Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
New York: Viking, 2004.
Pages
xv; 375
Description
Leaving Swindon behind her to hide out in the Well of Lost Plots (the place where all fiction is created), Thursday Next, Literary Detective and soon-to-be one parent family, ponders her next move from within an unpublished book of dubious merit entitled 'Caversham Heights'. Landen, her husband, is still eradicated, Aornis Hades is meddling with Thursday's memory, and Miss Havisham - when not sewing up plot-holes in 'Mill on the Floss' - is trying to break the land-speed record on the A409. But something is rotten in the state of Jurisfiction. Perkins is 'accidentally' eaten by the minotaur, and Snell succumbs to the Mispeling Vyrus. As a shadow looms over popular fiction, Thursday must keep her wits about her and discover not only what is going on, but also who she can trust to tell about it ... With grammasites, holesmiths, trainee characters, pagerunners, baby dodos and an adopted home scheduled for demolition, 'The Well of Lost Plots' is at once an addictively exciting adventure and an insight into how books are made, who makes them - and why there is no singular for 'scampi'. In the words of one critic: 'Don't ask. Just read it.'… (more)
Media reviews
Yale Review
In Lost in a Good Book and The Well of Lost Plots, Fforde gets a bit bogged down in all the details of the fictional universe.
School Library Journal
Fforde's third novel featuring English sleuth Thursday Next is an interesting, enjoyable mix of detective story, fantasy, and literature.
Kirkus Reviews
Like anchovies, Wagner, and Helmut Newton: will greatly appeal to people with unusual tastes--and befuddle everyone else.
Library Journal
Fforde has settled comfortably into series mode, producing another fun romp in an alternate universe where books are more real than reality.
Publishers Weekly
Fforde's sidesplitting sendup of an increasingly antibookish society is a sheer joy.
Booklist
Amid the humor, wordplay, and fun with fiction's conventions, there's both a decent mystery and a book lover's plea to save the world's messiness from corporate streamlining.
Awards
Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction (Winner — 2004)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2004-02-23
Physical description
xv, 375 p.; 8.66 inches
ISBN
0670032891 / 9780670032891
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member PensiveCat
Possibly my favorite of the Thursday Next books. It's not the first of the series, so I'm not going to get into the details, but I loved the way fictional characters were developed from being practically blobs to full grown - sometimes even choosing the genre they feel they are suited for. There's
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a lot of word play - even if you're not the most well-read person there are plenty of laugh out loud moments. Read it or you're toast! Show Less
LibraryThing member ladydzura
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde is the third in the series of novels about Thursday Next, a literary detective in an alternate version of 1985. After battling the evil Goliath Corporation in her version of England, she learns that she has a special ability to enter books themselves, and
Being that Goliath has eradicated her husband, Landon -- Thursday and her grandmother are the only two people who remember that he ever existed -- and also being that she is pregnant, she decides to temporarily hide out in BookWorld -- more specifically, in the Well of Lost Plots, where all unwritten books hang out until they are written and published. Thursday becomes an apprentice of Jurisfiction, the BookWorld's policing unit, and is under the supervision of Great Expections's Miss Havisham as they try to uncover who is behind the murders of other Jurisfiction members. Thursday also takes it upon herself to train a couple of Generics -- backup book characters who can be trained to fill just about any role -- as well as to save the book in which she is seeking refuge before it is demolished. As this while trying to hang on to the memories of her husband and learning enough to become a full-fledged Jurisfiction agent.
While I certainly enjoyed the usual bit of wordplay and all of the literary references (both the obvious and the not-so-obvious ones, which I tend to enjoy a little more), I don't think this third book quite stands up to the first two. Everything felt a little jumbly, and to be quite honest, I had a heck of a time keeping some of the lesser characters completely straight. Thursday's struggles with Aornis over the memories of Landon feel like they were an afterthought, and that subplot got wrapped up a bit too easily. There are a couple of inconsistencies that I can't address without giving too much away, but those are quite possibly the result of being slightly too picky. Even with all the minor grumbles I have about The Well of Lost Plots, I still think it's a great read and will definitely be continuing on with the series.
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finds herself in -- ta da -- BookWorld. Being that Goliath has eradicated her husband, Landon -- Thursday and her grandmother are the only two people who remember that he ever existed -- and also being that she is pregnant, she decides to temporarily hide out in BookWorld -- more specifically, in the Well of Lost Plots, where all unwritten books hang out until they are written and published. Thursday becomes an apprentice of Jurisfiction, the BookWorld's policing unit, and is under the supervision of Great Expections's Miss Havisham as they try to uncover who is behind the murders of other Jurisfiction members. Thursday also takes it upon herself to train a couple of Generics -- backup book characters who can be trained to fill just about any role -- as well as to save the book in which she is seeking refuge before it is demolished. As this while trying to hang on to the memories of her husband and learning enough to become a full-fledged Jurisfiction agent.
