Thoroughly ridiculous to the very end. Been a long time since a book has made me laugh out loud like this one!

Having really enjoyed, “The Eyre Affair,” I was looking forward to reading this, the first in the ‘Nursery Crimes’ series. DS Mary Mary transfers to Reading Central Police Station, hoping to work with her hero, DCI Friedland Chymes. As with, “The Eyre Affair,” this is a slightly twisted version of reality – so, in this world, the police are lauded not for their ability to solve crimes, but to publish them in crime magazines. In order to become a success, detectives need to join the Guild of Detectives – in which Friedland Chymes is a major success. However, Mary Mary finds that, rather than working with Chymes, she has joined the Nursery Crime Division. Heading the team is DI Jack Spratt, who has just failed to convict the three little pigs for premeditated crimes against a wolf (it takes a long while to boil a huge cauldron of water…).

Into this world of upside down nonsense we follow Jack Spratt and Mary Mary as they investigate their latest case. Humpty Dumpty is dead, but did he fall of a wall, or was he helped? Along the way we meet Greek Gods, investigate dodgy share dealings in Spongg’s footcare empire and await the visit of the Jellyman in Reading. Although this is a lot of fun, I did not find the storyline – or characters- as interesting as the Thursday Next books. Still, it was an enjoyable read and Jasper Fforde manages to name check many literary characters. I especially liked the little newspaper snippets at the beginning of each chapter. I am not sure I would read more in this series, but I am glad I finally got around to reading this.

Fun, but ultimately forgettable. I wish there had been a little less punning and plot twists, and a little more character development. Great satirizing of mystery fiction, though, and the nursery rhyme thing (diluted weirdly with bits of Greek mythology, fairytales, and other fictional razzmatazz . . . what the fuck is a Jellyman, anyway? Am I missing a reference?) was very fun, even if it is a bit hard to swallow that Humpty Dumpty could have bedded all those women. Though, I suppose that's the point. All in all, completely absurd, but missing a stable backbone to hold it up.

[3.5 stars]

Jasper Fforde is just so much fun. His books are sorta like beach reads for book nerds. They're playful, punny, funny, silly, and smart. Also I saw him read in a small bookstore in SoHo a couple of years ago and he is hilarious. He talked about how he and his kids play games in supermarkets where they put really incongruous and semi-embarrasing things in other people's shopping carts (I think he called them 'trolleys' because of course he British or maybe Austrailian?), like adult diapers for young pretty girls or whatever.

Anyway, the Thursday Next books are in my opinion much better than this series, but that won't stop me from reading everything he writes. Jasper, please be my friend?

Amazon calls this "probably Fforde's weakest novel" - a statement I must say I highly disagree with. It's much better than Lost in a Good Book and almost on par with The Eyre Affair - something which I thought absolutely impossible.

I love how Fforde dares to use the media to get his point across and how he plays around with commonly known concepts and stories without ever blatantly showing his readers "This is what I'm talking about, I'm so obvious you have to get it now!". He perfectly masters the art of subtle jokes and almost rivals Douglas Adams for absurdity.

I'm still somewhere in the middle of this book... muddling through. Sort of disappointed by it since I really enjoyed the Tuesday Next series which were funny, sarcastic, ironic and paid much hysterical homage to a series of pop culture icons that were both corny but entertaining.

In this other series, he loses all the quirkiness and fun. It ends up reading just like any other murder mystery, only it's lack of humor makes Fforde's continued atrocious use of names less tolerant than it was in the Tuesday Next series where the story was so funny and clever I could forgive him his lack of creativity when it came to the use of such stupid and obviously silly names.

I'm not a fan of standard detective/police stories... and this one is simply that...of course with Humpty Dumpty as the murder vic... but still, it's dry and takes itself too seriously. It's odd. I don't get it.

This was FANTASTIC. A new favorite. Clever, intelligent, humorous, whimsical and just PERFECT. I can’t wait to read it again someday.

Though I’m sad there isn’t twenty more of these, I’m thrilled this book is in existence at all and that there is one sequel for me to devour soon enough.

Well done, Fforde! You’re my kind of author, sir!!!

My entry novel to Jasper Fforde didn't disappoint. I was definitely intrigued by the silly blurb on this one but didn't realise it would be so witty and clever. Really enjoyable and lighthearted read (or listen in my case - also likeable narrator voice).

Unrelated but memorable quote goes to: "You know that person who borrows books and never gives them back? I'm that person."

http://ucplbookchallenge.blogspot.com...

Was it an EGGcident…or cold-yoked murder?

When Humpty Dumpty, local businessman and infamous lothario, is found dead beneath a wall outside his Grimm’s Road apartment, Detective Jack Spratt of the Reading (pronounced Redding) Nursery Crime Division (NCD) is called in to investigate. Jack is a smart, capable, no-fat eating investigator whose previous collars include the apprehensions of (i) serial wife-killer, Bluebeard, (ii) psychotic mass-murderer, The Gingerbread Man and (iii) a certain bridge-dwelling troll for threatening behavior against a trio of billy goats.

However, despite his successful track record, Jack’s reputation is presently tarnishing in the crapper and his application for membership in the prestigious Guild of Detectives is in limbo. Why, you ask? First, there's Jack's history of giant-killing (4 so far), though Jack insists all but one were simply accidents. More troubling is his failed, multi-year prosecution of the three pigs for use excessive force in the death of Mr. Wolf has gone up in flames after the jury acquitted the pigs of all charges. A major blow to his career given that his boss felt the prosecution unwarranted. "How many people want to read about three disreputable pigs and a dopey wolf with a disposition towards house demolition?

