Helpful Score: 4
This book is by the same author that wrote "The Eyre Affair" and is very comparable to that. Thursday Next checks in and out of book worlds to solve mysteries and also experiences self discovery. Very interesting and enjoyable reading. Very well written
Catherine F. (bryghtrose) reviewed Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Bk 2) on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
An excellent, funny, read full of literary allusions. You really need to read The Eyre Affair first, and be familiar with most of the English Cannon to appreciate this book.
Helpful Score: 3
A GREAT read - especially if you love literature. Very clever plot and original!
Helpful Score: 3
Jasper Fforde is amazingly witty and imaginative with moments of downright insanity in his punning word creations and allusions to other literary works. And a terrific writer. I loved his first book in the Thursday Next series (The Eyre Affair), and I think this second one is much better than that. I have his third one (The Well of Lost Plots) on order. When it arrives, I'll stop whatever I'm reading at the moment and jump into Fforde's loony world.
Helpful Score: 3
Interesting blending of real/fictional world as well as ideas on time travel. Puns and literary word plays abound.
Diane M. (onefinetabby) reviewed Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Bk 2) on + 29 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Very imaginative. I'd definately read the next in the series.
Helpful Score: 3
I just love these books. You get sucked into Jasper Fforde's world and almost believe you are one of his characters. Great book for a rainy day.
Helpful Score: 2
2nd in the Thursday Next novels. Love these books! Good fast read with some laughs!
Renee C. (MerryHearted) -
Helpful Score: 2
Enjoyed this more than the first book in the series.
Helpful Score: 2
I'm not one for sci-fi/fantasy, but I quite enjoy the Thursday Next novels!!
Helpful Score: 1
Even better than the first one.
Helpful Score: 1
From School Library Journal:
In an alternate 1980s England, woolly mammoths migrate through the countryside, Tunbridge Wells has been given to Imperial Russia as Crimean War reparation, and the prevailing culture is based on literature. Due to her adventures in The Eyre Affair (Viking, 2002), newly married Thursday Next has become a media darling, but when an unknown work by Shakespeare surfaces, she is happy to be back to work. However, the megacorporation Goliath hasn't finished bedeviling her: Thursday's husband has been "time-slipped" and exists only in her memory. Further complicating matters, her Uncle Mycroft gives her an entroposcope-a jar of lentils and rice-revealing that the chaos in her life is rapidly escalating. So once again, Thursday jumps into a surreal literary world. This time, she has joined the "Jurisfiction" division and is paired with Charles Dickens's Miss Havesham, who has a penchant for leather jackets and driving recklessly. Absurd and amusing scenes take readers through discussions on theoretical physics, geometry, literature, art, and philosophy. Fforde not only tilts at ideological and insipid corporate windmills and human foibles, but can also make the naming of minor characters hilarious, as in the two unfortunate members of the dangerous SO-5 division, Phodder and Kannon. Reading this novel is like being at a fabulous party of phenomenally funny and wickedly profound guests.
In an alternate 1980s England, woolly mammoths migrate through the countryside, Tunbridge Wells has been given to Imperial Russia as Crimean War reparation, and the prevailing culture is based on literature. Due to her adventures in The Eyre Affair (Viking, 2002), newly married Thursday Next has become a media darling, but when an unknown work by Shakespeare surfaces, she is happy to be back to work. However, the megacorporation Goliath hasn't finished bedeviling her: Thursday's husband has been "time-slipped" and exists only in her memory. Further complicating matters, her Uncle Mycroft gives her an entroposcope-a jar of lentils and rice-revealing that the chaos in her life is rapidly escalating. So once again, Thursday jumps into a surreal literary world. This time, she has joined the "Jurisfiction" division and is paired with Charles Dickens's Miss Havesham, who has a penchant for leather jackets and driving recklessly. Absurd and amusing scenes take readers through discussions on theoretical physics, geometry, literature, art, and philosophy. Fforde not only tilts at ideological and insipid corporate windmills and human foibles, but can also make the naming of minor characters hilarious, as in the two unfortunate members of the dangerous SO-5 division, Phodder and Kannon. Reading this novel is like being at a fabulous party of phenomenally funny and wickedly profound guests.
