Something Rotten is the other book in the series, but I couldn't find it before taking this photo, so you'll have to use your imagination.
She lives in an alternate universe, where the world is still fighting the Crimean War, literature is prized and time travel possible. She has a pet dodo bird, Pickwick, though he was an early model from the infancy of dodo bird cloning, so he can’t fly.
Jasper Fford’s Thursday Next is a Literary Detective, traveling through famous novels to protect them from change. In some cases (like the infamous Jane Eyre), her failure results in the far better conclusions we’ve always known.
If you have a depth of classic literature knowledge, then each book is chock-full of humorous asides and clever in-jokes.
If, like me, you simply pretend to have knowledge of classic literature at parties, each novel has mystery, romance and a dodo bird to keep you entertained.
I’m not a big hit at parties
But you should still read this series,
Megan
Literary Humor, with a Side of Dodo Bird
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
AHHHHH! You found my FAV books! I am a Fforde Ffan! The best ever!
Fun times! Always looking for a good read, although I won’t have much time for recreational reading, since school starts Tuesday. Boo-hoo!!
DO you think if I changed my last name to have a duplicate starting consonant, I could become a famous author?
Just think: if only Ford Maddox Ford had doubled his effs. Sorry, no rabbit trailing.
The Thursday Next character appeared in a short story collection, no? Or so I believe. Make personal note: must read these. Currently, (with many thanks to you) I am reading my chronological way through the Maisie Dobbs series by Winspear. (Sadly, no effs.)
I scored “An Incomplete Revenge” from the library, today. Ms. Winspear strikes me as a cross between Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers with, alas, no Wimsey.
This sounds like a great new series in which to delve! Though it looks like I’ll have to actually have to get the paperback and not the eBook since the eBook costs more, which makes no sense to me. Thanks for the recommendation!
You sound like the kind of person I would love to meet at a party. We could skip pretending to know an awful lot about important literature and start having fun straight away
I love this series! And even though I have a degree in English, I am pretty sure I only got about 10% of all the jokes/references/allusions in these books. But they are awesome and hilarious.
I always assumed I’d read “Pride and Prejudice,” because, well, I was a lit major for a while and a book snob and so of COURSE I’d read it.
Until I read “Pride, Prejudice and Zombies” and realized there were scenes in the story that I did not remember at all, and concluded that I’d only THOUGHT I’d read it because I’d seen so many film versions.
But now I’ve read “Pride, Prejudice and Zombies,” which is really just the same thing with extra undead and brains.
I think this series is HILARIOUS. I haven’t read FIRST AMONG SEQUELS yet (though I have the audio in my car ready for when I finish my current listen), but I really enjoy them.
Have you read his SHADES OF GREY. Love it!
Umm, that last one was a question… I hate seeing typos right after I hit “submit!”
Megan, you are fantastic. One funny lady. I must read these books.
I don’t know much about classic literature but your title alone makes me want to read these books!!
You are so hilarious!!
Megan
I LOVE this series. And I LOVE you. Let’s be friends!
Done deal.