With his career prospects in tatters, the Humpty case comes along at exactly the right moment and Jack, together with his new partner, Ms. Mary Mary, commence an investigation into Mr. Dumpty's demise. Almost immediately, the pair find themselves embroiled in complex mystery involving stock-swindles, broken marriages, mafia boss Georgio Porgia, and the highly competitive world of commercial foot care.

I found a smile on almost every page of this book and it's certainly what I would describe as a cozy, mood-lifter. That, and wickedly, wickedly clever. Jasper Fforde’s imagination is fertile, well tilled soil and he world-builds like a master craftsman. Sharing links with the world of Fforde’s long running Thursday Next series, Reading, Berkshire is a testament to his prodigious creatively. Nursery rhyme characters, mythological and legendary literary figures, blue aliens and even anthropomorphized plot devices all exists side by side with humanity in a mind-blowing bouillabaisse that Fforde makes work extremely well.

Complex, unique and yet immediately accessible to readers, Fforde cultivates his bizarre territory with the suave, practiced adeptness of a slightly deranged artist. It’s clever, engaging, wonderfully whimsical and, most importantly, an E-ticket fun ride for the mind.

For example, in a satirical poke at the mass media culture, one of the foundational premises of the novel is that detectives work cases not only to catch criminals, but also to do so in a way that makes them marketable as TV and magazine fodder.

n  The Most Worshipful Guild of Detectives was founded by Holmes in 1896 to look after the best interests of Britain’s most influential and newsworthy detectives. Membership is strictly controlled but pays big dividends: the pick of the best inquiries of England and Wales, an opportunity to “brainstorm” tricky cases with one’s peers, and an exclusive deal with the notoriously choosy editors of Amazing Crime Stories. The Guild’s legal department frequently brokers TV, movie and merchandising deals, and membership usually sways juries in tricky cases…”n

This kind of light, intelligent satire can be found on just about every page of this tale.

Fforde's prose is breezy and addictive and peppered with amusing turns of phrase and literary inside jokes. "Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried him at Queenzieburn to make use of the triple word score." However, Fforde doesn’t simply rely on word play to carry the day and his central mystery is quite well done. While it is certainly a vehicle Fforde uses to explore his world with the reader, it has substance of its own and Fforde treats it respectfully.

Like Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, Fforde's humor is not the kind that makes me bust out laughing so much as smile and nod in good-feeling appreciation for his crafty brilliance. One of my favorite aspects of the novel is that each chapter begins with a news article or other tidbit of information that provides insight into the Ffordes amazing world. For example:

n  A controversial punishment came to an end yesterday when Prometheus, creator of mankind and fire-giver, escaped the shackles that bound him to his rock in the Caucasus. Details of the escape are uncertain, but Zeus’ press secretary, Ralph Mercury, was quick to issue a statement declaring that Prometheus’ confinement was purely an “internal god-titan matter” and that having eagles pick out Prometheus’ liver every day, only to have it grow back again at night, was “a reasonable response given the crime.” Joyous supporters of the “Free Prometheus” campaign crowded the dockside at Dover upon the Titan’s arrival, whereupon he was taken into custody pending applications for extradition. n

By the way, Prometheus turns out to be my favorite supporting character and his interaction in the story is terrific. Here is one of my favorite quotes in which Prometheus was communicating with Jack's infant son:

n  'You speak baby gibberish?' asked Jack.
'Fluently. The adult-education center ran a course, and I have a lot of time on my hands.'
'So what did he say?'
'I don't know.'
'I thought you said you spoke gibberish?'
'I do. But your baby doesn't. I think he's speaking either
pre-toddler nonsense, a form of infact burble or an obscure dialect of
gobbledygook. In any event, I can't understand a word he's saying.'
'Oh.'n

That should give you a good idea of the tone and flavor of the writing. A few other little gems that I thought were hilarious:

** a law to make illegal the use of the “red herring” plot device.

** The retirement party for the “locked room mystery” which ends in the ironic murder of same inside a locked room...this investigation is on going.

**The Criminal Narrative Improvement Bill that, in an attempt to avoid unwanted clichés, would subject to a fine anyone who stumbles upon a corpse while walking their dog.

Overall, this is a ton of fun. I can’t say I enjoyed this quite as much as the last Thursday Next novel I read, but it's certainly a smart, wonderful read.

4.0 to 4.5 Stars. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!

A surreal murder mystery based around the death of an oversized egg... hell yeah

I've found Jasper Fforde's books generally fun/amusing. I'd read the Thursday Next books; I expected to enjoy Nursery Crimes. There was nothing I'd point to that was wrong with the book, although being familiar with his writing, I wasn't terribly surprised by the tone, form, style, etc, etc. Someone else described it as a "beach read for nerds" -- which sounds just about right to me. It's heavy on puns and references, light on real characterisation. While there has to be a plot, it feels very much like the plot is there to contain the puns and references, not really for its own sake.

It's easy to read and fun; I'm not sure I'll ever reread it. I found Thursday Next more compelling -- it helps that I adore Jane Eyre, and I wasn't used to Fforde's style then.