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Original poster

I have just discovered the wonderfully funny.....

23 replies

moretenaanyone · 15/08/2006 20:57

Jasper Fforde. How funny are these books. I have finished 'The Big Over Easy' and am reading 'The Eyre Affair'. I love them.

My dh is reading 'The Fourth Bear' so that'll be my next venture.

Are there any other JF lovers out there?

OP posts:
Original poster
moretenaanyone · 15/08/2006 21:06

Surely someone out there knows who I'm talking about!!!!!

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nikkie · 15/08/2006 21:09

I love his books, do prefer the Thursday Next one though, it is so much fun gussing the book , and his charcter names (my favourite name is MAry Mary )

Original poster
moretenaanyone · 15/08/2006 21:11

I love Dr Runcible Spoon and Braxton Hicks

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lemonaid · 15/08/2006 21:11

I like them but prefer the Thursday Next series to the Jack Spratt ones (at least, based on The Big Over Easy. I haven't read The Fourth Bear yet as I am planning to nick... er, borrow ... it from my mother). I love the idea of Richard III as an alternative-universe version of the Rocky Horror Show...

nikkie · 15/08/2006 21:11

I love his books, do prefer the Thursday Next oneS

Original poster
moretenaanyone · 15/08/2006 21:14

How many people would go to see Shakespear if they could shout out things like

"When is the winter of our discontent?"

It'd be great.

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ilovecaboose · 16/08/2006 11:52

love love love JAsper Fforde. Have recently finished the new one.

Until now prefered Thrusday Next, but now feel my allegiences are swopping over.

OH got our new copy of book signed (went to one of those meet the author things). Apparently a very very nice, funny laid back man. And he gave them all free postcards (we got one of the guy holding up the worlds largest cucumber).

Its rarely I find an author to compare with PRatchett, but Fforde is definately one.

merrily · 16/08/2006 12:31

ooh I love him too!!

The Thursday Next series are brilliant, and I really enjoyed The Big Over Easy. Not read the new one yet, but looking forward to it.

I love "Braxton Hicks" - I didn't get the reference until I got pregnant with DD! and I love all the incidental details, like the references to the Toast Marketing Board and Shakespearean hooligans.

LizP · 16/08/2006 15:27

I've just started reading 'The big over easy' and am really enjoying it. Have you read any Malcolm Pryce - his Aberystwyth books are brilliant and seem similar.

JackieNo · 16/08/2006 15:36

Another Jasper Fforde fan here too - I'm asking for 'The fourth bear' for my birthday. Also enjoy the Malcolm Pryce ones, though I find them a lot darker. Jasper Fforde's got a great website too.

twocatsonthebed · 16/08/2006 15:37

yes, yes, yes - have been recommending him to any of my friends who will listen. But agree, much prefer the Thursday Next ones to the new...

bumbleweed · 16/08/2006 20:32

what type of books are they?

laundrylover · 16/08/2006 21:01

I liked the Thursday Next ones but my friend hated them even tho she is a librarian so I thought they were ideal!
Bumble - hard to describe them. Funny but difficult to 'get' sometimes. Not as easy as Pratchett for sure.

Original poster
moretenaanyone · 16/08/2006 21:08

I have just finished The Eyre Affair. The way the ending panned out was fantastic.

DH is half way through The Fourth Bear. I'm really lloking forward to reading that. I loved the NCD and Jack Spratt.

I will head to the library and check out the Malcolm Pryce books too.

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bunglemother · 16/08/2006 21:09

which one would you recommend to read first?? i need a new author, am fed up re-reading all my Jennifer Crusie books!!

Original poster
moretenaanyone · 16/08/2006 21:12

The Eyre Affair and that series of books seems to be winning the vote here. The Nursery Crime Division books are great too though (Probably my fav).

The Eyre Affair has a female character called Thursday Next as the lead, whereas the Nursery Crime Division books have a male character called Jack Spratt.

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twocatsonthebed · 16/08/2006 21:13

The Eyre affair first, definitely. Then the other two Thursday Next ones in order. Enjoy!

And bumbleweed, it's a rather surreal romp through a slightly parallel universe where things have just turned out slightly differently - so the Crimean War is still on, for example - and books don't behave as they ought to...

JackieNo · 16/08/2006 21:15

DH's sister and her partner were over from the US where they live last Christmas, and the partner was very keen to go to Swindon, having read all the Thursday Next books. Had to explain that it's not really that interesting.

bunglemother · 16/08/2006 21:33

Thanks for that - will investigate Waterstones tomorrow and let you know what I think.

lemonaid · 16/08/2006 21:40

twocats -- there are three other Thursday Nexts (not sure if you miscounted or if you've missed out on reading Something Rotten). And there's another one due out next summer.

twocatsonthebed · 16/08/2006 22:14

Ah. My mistake - I'm sure you are right. I think I've read them all, but my pregnant brain can't give you a definite answer on that one...

lemonaid · 16/08/2006 22:27

Darn -- I hoped you had a surprise treat in store!

twocatsonthebed · 16/08/2006 22:43

me too! Still, looking forward to next summer....

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