Warning Thread May Contain Spoilers
I’ve just read the Nursery Crimes books by Jasper Fforde and was so excited I just had to see if anyone else out there has read them yet.
NCD
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Littleowl @ 9:36pm, 9 Aug 2008…
- : Ballarat, Victoria
- 647
Noah’s Ark is a problem. We’ll have to call it early quantum-state phenomenon.
I think it’s sweet; Geelong having it’s own Sci-Fi Club
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molokov @ 11:52pm, 9 Aug 2008…
- : Adelaide
- 827
Haven’t read those ones, but have read the Next set plus First Among Sequels. I quite enjoy the character of Thursday Next and Bookworld/Jurisfiction, but haven’t picked up the Nursery Crimes books yet because a friend said they weren’t as good… Maybe one day :)
To be honest, I found “The Eyre Affair” quite hard to get into (probably because I’ve never read Jane Eyre and am not at all familiar with its storyline) but the other Thursday Next followup books are great – sure, I don’t get /all/ of the literary references because I’ve not read all of the classics referred to, but I get enough to quite enjoy them, plus the absurdity of the world is sublime.
However, Jasper Fforde rarely has me in belly laughs – the vast majority of the jokes come from characters with hilarious punny names (Landen Park-Laine, Bowden Cable) more than actual humour in the prose or situation. If these books were funnier, I’d probably like them more.
(After all, we’re always on the look out for someone who’s as good as Terry, but I haven’t found him/her yet…)
You can’t kill me because I’ve got magic aarrghh!
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duane dibley @ 9:25pm, 10 Aug 2008…
- : Canberra, Australia
- 72
I have managed to read most of Jasper FForde and while I find them funny I can see how some might not. I actually think the Nursery Crimes are funnier than the Thursday Next series. For complete ridiculous read Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocolypse or any other book by Robert Rankin. I haven’t found any one as consistently funny as PTerry although Tom Holt comes close in a different style.
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Too little time @ 6:20pm, 12 Aug 2008…
- : Mackay
- 80
I also like Robert Asprin. The quotes that started each chapter of the Myth series were generally worth a chuckle.
And with a sign-in name of ‘duane dibley’, I’d guess someone is a fan of Red Dwarf as well (great series!).Why do it tomorrow when it can be put off indenfinetly?
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Littleowl @ 8:12pm, 12 Aug 2008…
- : Ballarat, Victoria
- 647
Well since the NCD books were my first Jasper Fforde books I can’t really compare and contrast but I quite enjoyed them, they were something new and refreshing. Decent light humor books are hard to find I feel, so it was nice not to be disappointed in the book especially since some friends of mine had been bugging me to read Jasper for ages now.
I’ve heard other people talk about Rankin and Holt before but never read them, might be a couple of new authors to read. :)
Noah’s Ark is a problem. We’ll have to call it early quantum-state phenomenon.
I think it’s sweet; Geelong having it’s own Sci-Fi Club
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Sgt Colon @ 5:42am, 13 Aug 2008…
- : Gold Coast, Qld
- 653
Have only read one Jasper Fforde book but did find it awkward whereas Tom Holt very readable.
Similarly with Robert Asprin and his books.
“Experimental animals, under carefully controlled conditions, do what they damned well please”.
Harvard Law of Animal Behaviour.
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Sgt Colon @ 5:43am, 13 Aug 2008…
- : Gold Coast, Qld
- 653
Have only read one Jasper Fforde book but did find it awkward whereas Tom Holt very readable.
Similarly with Robert Asprin and his books.
“Experimental animals, under carefully controlled conditions, do what they damned well please”.
Harvard Law of Animal Behaviour.
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molokov @ 8:46am, 13 Aug 2008…
- : Adelaide
- 827
Amazing how people are different, aren’t they?
I too enjoyed Robert Asprin, mayherestinpeace, ‘s Myth Adventures, but the latter ones became much more serious and lost the humour of the first few (not that they were /bad/, they were just different). Robert Rankin’s books (that I’ve read) have their moments too, but they seem to a bit too haphazard, silly, and fourth-wall-breaking to be taken as great works of literature. He’s still not quite up to Terry’s standard, in my opinion.
On the other hand, I don’t like Tom Holt at all. Then again, I think the only I’ve really read is “Wish You Were Here” that was a birthday gift many years ago, but it was just not at all funny even when it was obviously trying to be, so it’s put me off even risking any more of Holt’s books.
So we will agree to disagree :)
You can’t kill me because I’ve got magic aarrghh!