Helpful Score: 1
Book 2 in the Thursday Next series. This one is a doozy! Hang on for the ride!!!
Helpful Score: 1
New idea for fiction! Characters interacting with known characters from literature. Fun!
Jennifer O. (bookloverjenni) reviewed Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Bk 2) on + 57 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
It is a joy to read the wonderfully strange world of Thursday Next.
Dana G. (cincinnatiyankee) reviewed Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Bk 2) on + 42 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book is an excellent continuation of the adventures of Thursday Next, Literary Detective. The plot twists wonderfully, making this a book I couldn't put down. The literary references and humor strewn throughout the book lighten the mood while a reader follows the tension of the plot. A bit of language makes this book appropriate for grown-ups; like the first one, I don't recommend it for younger teens.
Helpful Score: 1
LOVE this series, especially as a reader who recognizes the characters and stories from OTHER books included in this.
Helpful Score: 1
When books are real, and there are special police to protect them from being changed and destroyed all sorts of strange things can happen. Thursday gets to work as a Prose Resource Operative in the secret world of Jurisfiction, in order to hide from the Goliath Corporation, who eradicated her husband. Sarcasm, sly wit and turned-in humour make this book a wonderful treat!
Lost in a Good book did not live up to the expectations created by its predecessor. It felt like the author had 100 pages' worth of good ideas and needed to come up with 250 more pages to sell the book. Events did not happen logically or organically. They were created and plugged in to keep the story moving. As a result, the book feels disjointed and made up. There was also too much of the protagonist getting into impossible situations that only extraordinarily fortuitous events could save her from a la Doctor Who. All that being said, I really really really liked the ending.
Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Bk 2) on + 2527 more book reviews
This is the second book in the Thursday Next series. So far there are five books in this series with a sixth book "One of Our Thursdays is Missing" schedule for a March 2011 release date. This was a wonderful book. Not a super easy read, but very different from anything else I have ever read. You got a society very focused on books and book crime, time travel, travel through books, a little fantasy, a little mystery, a little sci-fi, and a lot of humor. A great addition to this series. I liked it even better than the first book in the series "Janey Eyare Affari".
Thursday Next is newly wed to Landon and has recently found out she is pregnant. Well of course this is when all hell breaks loose. Goliath Corporation wants Thursday to retrieve Jack Shitte from "The Raven" where she left him; in order to convince her to do this they have eradicated her husband Landon. Now Thursday is the only one who remembers Landon ever existed. On top of this a rare Shakespeare play has turned up, someone is trying to kill Thursday with a plethora of coincidences, and Thursday's father is popping in occasionally to let Thursday know the world is about to end any day and only Thursday can fix it. Thursday is determined to reinstate her husband and stop the end of the world, as well as stay alive herself. Thursday's efforts will take her deep into the department of Jurisfiction; where she learns that the literary landscape is deeper than she ever knew.
To say that a lot happens in this book is an understatement; this book is packed with intertwining plots and many strange coincidences. It will have you laughing out loud a number of times, and also engage your mind as you try not to miss any of the strange references and follow the entangled plot. That being said this was not a fast read, but it was a very engaging, entertaining, and clever read.
I am just flabbergasted at how well Fforde creates this amazing world and makes it engaging and not at all confusing. We learn a lot more about Thursday's world and the introduction of Jurisfiction adds a whole new dimension to the story. We are also learning a lot more about Thursday herself and about what makes her such an extraordinary character. A lot of depth was added to both the world and the characters in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about them both.
Overall a wonderful book. The plot is complex, the world and characters more filled out, very funny and engaging. I just loved it. I can't wait to read the next book in this series The Well of Lost Plots. I will mention though that this is not a fast read, type of book, it does take a bit of effort to follow all the jokes and the complex plot...still trust me the effort is well worth it.
