Call number
Genres
Publication
[New York] : Viking, 2020.
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Humor (Fiction.) HTML:"Reads like a crazed cross between Watership Down and Nineteen Eighty-Four." �??The Guardian "Every book of Fforde's seems to be a cause for celebration." �?? Charles Yu, The New York Times Book Review on Early Riser A new stand-alone novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Early Riser and the Thursday Next series England, 2022. There are 1.2 million human-size rabbits living in the UK. They wear clothes and can walk, talk and drive cars, the result of an inexplicable Spontaneous Anthropomorphizing Event fifty-five years earlier. A family of rabbits is about to move into Much Hemlock, a cozy little village in Middle England where life revolves around summer fetes, jam making, gossipy corner stores, and the oh-so-important Spick & Span awards for the best-kept village. No sooner have the rabbits arrived than the villagers decide they must depart, citing their propensity to burrow and breed, and their shameless levels of veganism. But Mrs Constance Rabbit is made of sterner stuff, and she and her family decide they are to stay. Unusually, their neighbors�??longtime resident Peter Knox and his daughter, Pippa�??decide to stand with them . . . and soon discover that you can be a friend to rabbits or to humans, but not both. With a blossoming romance, acute cultural differences, enforced rehoming to a MegaWarren in Wales and the full power of the ruling United Kingdom Anti-Rabbit Party against them, Peter and Pippa are about to question everything they had ever thought about their friends, their nation, and their species. An inimitable blend of satire, fantasy and thriller, The Constant Rabbit is the latest dazzlingly original foray into Jasper Fforde's ever-astonishing crea… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020-07
ISBN
9780593296523
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User reviews
LibraryThing member setnahkt
Jasper Fforde does another masterful tragi-comic novel with The Constant Rabbit. In 1967, The Inexplicable Spontaneous Anthropomorphizing Event converted eighteen rabbits, six weasels, five guinea pigs, three foxes, a Dalmatian, a badger, nine bees and a caterpillar to human-size creatures that
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wear clothes, drive cars, and are fond of Victorian novels. (Other such events occurred in Kenya, Australia, and Oregon – where it was decided the 2nd Amendment protected the Right to Arm Bears). The rabbits pose a particular problem in the UK, with irrational fears of a rabbit population explosion imposing mandatory veganism; this is unfortunately answered by United Kingdom Anti-Rabbit Party and its militant wing TwoLegsGood. The UKARP, after denying rabbits a right to higher education and restricting them to MegaWarrens, is now planning a forcible removal of all rabbits to Wales. The protagonist is Peter Knox, a minor bureaucrat in RabCoT (the agency responsible for rabbit law enforcement). The whole things is, or course, a thinly veiled satire on Nazism and its modern offshoots (I don’t know if Fforde intended the title The Constant Rabbit to be a parody of the horrific Nazi propaganda film The Eternal Jew). At any rate it’s fun and entertaining – if sometimes bittersweet. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Weird, Vey weird even by Jasper's normally quite weird standards. Not as funny as some of his other works, and quite notably more political, a very topical Brexit/immigration satire, I'm not sure how well it will age, or be received in other parts of the world.
The basic premise is that 50 years ago
TBC
The basic premise is that 50 years ago
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there was an unexplained Event which anthropomorphised a few animals: a few rabbits, foxes weasels etc. Rabbits although now human sized and equally intelligent still managed to breed at their normal rate, and so became a population of several million. The foxes and the weasels entered the civil service in order to help control them. TBC
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LibraryThing member invisiblelizard
Although I didn’t record it in these pages here, I feel the same about The Constant Rabbit as I did about Early Riser: it’s a clever idea for a story that fizzled out before the end. He starts strong and makes some bold choices. I think he has the makings of a strong allegory about nationalism The immigrants, depicted here as rabbits, didn’t like the way they were being treated and went home. No revelations or realization on the part of the humans at large. Just more of the same.
I like how he used some self referential elements when talking about the “event” as being ironic in nature. But this line from chapter 26: “... maybe it’s just satire for comedy’s sake and nothing else” seems a little too on the nose to me and might be Fforde’s way of explaining the intent behind the entire book.
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on his hands here, especially with the news coming out of the U.K. of people for/against refugees and immigrants much the same as in the U.S. But instead of taking that to a logical conclusion or showing us any depth of thought into the subject, he wraps up with an unsatisfying ending. I like how he used some self referential elements when talking about the “event” as being ironic in nature. But this line from chapter 26: “... maybe it’s just satire for comedy’s sake and nothing else” seems a little too on the nose to me and might be Fforde’s way of explaining the intent behind the entire book.
