The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde Options

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The The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

QUOTE

In Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career. Fforde's ingenious fantasy-enhanced by a Web site that re-creates the world of the novel--unites intrigue with English literature in a delightfully witty mix.

Since all of you enjoyed Harry Potter (and who doesn't?), I thought you might enjoy this. It's best if you've actually read Jane Eyre, but if you sparknote it first you'll be fine. The book is fascinating in the way it blends fantasy so matter of factly with reality. You find yourself thinking "Why, yes, Londoners having Dodos is perfectly reasonable." It's an easy read, but a lot of fun. The author loves wordplay (Mr.Jack Ron Language! said Hermionet, Mr.Braxton-Hicks, The Hotel Finis -the last word in luxury are just a few examples) and you feel like you're in on some great inside joke, hehe.

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