While I certainly enjoyed the usual bit of wordplay and all of the literary references (both the obvious and the not-so-obvious ones, which I tend to enjoy a little more), I don't think this third book quite stands up to the first two. Everything felt a little jumbly, and to be quite honest, I had a heck of a time keeping some of the lesser characters completely straight. Thursday's struggles with Aornis over the memories of Landon feel like they were an afterthought, and that subplot got wrapped up a bit too easily. There are a couple of inconsistencies that I can't address without giving too much away, but those are quite possibly the result of being slightly too picky. Even with all the minor grumbles I have about The Well of Lost Plots, I still think it's a great read and will definitely be continuing on with the series.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Now hiding out from the Goliath Corporation in the Well of Lost Plots, Thursday has entered the Character Exchange Program in a never-will-be-published mystery featuring Jack Spratt. Aornis is still dangerously able to make Thursday forget Landon, her eradicated husband, and Miss Haversham is
Most of the events that The Well of Lost Plots is concerned with takes place in the Book World. We find out more about the history and politics going on in Jurisfiction. The footnoterphone is back, complete with junkfootnotes. Even more fanciful than the first two, I didn't think it held up as strongly but was still an enjoyable read.
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prepping Thursday to take the test to enter Jurisfiction.Most of the events that The Well of Lost Plots is concerned with takes place in the Book World. We find out more about the history and politics going on in Jurisfiction. The footnoterphone is back, complete with junkfootnotes. Even more fanciful than the first two, I didn't think it held up as strongly but was still an enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
Continued adventures of Thursday Next.
Thursday is now living in BookWorld - The 'real' world deemed too dangerous for her as yet unborn child, both SpecOps and Goliath aren't happy with her. But as part of the deal with the Character Exchange Program she has to complete her Jurisfiction training,
The entire book is set in Bookworld - which decreases the opportunity for outrageous puns, and character names. However he still manages to contrive a completely ridiculous "had had had" dialog, and of course there are more references to characters and books than you can believe. I recognised a lot, but not all. The actual plot is a bit rushed - especially the ending, although all the books feature a complex style with many different adventures weaving together, this is too many without the details that could make them good. On his website it's stated the entire book was written in 100 days rather than the 4 years for the Eyre Affair. It shows.
Overall - still laugh out loud funny in places, erudite and zany.
Thursday is now living in BookWorld - The 'real' world deemed too dangerous for her as yet unborn child, both SpecOps and Goliath aren't happy with her. But as part of the deal with the Character Exchange Program she has to complete her Jurisfiction training,
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and that isn't exactly safe either. Of course Landon her husband is still eradicated, and curtesy of Hades' mindowrm possibly forgotten too. Meanwhile with Miss Haverham and Snell's guidance, she continues to explore the weirdness of the bookworld. Train Generics to have a personality, the Textual sea, Cyrillic Ocean and of course the 26 floors of the Well of Lost Plots - repositry of unpublished fiction. And then shoehorned into the last third of the book, there is the new upgrade, UltraWord, V9.0 of the Book operating system. Promised to enhance the book (as we know it) in so many ways, yet thursday and some of the other Jurisfiction agents have their doubts - can it be that Mr Fforde isn't that keen on the Kindle?The entire book is set in Bookworld - which decreases the opportunity for outrageous puns, and character names. However he still manages to contrive a completely ridiculous "had had had" dialog, and of course there are more references to characters and books than you can believe. I recognised a lot, but not all. The actual plot is a bit rushed - especially the ending, although all the books feature a complex style with many different adventures weaving together, this is too many without the details that could make them good. On his website it's stated the entire book was written in 100 days rather than the 4 years for the Eyre Affair. It shows.
Overall - still laugh out loud funny in places, erudite and zany.
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LibraryThing member akfarrar
There is something ironic in the title of Jasper Fforde’s third Thursday Next novel, ‘The WELL of LOST PLOTS’ that I think might be unintentional.
To loose the plot of something is to go a little crazy to be totally out of touch – I’m not suggesting Mr. Fforde has gone that far, but the
Prime is the fact that when characters ‘die’ in this book, they are replaced by a look-alike, act-alike ’generic’ – which makes a complete nonsense out of the first book (The Eyre Affair ) in the series where events revolved about the kidnapping and threat of death to the character Jane Eyre. If Jane could simply have been ‘replaced’ what was all the fuss about?
For anyone reading this who is not familiar with the Fforde series, Thursday Next is a detective in a parallel world where the Crimean War hadn’t ended, where airships cross the sky and where you can enter books, if you have the know how, and hide from the big bad company trying to control the world whilst you have a baby and try to bring back you husband who has been unexisted from everyone’s memory – except for your own and your nutty granny.
It’s fantasy and funny combined with detective and is full of one liners and gentle literary references.
Which points to another problem I have with the book – once was funny, twice was amusing, thrice is getting obvious – the ‘into a book and reacting with characters’ is no longer smart, just tiresomely familiar - and Mr. Fforde hasn’t done enough to rescue the situation.
There was one point I thought he’d done it – he brought in Nemo, and things started to look up but then wasted the character.
A final moan is there is no development of character – no one really seems to change – even the ‘generic’ turning into a character had an oddness about it which meant they never really changed.