Thursday Next is newly wed to Landon and has recently found out she is pregnant. Well of course this is when all hell breaks loose. Goliath Corporation wants Thursday to retrieve Jack Shitte from "The Raven" where she left him; in order to convince her to do this they have eradicated her husband Landon. Now Thursday is the only one who remembers Landon ever existed. On top of this a rare Shakespeare play has turned up, someone is trying to kill Thursday with a plethora of coincidences, and Thursday's father is popping in occasionally to let Thursday know the world is about to end any day and only Thursday can fix it. Thursday is determined to reinstate her husband and stop the end of the world, as well as stay alive herself. Thursday's efforts will take her deep into the department of Jurisfiction; where she learns that the literary landscape is deeper than she ever knew.
To say that a lot happens in this book is an understatement; this book is packed with intertwining plots and many strange coincidences. It will have you laughing out loud a number of times, and also engage your mind as you try not to miss any of the strange references and follow the entangled plot. That being said this was not a fast read, but it was a very engaging, entertaining, and clever read.
I am just flabbergasted at how well Fforde creates this amazing world and makes it engaging and not at all confusing. We learn a lot more about Thursday's world and the introduction of Jurisfiction adds a whole new dimension to the story. We are also learning a lot more about Thursday herself and about what makes her such an extraordinary character. A lot of depth was added to both the world and the characters in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about them both.
Overall a wonderful book. The plot is complex, the world and characters more filled out, very funny and engaging. I just loved it. I can't wait to read the next book in this series The Well of Lost Plots. I will mention though that this is not a fast read, type of book, it does take a bit of effort to follow all the jokes and the complex plot...still trust me the effort is well worth it.
Ok, I admit it, Fforde has me hooked on these books. Can't wait for The Well of Lost Plots.
If you haven't discover Jasper Fforde yetyou're in for a literary sci-fi comedy treat! Read them in order, starting with The Eyre Affair.
Book 2 of the Thursday Next series. In this book, Thursday loses her husband, and everyone else loses all memory of him. Is this Goliath's revenge for foiling their plans in the book? Is it part of her punishment for changing the ending of Jane Eyre? Or has she made a new enemy?
Anne R. (writingreader) reviewed Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Bk 2) on + 34 more book reviews
An enjoyable read. I like the Thursday Next series.
Fforde's books are awesome. Creativity should be this guy's middle name.
"Inventive, exhuberant, and totally original literary fun" where a detective named Thursday interacts with characters from the classics, including Miss Haversham from "Great Expectations", and the villain from Poe's "Raven." Quirky. You'll even find something here from Beatrix Potter...
If you love books and enjoyed the Eyre Affair this was an amazing sequel
Tremendous fun. Very witty.
First this book is actually a paperback, I have no idea why it has the hardback ISBN.
That's as may be, but this book is incredible. Nay, this series of books is incredible. You know how you read books and you think to yourself, "Well, this is a good book, but I could have thought of this plot line..."
Well, not this book, indeed this entire series of books. Thursday Next is the greatest character ever. I love the universe as created my Fforde and I would live there in a heartbeat. For anyone who likes to read. Awesome. Completely awesome.
That's as may be, but this book is incredible. Nay, this series of books is incredible. You know how you read books and you think to yourself, "Well, this is a good book, but I could have thought of this plot line..."
Well, not this book, indeed this entire series of books. Thursday Next is the greatest character ever. I love the universe as created my Fforde and I would live there in a heartbeat. For anyone who likes to read. Awesome. Completely awesome.
It picks up right where the first book left off. A very fun read. Jasper Fforde includes all kinds of small details to make Thursday's world seem real. I recomend Checking Thursday Next's website out, because it adds even more details.
Adrienne R. (AKAArdene) reviewed Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Bk 2) on + 42 more book reviews
great book which i found quite easy to read during two days on airplanes
great series! i loved it!
Important material if you are researching the end of the Crimean War.
Lost in A Good Book
The Well of Lost Plots - Jasper Fforde
These are #s 2 & 3 in the Thursday Next series (following "The Eyre Affair.")
