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The Eyre Affair

Thursday Next Book 1

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The Eyre Affair

By: Jasper Fforde
Narrated by: Gabrielle Kruger
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Summary

 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 fiesty, loveable heroine and a plot of such richness and ingenuity that it will take your breath away.

(P)2013 Hodder & Stoughotn©2001 Jasper Fforde Absurdist Action & Adventure Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Humorous Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Science Fiction Crime Witty
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Critic reviews

It's 1985 in England, at least on the calendar; the Crimean War is in its hundred-and-thirty-first year; time travel is nothing new; Japanese tourists slip in and out of Victorian novels; and the literary branch of the special police, led gamely by the beguiling Thursday Next, are pursuing Acheron Hades, who has stolen the manuscript of "Martin Chuzzlewit" and set his sights on kidnapping the character Jane Eyre, a theft that could have disastrous consequences for Brontë lovers who like their story straight. This rambunctious caper could be taken as a warning about what might happen if society considered literature really important-like, say, energy futures or accounting.
"Neatly delivers alternate history, Monty Pythonesque comedy skits, Grand Guignol supervillains, thwarted lovers, po-mo intertextuality, political commentary, time travel, vampires, absent-minded inventors, a hard-boiled narrator, and lots, lots more. . . . Suspend your disbelief, find a quiet corner and just surrender to the storytelling voice of the unstoppable, ever-resourceful Thursday Next."
"Fforde's imaginative novel will satiate readers looking for a Harry Potter-esque tale. . . . The Eyre Affair's literary wonderland recalls Douglas Adams's Hitchhikers series, the works of Lewis Carroll and Woody Allen's The Kugelmass Episode."
[Thursday Next is] part Bridget Jones, part Nancy Drew, and part Dirty Harry. (Michiko Kakutani)
Delightfully clever . . . Filled with clever wordplay, literary allusion and bibliowit, The Eyre Affair combines elements of Monty Python, Harry Potter, Stephen Hawking and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but its quirky charm is all its own
Jasper Fforde's first novel, The Eyre Affair, is a spirited sendup of genre fiction-it's part hardboiled mystery, part time-machine caper-that features a sassy, well-read 'Special Operative in literary detection' named Thursday Next, who will put you more in mind of Bridget Jones than Miss Marple. Fforde delivers almost every sentence with a sly wink, and he's got an easy way with wordplay, trivia, and inside jokes. . . . Fforde's verve is rarely less than infectious
Always ridiculous, often hilarious ... blink and you miss a vital narrative leap. There are shades of Douglas Adams, Lewis Carroll, 'Clockwork Orange' and '1984'. And that's just for starters
All stars
Most relevant

Where does The Eyre Affair rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Quite a good story if you can follow in with the flat and fast narration.

How could the performance have been better?

The narration was too fast and lacking in characterisation and emphasis. It was a little like someone reading a workshop manual in a mostly flat monotone. The diction was good but the lack of emphasis on events on characters meant that I just drifted away and missed important story moments.

Interesting but poorly read.

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Sometimes you have to take a chance on a book. I remember doing this with this book in printed form years ago, and never regretted it. The audiobook is clearly and intelligently read and loses nothing in the 'translation'. I have no real interest in fantasy literature, but this book (and the whole series) stands apart. There is a wit and intelligence in the writing, which sets Mr Fforde apart from most other novellists. He has the ability to exploit and develop ideas without ever slipping into smug cliche or lazy plot devices. The Eyre Affair works as a stand-alone item, but it also the start of a series. Yes, take a chance...

Take a chance

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As a bibliophile etymologist with a love for classics, this is perfect for me.
The voices of the different characters aren't always easy to distinguish, and the Welsh accent isn't all that good, but other than that, it's well narrated.

Great!

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I read the Thursday Next series a number of years ago and really enjoyed them at the time. They were also the impetus for me to read classics like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights which up until that point I hadn't. So great to get back to this series in audiobook form and they provide brilliant escapism and humour. Good reading and very good job on the different voices.

Thoroughly enjoyable

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Eyre Affair to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version and so have no basis for comparison. That does mean I have benefitted from coming to the story fresh.

Who was your favorite character and why?

A difficult choice as all the characters are extremely well written. However, a book like this wins or falls on its lead antagonist and in Hades Fforde has created a truly depraved character that you really want to see get his comeuppance.

Have you listened to any of Gabrielle Kruger’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is the first performance that I have heard from her and she hooked me with her characterisation of Thursday. I do find that a few characters are portrayed very simialrly but this did not detract at all from my enjoyment.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Maybe not a single sitting but I really looked forward to listening to the next installment and found that I stopped listening to some of my Podcasts which I usually intersperse between listening to chapters.

Any additional comments?

A cracking original book, well performed. I am looking forward to listening to the next one.

Fantastical

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