Both of the previous books in the series I devoured, this one took time to read. I felt a ‘so-what’ several times as I did read and had that feeling in my mouth at the end (the one where you try to eat slightly under cooked, unsalted, un-vinegared chips) which made me want to send it back and ask for a fully cooked version.
I shall try the next in the series, but Mr Fforde’s reputation is on the line.
To loose the plot of something is to go a little crazy to be totally out of touch – I’m not suggesting Mr. Fforde has gone that far, but the
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plotting of the story does suggest a little desperation and there are a couple of details that add to an inconsistency that is not comfortable for the reader.Prime is the fact that when characters ‘die’ in this book, they are replaced by a look-alike, act-alike ’generic’ – which makes a complete nonsense out of the first book (The Eyre Affair ) in the series where events revolved about the kidnapping and threat of death to the character Jane Eyre. If Jane could simply have been ‘replaced’ what was all the fuss about?
For anyone reading this who is not familiar with the Fforde series, Thursday Next is a detective in a parallel world where the Crimean War hadn’t ended, where airships cross the sky and where you can enter books, if you have the know how, and hide from the big bad company trying to control the world whilst you have a baby and try to bring back you husband who has been unexisted from everyone’s memory – except for your own and your nutty granny.
It’s fantasy and funny combined with detective and is full of one liners and gentle literary references.
Which points to another problem I have with the book – once was funny, twice was amusing, thrice is getting obvious – the ‘into a book and reacting with characters’ is no longer smart, just tiresomely familiar - and Mr. Fforde hasn’t done enough to rescue the situation.
There was one point I thought he’d done it – he brought in Nemo, and things started to look up but then wasted the character.
A final moan is there is no development of character – no one really seems to change – even the ‘generic’ turning into a character had an oddness about it which meant they never really changed.
Both of the previous books in the series I devoured, this one took time to read. I felt a ‘so-what’ several times as I did read and had that feeling in my mouth at the end (the one where you try to eat slightly under cooked, unsalted, un-vinegared chips) which made me want to send it back and ask for a fully cooked version.
I shall try the next in the series, but Mr Fforde’s reputation is on the line.
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LibraryThing member citygirl
The further I get into this series, the more I like it. 1) Laugh-out loud funny. Just imagine: Miss Havisham conducting an anger management group therapy session for the characters of Wuthering Heights: "We hate Heathcliff" 2) Clever What an imagination to come up with "generics" 3) Makes you want
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to go back and read all those classics you missed, because the characters show up in the story! Even Thursday's pet dodo gets even more endearing. I'm going to go order the next in the series right now. Show Less
LibraryThing member katylit
I'll give this 4 stars just for the imagination and romp of fun and zaniness that Fforde gives the reader. Here is another Thursday Next adventure, this time with Thursday going into The Well of Lost Plots, exchanging places with a character in a lame book that isn't getting published, so that she
I found it got off to a slow start for me, but there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and lots of chuckles. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
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will be safe from her enemies, while trying to figure out a way to save her lost husband. Naturally things don't stay calm and composed for our dear heroine and she gets carried away in intrigue and adventure in the WOLP world as much as in the real world.I found it got off to a slow start for me, but there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and lots of chuckles. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
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LibraryThing member hickmanmc
From library record - Thursday Next, an English detective who mingles, literally, in literature, escapes to a place far from her job protecting the classics--a never-published pulp fiction novel--to spend the rest of her pregnancy and finds herself battling crime once again, and protecting herself
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from a murderer. Just another great Fforde book. Thursday Next is now living in literature and is working for Jurisfiction (the force that polices fiction). Fforde is so clever in his writing that I find myself laughing at how he pokes fun at our world today. Definitely worth reading, but you should start at the first book (The Eyre Affair) and read the whole series. Show Less
LibraryThing member isabelx
The story begins with Thursday hiding out in the unpublished novel "Caversham Heights" under the character exchange program, while training as a Jurisfiction agent. She is filling in for a detective's sidekick called Mary, and sharing a houseboat with two generic story characters who are at such an
There were lots of very clever and amusing ideas, such as Miss Havisham running rage counselling sessions for the characters of "Wuthering Heights", but overall I didn't like this book as much as the first two in the series. I missed Thursday's family (especially her uncle's inventions) and her colleagues, and her adventures in the book world just didn't seem as exciting as those she had back in SpecOps.
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early stage of their training that they are indistinguishable from each other and don't even rate capitalisation when Thursday gives them the names ibb and obb. There wasn't much action in the first third of the book, while Thursday settled into her new home and job and I was getting ever so slightly bored, but things perked up when the minotaur escaped, there was an outbreak of the mispeling vyrus and Thrsday realises that someone is killing off Jurisfiction agents.There were lots of very clever and amusing ideas, such as Miss Havisham running rage counselling sessions for the characters of "Wuthering Heights", but overall I didn't like this book as much as the first two in the series. I missed Thursday's family (especially her uncle's inventions) and her colleagues, and her adventures in the book world just didn't seem as exciting as those she had back in SpecOps.