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LibraryThing member Othemts
I've been a fan of Jasper Fforde's works for many years and there are some things I've come to expect. 1) Elements of the fantastical in an otherwise ordinary world and 2) the characters in the story live under autocratic world in a dystopia. The fantastical element of this book is that an
The story is told from the perspective of Peter Knox, a human who is especially skilled in distinguish among rabbits and thus works as a Spotter for a draconian government organization Rabbit Compliance Taskforce. Knox represents the the liberal person who is sympathetic to the cause of the oppressed but doesn't want to get involved. In the novel, a rabbit family moves in next door to Knox including Constance, a rabbit Knox was acquainted with in college to whom he maintains an attraction. Over the course of the novel Knox is drawn into the rabbit resistance at the same time the government advances its plan to suppress the rabbits once and for all.
What I love about Fforde's novels is that when he creates an alternate universe he always dives in deep into the detail about how the universe works. The universe of anthropomorphic rabbits is no exception. Fforde does a great job creating the culture and everyday life of the rabbit world that seems true to their species and their magical transformation. I particularly like a scene late in the novel when a rabbit lawyer is able to find loopholes in case against Knox in order to have the charges dropped.
This may not be my favorite Fforde novel but it is still a very good one. And if heavy-handed analogies to current events are not your thing, be warned that this book is full of them. But I believe it still works as an effective commentary and satire.
Favorite Passages:
Somebody once said that the library is actually the dominant life form on the planet. Humans simply exist as the reproductive means to achieve more libraries.
‘I fully appreciate what you’re saying, Peter,’ he said, which was Mallett shorthand for ‘I would utterly reject what you’re saying if I were listening, which I’m not’, ‘and all I want to do is raise awareness,’ which was, again, Mr Mallett’s shorthand for ‘I think I’ll stir up a whole heap of trouble and hope that in the ensuing scrum I’ll get what I want but not be held accountable for it’. He went on: ‘We must remain utterly vigilant at all times, and I’ll be honest, Peter, I didn’t have you pegged as a friend to rabbits.’
‘And don’t say you’re not personally responsible,’ continued Mr Ffoxe, ‘because you are. Your tacit support of the status quo is proof of your complicity, your shrugging indifference a favourable vote in support of keeping things exactly as they are. I’m not the murderer, Knox, you are – you and all your pathetic little naked primate cousins with their silly hairstyles and gangly limbs and overdeveloped sense of entitlement and self-serving delusion.’
While most humans are wired to be reasonably decent, a few are wired to be utter shits – and they do tend to tip the balance.’
‘Perhaps that’s what satire does – not change things wholesale but nudge the collective consciousness in a direction that favours justice and equality.
The bears in Oregon generally kept to themselves, but had recently been given Second Amendment rights, so were legally allowed to shoot hunters in self-defence – and did so quite frequently, much to the annoyance of hunters, who considered it ‘manifestly unfair’ because the bears, now suitably armed, were actually better hunters than they were.
The way we see it, London is just one massive money-laundering scheme attached to an impressive public transport system and a few museums, of which even the most honest has more stolen goods than a lock-up garage in Worcester rented by a guy I know called Chalky.’
‘Humans have a very clear idea about how to behave, and on many occasions actually do. But it’s sometimes disheartening that correct action is drowned out by endless chitter-chatter, designed not to find a way forward but to justify petty jealousies and illogically held prejudices. If you’re going to talk, try to make it relevant, useful and progressive rather than simply distracting and time-wasting nonsense, intended only to justify the untenable and postpone the real dialogue that needs to happen.’
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unexplained event caused rabbits to take on human forms. The dystopia is that the British government has fallen under control of rightwing extremists who use fear to discriminate against the anthropomorphized rabbits. The dystopia is in effect the Britain of UKIP and Brexit (or the United States of Tea Party and Trump) and the metaphor isn't even slightly nuanced.The story is told from the perspective of Peter Knox, a human who is especially skilled in distinguish among rabbits and thus works as a Spotter for a draconian government organization Rabbit Compliance Taskforce. Knox represents the the liberal person who is sympathetic to the cause of the oppressed but doesn't want to get involved. In the novel, a rabbit family moves in next door to Knox including Constance, a rabbit Knox was acquainted with in college to whom he maintains an attraction. Over the course of the novel Knox is drawn into the rabbit resistance at the same time the government advances its plan to suppress the rabbits once and for all.
