I'd also give the Nursery Crimes a go- they're brilliant!

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EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 13:50

Thanks, Annoyed and Wednesday!

I'll have some Battenburg if you've got any going?

What's Shades of Grey about?

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weebarra · 17/02/2014 16:19

Annoyed - also impatiently waiting for the next in the Shades of Grey series, he's taking his time!

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EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 16:27

Ok the Amazon description of Shades of Grey sounds interesting.

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AnnoyedByAlfieBear · 17/02/2014 18:03

Weebarra tell me about it!!

I really don't know how to describe it without it sounding political. It's kind of a hierarchy world based on your colour but with all the colours of the rainbow. The the more pure your colour the higher up you are socially.

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EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 18:32

Grin I was trying to explain to someone what the Thursday books were about. Being hard to describe seems to be a Fforde trademark doesn't it? Thanks to all of you - that's my reading list sorted for now.

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ThursdayLast · 17/02/2014 20:01

All of them Grin
(Guess what? I'm a fan )
Even The Last Dragon Slayer series, which is YA fiction. I read it when DS was bfing all day and all night so was perfect for my baby brain.

ThursdayLast · 17/02/2014 20:03

I saw someone comment somewhere once, wondering aloud how many people ended up with Shades of Grey when they'd ordered 50 Shades...

Fforde is difficult enough to get your head around when you're expecting it...I cant even imagine the confusion Grin

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EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 20:04

Thursday Grin

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Dunwhingin · 17/02/2014 20:06

LOVE Jasper Fforde and I'm worried that he isn't ever going to write another book. The second shades of grey is overdue and I very impatient!
I love everything he writes, just such a great left field view of traditional stories or society
Want more! come on Jasper!

LostInWales · 17/02/2014 20:08

All of them indeed. Awesome NN there :-D I love all of them, think I'm going to have to go back and re read he Shades of Grey tonight now.

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EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 20:09

I don't know about the second Shades of Grey but his website said he's working on a Dragonslayer book ATM. And that there will be another Thursday Grin

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ThursdayLast · 17/02/2014 20:10

There is A LOT of extra material on his website/s.
Did you know there's such a thing as the Fforde Ffiesta in Swindon EVERY YEAR??? I cant quite bring myself to geek out so completely yet Smile

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EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 20:13

Wow. I didn't... Got to look at this now!

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EmpressOfTheWellOfLostPlots · 17/02/2014 20:16

Blimey. Legions of Danverclones advancing on Asda. And lobster sightings.

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AnnoyedByAlfieBear · 17/02/2014 21:00

I would LOVE to go to a Fforde Ffiesta! Grin

WednesdayNext · 21/02/2014 13:44

I'd love to go too!

ThursdayLast did you enjoy the Dragon slayer books? I've got 2 and not read either of them yet!

ThursdayLast · 25/02/2014 20:45

Wednesday I'm sorry for not answering sooner!
Yes, I really enjoyed them, but as I mentioned, they were ipad kindle reads in the dark as I put myself to bed at 8.30pm in the early weeks of first time motherhood Wink
What I didn't need was challenging, and they fit the bill perfectly. If you've read his others, you'll recognise lots of elements, but I didn't think that detracted.

I'm so sad that after I declared the Fforde Ffiesta to be ANNUAL, they changed it!
Maybe we'll all go in 2014 Grin

WednesdayNext · 27/02/2014 13:44

Yay! I'll definitely read them at some point. Thank you for the reply

Fforganiser · 04/03/2014 18:37

Annoyed and Wednesday - we'd love to see you at the next Ffiesta. It will not be until May '15, but it's our 10th anniversary so it will be even more special than usual. Jasper always reads a chapter of his next book...and has been promising a sequel, or possibly a prequel to SoG for a while now.

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