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LibraryThing member rocalisa
Blurb:
Leaving Swindon behind her, to hide out in The Well of Lost Plots - the place where all fiction is created - Thursday Next, Literary Detective and soon-to-be one parent family, ponders her next move from inside an unpublished novel of dubious merit entitled Caversham Heights. Her husband,
But changes are afoot within the world of fiction. The much-awaited upgrade to the centuries-old book system - in which grammasites will be exterminated, punctuation standardised and the number of possible plots increased from eight to an astonishing thirty-two - is only weeks away. But if this is the beginning of a golden age in fictional narrative, then why are Jurisfiction agents mysteriously dying? Perkins is eaten by the minotaur, Snell succumbs to the Mispeling Vyrus and Godot is missing.
As the date of the upgrade looms closer and the bookworld prepares for the 923rd Annual Fiction Awards, Thursday must unmask the villain responsible for the murders, establish just what exactly the upgrade entails - and do battle with an old enemy intent on playing havoc with her memories.
Review:
Once again, Fforde has provided a totally insane and totally fun adventure. I hadn't read this one before, although it was on my bookshelf, so I'm not sure why I hadn't read it. I wish I had done so sooner - although since I didn't I got to enjoy it now. I listened to most of this as an audiobook (which makes footnotes interesting), but after I got the book out to check one chapter that I'd found a little confusing to listen to, I found myself alternating between both media. Today, I just wanted to get to the end, picked up the book and finished it.
Thursday remains a brilliant character and well-written narrator and she tells the story of her adventures in the Book World with great aplomb. I'm not the sort to laugh out loud (or not much anyway) but I certainly found myself giggling upon occasion.
Fforde's Book World is a well crafted place, complete with its own rules, regulations and police force. The Well of Lost Plots is a particularly clever creation, full of books in progress and a whole infrastructure to support this. I'm sure any would-be writer can relate to the character's fears for their future if their book fails to find a publisher and be fascinated by the development of a generic chracter (all of which attend a school called St. Tabula-Rasa's). The way all the book characters have full and complicated lives outside the times their books are being read and the way various characters, especially those from out of print books, turn up in other people's books is a delight. The Well of Lost Plots is full of puns, literary illusions (many of which I'm sure I missed since I was never an English major) and a very wicked sort of humour. If you like those sorts of things, you'll love this book. If you don't, you'll hate it.
I suspect part of the reason I didn't originally read this is that I was afraid my lack of reading in the classics would make me miss too much. I haven't found that to be a problem and I was surprised that I "got" more than I would have expected to. It's not all about "literature" either - there was a great scene in a rough bar down in one of the Well's sublevels that was a direct rip-off of the cantina scene in Star Wars, right down to the ratty human speaking in an unfamiliar dialect (in this case, courier bold). I also loved Thursday's near-fatal trip into an Enid Blyton novel, that proves things aren't all sunshine and smiles in even the most apparently innocuous book.
I'll be moving right on to Thursday's next adventure, Something Rotten, and hoping the fact none of my school English teachers ever chose to have the class study Hamlet won't hinder my enjoyment. Eventually, I'll also be reading Fforde's Nursery Crime series (after I finish this series of course), which was set up as a sub-plot in this book.
The Well of Lost Plots
Thursday Next, Book 3
Audiobook
9/10
Leaving Swindon behind her, to hide out in The Well of Lost Plots - the place where all fiction is created - Thursday Next, Literary Detective and soon-to-be one parent family, ponders her next move from inside an unpublished novel of dubious merit entitled Caversham Heights. Her husband,
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Landen, exists only in her memories and with Goliath and the Chronoguard on her tail in the real world, the safest place for her to be is inside the covers of a book.But changes are afoot within the world of fiction. The much-awaited upgrade to the centuries-old book system - in which grammasites will be exterminated, punctuation standardised and the number of possible plots increased from eight to an astonishing thirty-two - is only weeks away. But if this is the beginning of a golden age in fictional narrative, then why are Jurisfiction agents mysteriously dying? Perkins is eaten by the minotaur, Snell succumbs to the Mispeling Vyrus and Godot is missing.
As the date of the upgrade looms closer and the bookworld prepares for the 923rd Annual Fiction Awards, Thursday must unmask the villain responsible for the murders, establish just what exactly the upgrade entails - and do battle with an old enemy intent on playing havoc with her memories.
Review:
Once again, Fforde has provided a totally insane and totally fun adventure. I hadn't read this one before, although it was on my bookshelf, so I'm not sure why I hadn't read it. I wish I had done so sooner - although since I didn't I got to enjoy it now. I listened to most of this as an audiobook (which makes footnotes interesting), but after I got the book out to check one chapter that I'd found a little confusing to listen to, I found myself alternating between both media. Today, I just wanted to get to the end, picked up the book and finished it.
Thursday remains a brilliant character and well-written narrator and she tells the story of her adventures in the Book World with great aplomb. I'm not the sort to laugh out loud (or not much anyway) but I certainly found myself giggling upon occasion.
