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The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
Jan. 24th, 2010 10:04 amThe Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde was my first completed book in 2010; it's set in a similar verse as Fforde's Thursday Next series, except instead of literary characters playing a role, Fforde uses fables and nursery rhymes for the foundation in his Nursery Crime Division books. TBOE is the first book in what seems to be an eventual series; there are only two books now but each book focuses on a case so it has the potential to be a series like Thursday Next.
The mystery for this book is the mysterious death of Humpty Dumpty, a minor celebrity in Reading. Jack Spratt, known for killing very tall people and the occasional giant, is the detective on the case and his new assistant, Mary Mary (quite contrary) doesn't really want to be a part of the NCD but her dream job of working in the Detectives' Guild is out of her reach.
Fforde knows his source and peppers the story with humor that only reveals itself if you know the original story also. Like Jack's ex-wife and his repeating desire to climb a bean stalk that has grown in his mothers yard; Giorgio Porgia, the crime lord; Jack's last failed case in trying to convict the three little pigs of murder; Mary's social nature; the new lodger, Prometheus. TBOE is an entertaining read, there were parts where I actually laughed out loud and there were parts where I was hissing in anger---the other detective, Chymes, I called him a bastard so many times while reading. But, Fforde does manage not making every character one note, and not relying too heavily on the literary stereotypes.
During the entire time I was reading this book, this is pretty much fanfiction kept on running through my mind, and it's true if you consider fanfiction to be taking characters and setting not your own and writing a story based off of those elements. I've got Fforde's The Eyre Affair on my book shelf and that does the same thing; plus on my TBRLater pile, I've got this book called Ahab's Wife which tells the story of a mentioned character from Moby Dick.
Back to my point, if I want to read fairy tale fanfiction, I much prefer Fables but this book works well as a comedic mystery that pokes fun at the classic genre a bit too. I did pick up the sequel because I want to see The Ginger Bread Man in action; but I don't see myself chasing down any of his other work.
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1/50 books read so far. I like 50 as a number more than 52, and having two off weeks gives me space not to feel too bad for not finishing a book.
The mystery for this book is the mysterious death of Humpty Dumpty, a minor celebrity in Reading. Jack Spratt, known for killing very tall people and the occasional giant, is the detective on the case and his new assistant, Mary Mary (quite contrary) doesn't really want to be a part of the NCD but her dream job of working in the Detectives' Guild is out of her reach.
Fforde knows his source and peppers the story with humor that only reveals itself if you know the original story also. Like Jack's ex-wife and his repeating desire to climb a bean stalk that has grown in his mothers yard; Giorgio Porgia, the crime lord; Jack's last failed case in trying to convict the three little pigs of murder; Mary's social nature; the new lodger, Prometheus. TBOE is an entertaining read, there were parts where I actually laughed out loud and there were parts where I was hissing in anger---the other detective, Chymes, I called him a bastard so many times while reading. But, Fforde does manage not making every character one note, and not relying too heavily on the literary stereotypes.
During the entire time I was reading this book, this is pretty much fanfiction kept on running through my mind, and it's true if you consider fanfiction to be taking characters and setting not your own and writing a story based off of those elements. I've got Fforde's The Eyre Affair on my book shelf and that does the same thing; plus on my TBRLater pile, I've got this book called Ahab's Wife which tells the story of a mentioned character from Moby Dick.
Back to my point, if I want to read fairy tale fanfiction, I much prefer Fables but this book works well as a comedic mystery that pokes fun at the classic genre a bit too. I did pick up the sequel because I want to see The Ginger Bread Man in action; but I don't see myself chasing down any of his other work.
---
1/50 books read so far. I like 50 as a number more than 52, and having two off weeks gives me space not to feel too bad for not finishing a book.
