Tag: Jasper Fforde

Jasper Fforde – Lost in a Good Book | Review

Title: Lost in a Good Book

Author: Jasper Fforde

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 376

Rating: 4*/5

 

Jasper Fforde - Lost in a Good Book

Jasper Fforde – Lost in a Good Book

 

This is the second book in Fforde’s Thursday Next series and I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to get around to it. I really liked the first book and I was pumped about continuing, and I even bought a copy of this book immediately after finishing the first one. It just took me a while to get around to it.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was expecting to. I think I’d subconsciously geared myself up for a mind-blowing read, and it left me a little disappointed with the end result. Sure, it has all the hallmarks of Fforde’s storytelling, including the Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams influences that you’re probably expecting if you read the first book. But for me at least, the novelty is starting to wear off.

That’s not to say that it isn’t a funny book. It’s just that after a while, it feels like the same joke over and over again. Then there’s Fforde’s complex world building. In the first book, I thought it was incredible. In this one, I found it hard to focus on the story line while simultaneously building up a bigger picture of how Fforde’s world works.

 

Jasper Fforde

Jasper Fforde

 

Perhaps that’s a problem on my part. In fact, I’m pretty sure it is, and I did still enjoy it overall. It’s the type of book where there’s something there for everyone, even if some of it goes over your head and you’re just enjoying the one liners and occasional in-jokes. Fforde is also a master of using popular culture to make his stories – and his characters – more relatable, and even though this book is a good few years old by now, it doesn’t really make any difference. The popular culture that Fforde references is the popular culture of books and literature and so there’s plenty to pick up on if you’re a big reader.

Overall, then, I’d recommend this book – but only if you read the first one and enjoyed it. I think that was a better introduction to his work.

 

Jasper Fforde Quote

Jasper Fforde Quote

 

Click here to buy Lost in a Good Book.


Jodi Taylor – Just One Damned Thing After Another | Review

Title: Just One Damned Thing After Another

Author: Jodi Taylor

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 406

Rating: 5*/5

 

Jodi Taylor - Just One Damned Thing After Another

Jodi Taylor – Just One Damned Thing After Another

 

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

This book was a delight to read, something refreshing that I could really sink my teeth into. It’s one of those books where every time it feels like it’s drawing to a close, something exciting happens and shakes things up again. It works well and makes it hard to put the book down.

The author also has a cracking sense of humour, and the subtle little jokes that she uses – as well as the not-so-subtle ones – make it more fun than a regular novel, although she doesn’t skimp on plot and character development, either. I even liked the little bit of sex that was involved, because it was just the right amount – it didn’t feel gratuitous, it felt realistic, and it genuinely added to the story.

Ah, the story. It’s interesting because the world-building here is as good as anything else you’ll see on the market. It’s a bit like Harry Potter for history geeks, a little bit like Rick Riordan but for adults, and with less magic. If anything, it’s sci fi. It follows what happens to the residents of St. Mary’s, a faculty with the ability to travel back in time to observe it. Of course, the temptation there is to meddle, but it’s not that easy. History has teeth and it bites back. You can’t just go and change it because it won’t let you.

I’m not going to give you all of the details, but I will tell you that you get to see a whole bunch of different historical periods, including the time of the dinosaurs – where, incidentally, it all goes a bit pear-shaped. But on top of that, it’s also just a cracking story, a page-turner that drags you in and sets up the rest of the series. I don’t have any of the other books yet, but I shall certainly be looking out for them. It reminds me of Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, except I only got as far as the first book for that one and I’d like to follow this one all of the way – and fast. I want to find out what happens to the St. Mary’s team next. Read it!

 

Jodi Taylor

Jodi Taylor

 

Click here to buy Just One Damned Thing After Another.