Fforde's Book World is a well crafted place, complete with its own rules, regulations and police force. The Well of Lost Plots is a particularly clever creation, full of books in progress and a whole infrastructure to support this. I'm sure any would-be writer can relate to the character's fears for their future if their book fails to find a publisher and be fascinated by the development of a generic chracter (all of which attend a school called St. Tabula-Rasa's). The way all the book characters have full and complicated lives outside the times their books are being read and the way various characters, especially those from out of print books, turn up in other people's books is a delight. The Well of Lost Plots is full of puns, literary illusions (many of which I'm sure I missed since I was never an English major) and a very wicked sort of humour. If you like those sorts of things, you'll love this book. If you don't, you'll hate it.
I suspect part of the reason I didn't originally read this is that I was afraid my lack of reading in the classics would make me miss too much. I haven't found that to be a problem and I was surprised that I "got" more than I would have expected to. It's not all about "literature" either - there was a great scene in a rough bar down in one of the Well's sublevels that was a direct rip-off of the cantina scene in Star Wars, right down to the ratty human speaking in an unfamiliar dialect (in this case, courier bold). I also loved Thursday's near-fatal trip into an Enid Blyton novel, that proves things aren't all sunshine and smiles in even the most apparently innocuous book.
I'll be moving right on to Thursday's next adventure, Something Rotten, and hoping the fact none of my school English teachers ever chose to have the class study Hamlet won't hinder my enjoyment. Eventually, I'll also be reading Fforde's Nursery Crime series (after I finish this series of course), which was set up as a sub-plot in this book.
The Well of Lost Plots
Thursday Next, Book 3
Audiobook
9/10
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
The Well of Lost Plots continues the tongue-in-cheek adventures of Thursday Next and her foray into the world of Jurisfiction. This time, she is fully immersed in the book world, hiding from Golaith Corporation and the Hades family while she regains her strength and nurtures her growing belly. Next
More so than the previous two novels, The Well of Lost Plots offers pure enjoyment for true bibliophiles. The jumps into various books, a trial held by the King and Queen of Hearts, the methodology in which novels are "written" is truly ingenious and absolutely hilarious. There is so much to love, whether it is seeing the inner workings of Wuthering Heights, the passing mentions of high literature, or the darker nature of children's novels. As I was listening at work, as always, this got me in trouble several times as I had to stop myself from laughing out loud in a completely silent and studious office setting.
The story does tie the first two books together quite nicely but does it in such a way that new readers should have very little difficulty picking up the key plot lines. For those readers who are continuing the story, Mr. Fforde explains these previous key plot points without being redundant or dragging down the current plot. Better yet, Mr. Fforde is able to continue to surprise and engage the reader in such a way that the reader cannot wait for more adventures.
What continues to amaze and delight me is how well this story translates to audio productions. If one didn't know any better, one would suspect that Mr. Fforde wrote them with audiobooks in mind. The entire scene with the "Misspelling Virus" is supremely effective as the characters do battle with this insidious virus that threatens the plot continuity of any given novel. Audibly, it was a powerful scene; the comedy really shines as a result of the mispronunciations that occur because of the virus. Visually, the reader misses those mispronunciations and must glean them for himself; it is just not as effective a medium to portray the humor in that scene. There are many other scenes - asides, sentences or even simple descriptions, that are much more powerful when heard rather than read, for which it is well worth experiencing at least one of these stories audibly to hear the difference.
Elizabeth Sastre is the third narrator for this series. Her voice is surprisingly similar to the previous two narrators, Susan Duerdin and Emily Gray, which helps with the continuity of the story. There were some interesting differences though, especially with her pronunciation of various names of characters and places. Ms. Sastre was not quite as good at differentiating between the characters as Ms. Duerdin, but she was much better than Ms. Gray, especially among the male voices. Where she excels above the other two, however, is in her ability to capture the sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek portions of the story with the earnestness the character of Thursday Next requires.
Mr. Fforde's words with Ms. Sastre's performance combines to make The Well of Lost Plots my favorite Thursday Next novel yet. It continues the brilliantly original and funny story of Thursday Next without growing stale or rehashing previously used jokes. Ms. Sastre is an excellent voice for Thursday, matter-of-fact and honest in her delivery. I had my doubts with the second novel in the series, but after reading this third one, I am definitely ready to continue the series.
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has lost none of her feistiness though, which means that hijinks ensue as she uncovers an insidious plot designed to change the book world forever.More so than the previous two novels, The Well of Lost Plots offers pure enjoyment for true bibliophiles. The jumps into various books, a trial held by the King and Queen of Hearts, the methodology in which novels are "written" is truly ingenious and absolutely hilarious. There is so much to love, whether it is seeing the inner workings of Wuthering Heights, the passing mentions of high literature, or the darker nature of children's novels. As I was listening at work, as always, this got me in trouble several times as I had to stop myself from laughing out loud in a completely silent and studious office setting.
