Sarra B. (sarradee) reviewed on 11/25/2005 + 47 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 4

A very impressive first novel by author Fforde. In his alternate England circa 1985, literature plays an important part. There are animatronic Will-Speak machines that for a few pence quote Shakespeare; Richard III is akin to Rocky Horror complete with audience participation, and the LiteraTec division of the SpecOps stamps out literary crime.

The protagonist Thursday Next is a seasoned LiteraTec. But when she's temporarily promoted to SO-5 status to assist in the capture of her former professor turned Master Criminal, she finds herself in over her head. Master Criminal Hades has discovered a little secret. If he changes events in an original manuscript he can forever alter all future printings. These changes are immediate and permanent unless the original can be restored. When he kidnaps Jane Eyre from the pages of Bronte's manuscript, fans are in an uproar, since the original is written in the first person without Jane there is no story. Thursday and her cohorts jump in to rescue Jane, and restore the beloved novel.

Jasper Fforde has quite an imagination, and an off-the-wall sense of humor that made this book a delight to read. I'm looking forward to the following novels in the series.

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