I was in the mood for some fast, humorous reading, so these suited me quite well this week. Half alternate-world scifi, half detective novels, Fforde writes comedy for those of a literary bent. However, one doesn't really need to have read all the classics he refers to in the books to enjoy the story - you'll just get more of the jokes if you have.
In "Lost in a Good Book," SpecOps agent Thursday Next is riding high after her success in solving "The Eyre Affair" - but the evil corporation Goliath is after her, her beloved and newly-married husband has been eradicated through a time-travel plot, and it seems that the villain Hades may not be completely eliminated after all... but worst of all, it seems that all life on earth may be doomed to turn into pink goo... next week.
Can Thursday save herself, her husband, and the entire world?
"The Well of Lost Plots" follows the story directly. In order to escape the chaos of her world, Thursday decides to take a break in the book world - inside a peaceful, unpublished, bad detective novel. But, part of the deal is that she has to become a JurisFiction agent. Apprenticed to the feisty, speed-demon driver Miss Havisham (yes, from Dickens), Thursday discovers that the book world may be just as dangerous as her own. And what is up with the soon to be released new platform for literature - UltraWord?
In these books, Fforde really fleshes out and complexifies his worlds - both Thursday's alternate England and the BookWorld. They aren't, perhaps, as focused or "complete" (in and of themselves) as the first installment, but there's more here for everyone. Tons of fun details.
The Well of Lost Plots - Jasper Fforde
These are #s 2 & 3 in the Thursday Next series (following "The Eyre Affair.")
I was in the mood for some fast, humorous reading, so these suited me quite well this week. Half alternate-world scifi, half detective novels, Fforde writes comedy for those of a literary bent. However, one doesn't really need to have read all the classics he refers to in the books to enjoy the story - you'll just get more of the jokes if you have.
In "Lost in a Good Book," SpecOps agent Thursday Next is riding high after her success in solving "The Eyre Affair" - but the evil corporation Goliath is after her, her beloved and newly-married husband has been eradicated through a time-travel plot, and it seems that the villain Hades may not be completely eliminated after all... but worst of all, it seems that all life on earth may be doomed to turn into pink goo... next week.
Can Thursday save herself, her husband, and the entire world?
"The Well of Lost Plots" follows the story directly. In order to escape the chaos of her world, Thursday decides to take a break in the book world - inside a peaceful, unpublished, bad detective novel. But, part of the deal is that she has to become a JurisFiction agent. Apprenticed to the feisty, speed-demon driver Miss Havisham (yes, from Dickens), Thursday discovers that the book world may be just as dangerous as her own. And what is up with the soon to be released new platform for literature - UltraWord?
In these books, Fforde really fleshes out and complexifies his worlds - both Thursday's alternate England and the BookWorld. They aren't, perhaps, as focused or "complete" (in and of themselves) as the first installment, but there's more here for everyone. Tons of fun details.
Kristina P. (Luckistarr4) reviewed Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Bk 2) on + 79 more book reviews
I love this series!! Another great Thursday Next adventure!!
excellent, second book in series, so clever
Kristin D. (halfginger) reviewed Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Bk 2) on + 24 more book reviews
Really good follow up to The Eyre Affair. I truly got lost in it! :)
I loved this book. Fforde's style of humor is so engaging.It reminds me of Douglas Adams with it's intelligence.
Second of the Thursday Next books by Fforde. It was excellent!
Like his other books, only more so.
From Library Journal
Thursday Next, who literally jumps into books to do her detective work, must locate a surprise enemy in Poe's "The Raven" to save her beloved. The Eyre Affair, Thursday's first outing, was a surprise best seller.
Thursday Next, who literally jumps into books to do her detective work, must locate a surprise enemy in Poe's "The Raven" to save her beloved. The Eyre Affair, Thursday's first outing, was a surprise best seller.
This was recommended to me, mistakenly, I fear. The sequel to "The Jane Eyre Affair"
Another Thursday Next literary mystery.