The story does tie the first two books together quite nicely but does it in such a way that new readers should have very little difficulty picking up the key plot lines. For those readers who are continuing the story, Mr. Fforde explains these previous key plot points without being redundant or dragging down the current plot. Better yet, Mr. Fforde is able to continue to surprise and engage the reader in such a way that the reader cannot wait for more adventures.
What continues to amaze and delight me is how well this story translates to audio productions. If one didn't know any better, one would suspect that Mr. Fforde wrote them with audiobooks in mind. The entire scene with the "Misspelling Virus" is supremely effective as the characters do battle with this insidious virus that threatens the plot continuity of any given novel. Audibly, it was a powerful scene; the comedy really shines as a result of the mispronunciations that occur because of the virus. Visually, the reader misses those mispronunciations and must glean them for himself; it is just not as effective a medium to portray the humor in that scene. There are many other scenes - asides, sentences or even simple descriptions, that are much more powerful when heard rather than read, for which it is well worth experiencing at least one of these stories audibly to hear the difference.
Elizabeth Sastre is the third narrator for this series. Her voice is surprisingly similar to the previous two narrators, Susan Duerdin and Emily Gray, which helps with the continuity of the story. There were some interesting differences though, especially with her pronunciation of various names of characters and places. Ms. Sastre was not quite as good at differentiating between the characters as Ms. Duerdin, but she was much better than Ms. Gray, especially among the male voices. Where she excels above the other two, however, is in her ability to capture the sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek portions of the story with the earnestness the character of Thursday Next requires.
Mr. Fforde's words with Ms. Sastre's performance combines to make The Well of Lost Plots my favorite Thursday Next novel yet. It continues the brilliantly original and funny story of Thursday Next without growing stale or rehashing previously used jokes. Ms. Sastre is an excellent voice for Thursday, matter-of-fact and honest in her delivery. I had my doubts with the second novel in the series, but after reading this third one, I am definitely ready to continue the series.
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LibraryThing member thioviolight
I found this a very entertaining read. It gives "escaping into fiction" a whole new meaning. Makes me wish I could enjoy adventures in books in the same way!
LibraryThing member Kplatypus
Pregnant, missing a husband, and on the run from a new persecutor, Thursday Next has taken refuge in an unpublished book that resides in the Well of Lost Plots. Shortly after her arrival, however, she discovers that her vacation might not be quite as restful as she envisioned. Her training as a
Like the previous two books in the series, The Well of Lost Plots was an enjoyable if unastounding book. Solidly good, I would say. The fact that I read two in a row (and will likely start the next in the series this evening) says something, I suppose. Mr. Fforde's ideas, at least, continue to amuse, as do his innovative takes on literature and literary people.
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Jurisfiction agent, under the tutelage of Miss Havisham, continues apace as she fights to retain her memories of Landan, her eradicated husband. Being who she is, Thursday also manages to get herself deeply embroiled in the politics of BookWorld and finds herself on the trail of a murderer and a trail of corruption that leads her to some very unexpected places.Like the previous two books in the series, The Well of Lost Plots was an enjoyable if unastounding book. Solidly good, I would say. The fact that I read two in a row (and will likely start the next in the series this evening) says something, I suppose. Mr. Fforde's ideas, at least, continue to amuse, as do his innovative takes on literature and literary people.
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LibraryThing member taramatchi
This is the 3rd book in the Thursday Next series and I thought it was really good, although it started a bit slow for me. I loved getting to know the characters in Jurisfiction better and the adventures were plentiful! I loved some of the exchanges between characters. I loved the idea of the
What amazes me most is the amazing imagination that Fforde has and the little details that crack me up when I stop to think about it! My favorite reference of this book was the references to Godot! It cracked me up each time they were at role call and the Bellman would ask "Who are we waiting on?"
So much happens in this adventure and all the twists and turns were tied up nicely in the end.
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generics and loved the dialogue between Randolph and Lola. It was a great relationship to follow. What amazes me most is the amazing imagination that Fforde has and the little details that crack me up when I stop to think about it! My favorite reference of this book was the references to Godot! It cracked me up each time they were at role call and the Bellman would ask "Who are we waiting on?"
So much happens in this adventure and all the twists and turns were tied up nicely in the end.
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LibraryThing member raizel
Thursday hides inside a bad book, lives on a houseboat and becomes friends with generics, who gradually develop personalities as the story progresses. Strange but fun. Lots of playing with text; some I get, but not all. Footnotes in book contain conversations. The back of the book has ads for
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visiting inside novels and credits. Show Less
LibraryThing member readafew
Well of Lost Plots is the 3rd book in the Thursday Next series. This book starts off right where the last book ended. Thursday is taking over for a character in Caversham Heights via the Character Exchange Program. It's supposed to be a pretty relaxing time for her, so of course it's anything but.
Overall a good book and worth a read if you already like the others but I would avoid this one as an introduction to the world of Thursday Next. It just is missing something to give it the same humor and impact as the first 2.
