The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Title: The Eyre Affair
Author: Jasper Fforde
ISBN # 034073356X
Publisher: Hodder
First Published: 2001
373 pages
Format: Paperback
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis:
There is another 1985, somewhere in the could-have-been, where the Crimean war still rages, dodos are regenerated in home-cloning kits and everyone is deeply disappointed by the ending of 'Jane Eyre'. In this world there are no jet-liners or computers, but there are policemen who can travel across time, a Welsh republic, a great interest in all things literary - and a woman called Thursday Next. In this utterly original and wonderfully funny first novel, Fforde has created a feisty, loveable heroine and a plot of such richness and ingenuity that it will take your breath away.

Review:
This is intricate, bizarre, clever and devilishly funny. Fforde is a wit to be reckoned with and his knowledge of classic literature, showcased beautifully in full spectrum, is amazing - this is great fun to read. The performance of Richard III in the style of The Rocky Horror Show is absolutely inspired - I'd LOVE to see it done that way myself!

For those who have read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, this is a wonderful addition to the mythos – a “what if”, if you will. Even those who only have the slightest knowledge of the plot of Brontë’s novel will be able to appreciate the care that has gone into capturing the smallest details and subverting them. If you haven’t a clue about Jane Eyre, you can still enjoy this, but I don’t think you’d get quite as much out of it as you could, therefore, prior reading of the classic is recommended, but Jane Eyre is such a good read that I’d recommend it anyway!

It’s a wonderful introduction to Thursday Next and her bizarre world, and is a highly enjoyable romp through an alternative history of the world. If you like your reading material to have some intelligent thought behind it, you would be hard pushed to find an author living today who could top Fforde for his genius!