I was lucky enough to win this book in a competition run by Borders bookstore. I’m glad that I won it, because I’m not sure whether I would have liked this as much had I shelled out hard earned cash for it.
This is the sixth book in the Thursday Next series and like the others, is told in first person by Thursday herself. But in this book, it’s the second fictional Thursday telling the story, not the real Thursday Next, who has disappeared and not the first fictional Thursday Next, who was erased. This is the loving, gentle, hippy Thursday Next that failed Jurisfiction, unlike the real Thursday Next.
Too many Thursdays in the above paragraph? This is a book whose plot could be difficult to grasp without reading the previous books. Let me try to summarise: in an alternate universe where cheese is illicit, everyone loves reading and the world is nearly completely controlled by the Goliath Corporation resides Thursday Next. An ex-SpecOps agent, she lives with her husband Landen (who was erased by Goliath temporarily) and children (one who is never seen but anyone besides Thursday). Thursday is also a Jurisfiction agent, meaning she has the ability to ‘jump’ into books and solve crimes/issues in the BookWorld.
But Thursday is missing from this book and fictional Thursday, a resident in the BookWorld (who acts out the Thursday Next books as you read them) tells this story. The story mainly takes place in the BookWorld and while this world is interesting, we’ve heard about Netherfield Park and grammacytes in previous books. The ‘reworking’ of the BookWorld wasn’t really interesting and not particularly necessary. The overall plot is basic – that Thursday is looking for Thursday. In her travels, she meets the adorable Sprockett, her robot butler as well as interacts with many well-known fictional characters (e.g. The Lady of Shallott).
This books moves a lot more slowly than the previous Thursday Next books (not the fault of fictional Thursday, she doesn’t really have a detailed plot line to work with) and the conclusion is tied up oh-so-neatly. It lacks the witticisms and fiction in-jokes of the previous books. I think I’ll wait for the reviews of Thursday Next #7 before I enter competitions to win it.
Read it if: You love Thursday Next with a passion, but aren’t easily disappointed.
7 out of 10.
That’s disappointing. I usually like Fforde’s books!
It wasn’t all that bad, just not the astonishing genius that he usually is. Maybe I’m getting too familiar with the BookWorld.
I’m still new to Thursday Next so will keep this in mind when I get to book 6.
Hopefully the next one is better. I like fictional Thursday, but real Thursday rocks!
Thanks for the review, Sam.
Like Ellie, I’m still new to Thursday Next. Good to know how you felt about this one in comparison to the rest of the series.
Hope you’ve had a lovely Easter.
SSG xxx
Sydney Shop Girl blog
I still love The Eyre Affair – it had so many great references and the thought of a literary loving world was brilliant!
Hope you enjoyed the royal wedding and your scones!
I did find 6 a little slower, but I grew to love fictional Thursday and ended up loving it
Excellent – I hope there’s a Thursday 7!
Pingback: 2011 – Reading and reading! « Sam Still Reading·