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She finds she's housing 2 Generics, her Gran shows up and informs Thursday she has a mind worm from Aornis that is slowly attacking all her memories, she's still pregnant and is trying to pass her exams to become a full member of Jurisfiction.Overall a good book and worth a read if you already like the others but I would avoid this one as an introduction to the world of Thursday Next. It just is missing something to give it the same humor and impact as the first 2.
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LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
This book, the third in the series, is more like the first than the second. This is a good thing because the first chooses to focus mainly on one major issue rather than introducing a myriad of problems (including a large cast) as the second one does, which gets a bit confusing. This one returns to
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that simpler formula and focuses on Thursday's adventures within the book world. Of course, the author introduces new concepts which seem to negate other issues in the very fantasy world he has created. For instance, in this book he introduces the “Generics,” book world beings who have yet to be shaped into a full-fledged character. These beings can be substitutes for other characters when the original is no longer able to fulfill their role. This is a fine plot tool for what Fforde is trying to accomplish in this book, but it raises questions about the drama of the first novel, in which the potential death of the Jane Eyre character is seen as a something that would end the book altogether. According to the new rules laid out by Fforde, she would simply be replaced by a generic. However, if you put aside looking too much at the rules of this fantasy world created by Fforde, this is an enjoyable read with action, adventure, and a few laughs along the way. Show Less
LibraryThing member soliloquies
Not quite as engaging as the previous two books in the series, but this is still an entertaining read. A killer is on the loose in the fictional world - will Thursday be able to work out who is behind the dastardly plot?!
LibraryThing member madamejeanie
This is the third of the Thursday Next series and it leaves you with the
same cliffhanger as the second one! In this one, Thursday has escaped
Goliath by jumping into fiction, joining Jurisfiction (the "policing" agency
of fiction) and switching places with a minor character from an unpublished
book in
world" who wish her harm will never find her there, and she can rest and
await the birth of her baby. But there is no rest for the weary in the
WOLP, so we follow our heroine from one disjointed catastrophe to another.
Apparently they all come together in the end and make sense (of a sort) for
very little in this novel advances the storyline that was begun in the first
book of the series.
While this book was interesting enough and entertaining, I thought it let me
down. Mainly because it didn't advance the story or take me off that cliff
I was left hanging on in the second book. Thursday's husband is still
eradicated, and nothing was done toward fixing that problem.
I took a peek at Fforde's website and see that there is a fourth book in
this series, "Something Rotten" that comes out in paperback next month, so I
suppose I'll get it and see if she ever gets him back. This book was good,
but I can't rate it as highly as others have because it didn't satisfy me.
It gets a 4.
same cliffhanger as the second one! In this one, Thursday has escaped
Goliath by jumping into fiction, joining Jurisfiction (the "policing" agency
of fiction) and switching places with a minor character from an unpublished
book in
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the Well of Lost Plots. Goliath and the forces of evil in the "realworld" who wish her harm will never find her there, and she can rest and
await the birth of her baby. But there is no rest for the weary in the
WOLP, so we follow our heroine from one disjointed catastrophe to another.
Apparently they all come together in the end and make sense (of a sort) for
very little in this novel advances the storyline that was begun in the first
book of the series.
While this book was interesting enough and entertaining, I thought it let me
down. Mainly because it didn't advance the story or take me off that cliff
I was left hanging on in the second book. Thursday's husband is still
eradicated, and nothing was done toward fixing that problem.
I took a peek at Fforde's website and see that there is a fourth book in
this series, "Something Rotten" that comes out in paperback next month, so I
suppose I'll get it and see if she ever gets him back. This book was good,
but I can't rate it as highly as others have because it didn't satisfy me.
It gets a 4.
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LibraryThing member sabbiemv
The story so far: Thursday Next has left Swindon to reside in The Well of Lost Plots. She is pregnant and husband Landen is still in a state of eradication by the ChronoGuard.
In the Well of Lost Plots, Thurs finds that Aornis Hades is in her mind erasing all her memories in a bid to avenge the
Thursday almost forgets everything - the existence of Landen; the death of her brother Anton and even her very self - but Aornis' downfall is the fact that she wasn't thorough in her search for Thursday's worst/most upsetting memory. Because of this, Thurs was able to unleash it and defeat Aornis.
This is not the real Aornis, mind you, as she is still in the 'Outland'.
What is residing in Thursday's mind is a mnemonomorph - a sort of memory virus created by the real Aornis.
In Bookworld, all is not well - Ultraword TM is about to be established which will lead to the destruction of Bookworld as they know it.
Thurs eventually saves the day. losing Mrs Havisham, Snell and Perkins on the way.
I am astounded by the sheer imagination of Fforde! I couldn't put this book down. Some parts are so convincing that I strongly suspect Fforde didn't invent this piece of fiction - perhaps Bookworld really exists!
OK, maybe that's going a bit too far, but it is the most genuine praise I can offer. How could he write about a world so intricately? How many books has he read to be able to 'sample' them in the Thursday Next series?
Why can't everybody be required to study his work? It should be a set text at school.
Pure genius!
