Thursday, June 21, 2012

A While on the Pile: The Well of Lost Plots, by Jasper Fforde





From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday. 
The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity. It is also inspired by 'A While on the Pile', a post by Rachel from Fiktshun / My Reading Pile.




My choice today is The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
 
Paperback, 360 pages
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Published: 2003

Goodreads description:

Leaving Swindon behind her, to hide out in the Well of Lost Plots --- the place where all fiction is created --- Thursday Next, Literary Detective and soon-to-be one parent family, ponders her next move from inside an unpublished novel of dubious merit entitled Caversham Heights. Her husband, Landen, exists only in her memories and with Goliath and the Chronoguard on her tail in the real world, the safest place for her to be is inside the covers of a book.

But changes are afoot within the world of fiction. The much-awaited upgrade to the centuries-old book system --- in which grammasites will be exterminated, punctuation standardised and the number of possible plots increased from eight to an astonishing thirty-two --- is only weeks away. But if this is the beginning of a golden age in fictional narrative, then why are Jurisfiction agents mysteriously dying? Perkins is eaten by the minotaur, Snell succumbs to the Mispeling Vyrus and Godot is missing.

As the date of the upgrade looms closer and the bookworld prepares for the 923rd Annual Fiction Awards, Thursday must unmask the villain responsible for the murders, establish just what exactly the upgrade entails --- and do battle with an old enemy intent on playing havoc with her memories.
 
 
 I bought this book when I was in London about a year ago, but somehow I still haven't gotten around to reading it. I don't know why exactly - I loved the first two installments of the Thurdsay Next series. Maybe it's because I might have to re-read the second book to get all caught up again and I just didn't feel like doing that. Maybe it's the fact that Thursday's pregnant (sue me, but I don't like reading about pregnancy). I'm not sure. I hope that having made this post will motivate me to pick it up when I've finished the novel I'm reading at the moment.

What's gathering dust on your pile? Have you read any Thursday Next books? If so, did you enjoy them?

2 comments:

  1. I have that same problem! If I feel like I really need a refresher for the last book I read in a series, I usually end up listening to the audiobook. I haven't read any of this series, but it definitely sounds like one I'd be interested in. Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. I did the audiobook thing when I prepared for reading Holly Black's Red Glove :D
      It's a really cool series for anyone who loves books and has some knowledge of the classics and metafiction - lots of nerdy references and parallels. But it's also great fun if you miss the references. I bet there are many many more than I realize.

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