In the Well of Lost Plots, Thurs finds that Aornis Hades is in her mind erasing all her memories in a bid to avenge the
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death of Aecheron.Thursday almost forgets everything - the existence of Landen; the death of her brother Anton and even her very self - but Aornis' downfall is the fact that she wasn't thorough in her search for Thursday's worst/most upsetting memory. Because of this, Thurs was able to unleash it and defeat Aornis.
This is not the real Aornis, mind you, as she is still in the 'Outland'.
What is residing in Thursday's mind is a mnemonomorph - a sort of memory virus created by the real Aornis.
In Bookworld, all is not well - Ultraword TM is about to be established which will lead to the destruction of Bookworld as they know it.
Thurs eventually saves the day. losing Mrs Havisham, Snell and Perkins on the way.
I am astounded by the sheer imagination of Fforde! I couldn't put this book down. Some parts are so convincing that I strongly suspect Fforde didn't invent this piece of fiction - perhaps Bookworld really exists!
OK, maybe that's going a bit too far, but it is the most genuine praise I can offer. How could he write about a world so intricately? How many books has he read to be able to 'sample' them in the Thursday Next series?
Why can't everybody be required to study his work? It should be a set text at school.
Pure genius!
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LibraryThing member seldombites
This was certainly an unusual and original plot. Having the story set within the confines of fiction itself (rather than a fictional 'real world') took some getting used to. Once I got into the book a little further, however, I found it an enthralling read. The scene of this drama made it
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impossible to predict what came next - around every corner was a new surprise. I don't feel that not having read the previous books in the series detracted from my enjoyment in any way, nor did it affect my understanding of events. However, I enjoyed The Well of lost Plots so much that I will be making a point of reading the other 'Thursday Next' books. Show Less
LibraryThing member xicanti
Thursday Next takes up residence in the Well of Lost Plots, the area of the Great Library in which unpublished books reside.
This was yet another zany, entertaining entry in the series. I didn't find it quite as funny as the last couple of books, but it was clever enough to make up for the lack of
As was the case with the last volume, I did find that Thursday's own struggles faded into the background amidst all the shenanigans. The novel came together pretty nicely in the end, but I felt that the plot kind of got lost in the shuffle. Not a huge issue from my end, but some readers may find it frustrating.
Definitely recommended to everyone who enjoyed the first two books.
This was yet another zany, entertaining entry in the series. I didn't find it quite as funny as the last couple of books, but it was clever enough to make up for the lack of
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laugh-out-loud moments. Once again, Fforde spins a great, rambling yarn in which the BookWorld comes off as entirely believable despite its sheer unbelievability. He writes these over-the-top situations with such conviction that my belief was always firmly suspended. I was willing to buy into each and every one of these strange, clever scenarios as they twisted their way through to a conclusion.As was the case with the last volume, I did find that Thursday's own struggles faded into the background amidst all the shenanigans. The novel came together pretty nicely in the end, but I felt that the plot kind of got lost in the shuffle. Not a huge issue from my end, but some readers may find it frustrating.
Definitely recommended to everyone who enjoyed the first two books.
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LibraryThing member caerulius
In the third book of the series, Thursday Next, now pregnant with the child of her eradicated (no longer ever-having existed)husband, finds herself living in the Well of Lost Plots, where ideas, language and narrative devices come together to form books. Holed up in a third-rate unpublished
Much of what is best in these books are the fantasy details and the handling of well-known fictional characters. Think you know Miss Havisham? What if she were a road-racing speed demon, feuding with Carroll's Queen of Hearts? Imagine a group-therapy session between the characters of Wuthering Heights.
Imagine strange beasts that destroy prose, called grammasites, making language dull and vapid. Dark underworld alleys where plot devices can be sold cheap.
A satire, pun and enjoyable romp through fiction. On par with the previous two.
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detective novel, she prepares for her exams to become a full Jurisfiction agent, and to garner her strength for childbirth and for eventually returning to the "real world" to make the evil Goliath Corporation re-actualize her husband and to foil whatever evil plans the fictional megalomaniac Yorrick Kaine is hatching. Meanwhile, she is pursued by her old nemesis, Acheron Hades' little sister, the menmonomorph, Aornis, who can change people's memories. The book she's hiding in is threatened with demolition. And, as the Bookworld prepares for the launch of UltraWord, a new Story Operating System, Jurisfiction agents are being killed, to cover up some nefarious plot that Thursday must uncover.Much of what is best in these books are the fantasy details and the handling of well-known fictional characters. Think you know Miss Havisham? What if she were a road-racing speed demon, feuding with Carroll's Queen of Hearts? Imagine a group-therapy session between the characters of Wuthering Heights.
Imagine strange beasts that destroy prose, called grammasites, making language dull and vapid. Dark underworld alleys where plot devices can be sold cheap.
A satire, pun and enjoyable romp through fiction. On par with the previous two.
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LibraryThing member bookheaven
This series is so inventive and witty that it is pure pleasure to read.
LibraryThing member JBD1
Quite as good as the first two, Next's adventures in the BookWorld continue with all their imaginative consequences. Plus, there's a baby dodo.