What I love about Fforde's novels is that when he creates an alternate universe he always dives in deep into the detail about how the universe works. The universe of anthropomorphic rabbits is no exception. Fforde does a great job creating the culture and everyday life of the rabbit world that seems true to their species and their magical transformation. I particularly like a scene late in the novel when a rabbit lawyer is able to find loopholes in case against Knox in order to have the charges dropped.
This may not be my favorite Fforde novel but it is still a very good one. And if heavy-handed analogies to current events are not your thing, be warned that this book is full of them. But I believe it still works as an effective commentary and satire.
Favorite Passages:
Somebody once said that the library is actually the dominant life form on the planet. Humans simply exist as the reproductive means to achieve more libraries.
‘I fully appreciate what you’re saying, Peter,’ he said, which was Mallett shorthand for ‘I would utterly reject what you’re saying if I were listening, which I’m not’, ‘and all I want to do is raise awareness,’ which was, again, Mr Mallett’s shorthand for ‘I think I’ll stir up a whole heap of trouble and hope that in the ensuing scrum I’ll get what I want but not be held accountable for it’. He went on: ‘We must remain utterly vigilant at all times, and I’ll be honest, Peter, I didn’t have you pegged as a friend to rabbits.’
‘And don’t say you’re not personally responsible,’ continued Mr Ffoxe, ‘because you are. Your tacit support of the status quo is proof of your complicity, your shrugging indifference a favourable vote in support of keeping things exactly as they are. I’m not the murderer, Knox, you are – you and all your pathetic little naked primate cousins with their silly hairstyles and gangly limbs and overdeveloped sense of entitlement and self-serving delusion.’
While most humans are wired to be reasonably decent, a few are wired to be utter shits – and they do tend to tip the balance.’
‘Perhaps that’s what satire does – not change things wholesale but nudge the collective consciousness in a direction that favours justice and equality.
The bears in Oregon generally kept to themselves, but had recently been given Second Amendment rights, so were legally allowed to shoot hunters in self-defence – and did so quite frequently, much to the annoyance of hunters, who considered it ‘manifestly unfair’ because the bears, now suitably armed, were actually better hunters than they were.
The way we see it, London is just one massive money-laundering scheme attached to an impressive public transport system and a few museums, of which even the most honest has more stolen goods than a lock-up garage in Worcester rented by a guy I know called Chalky.’
‘Humans have a very clear idea about how to behave, and on many occasions actually do. But it’s sometimes disheartening that correct action is drowned out by endless chitter-chatter, designed not to find a way forward but to justify petty jealousies and illogically held prejudices. If you’re going to talk, try to make it relevant, useful and progressive rather than simply distracting and time-wasting nonsense, intended only to justify the untenable and postpone the real dialogue that needs to happen.’
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LibraryThing member amandrake
Jasper Fforde has more than one style. Thursday Next is one, Nursery Crimes is another, Shades of Grey is a third. Though I love Thursday, and like Nursery Crimes, Shades of Grey is my favorite. I feel like it shows a maturity of style, plot, and scene that isn't present in the others.
So why am I
Fforde can be delightful, but when he's at his best you can feel a serious note underlying it. This means that his books tend to end in an emotionally ambiguous way (some of the best of Thursday's do this as well).
I'm hoping he continues in this vein, though hey, if he writes a novel, I'm going to buy it.
So why am I
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talking about Shades of Grey on a review for The Constant Rabbit? Because Fforde hasn't done anything like Shades of Grey again... until The Constant Rabbit. It's muted, but it's there.Fforde can be delightful, but when he's at his best you can feel a serious note underlying it. This means that his books tend to end in an emotionally ambiguous way (some of the best of Thursday's do this as well).
I'm hoping he continues in this vein, though hey, if he writes a novel, I'm going to buy it.
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LibraryThing member RowingRabbit
No one writes like Jasper Fforde. He has the ability to take the absurd & present it in a way that his version of an alternate society seems completely normal. So when you open this book & find yourself in an England where the neighbours are 6 ft. talking rabbits, you merely shrug & think “Oh,
That would be the Spontaneous Anthropomorphic Event, an unexplained aligning of elements that resulted in walking/talking rabbits joining society (along with a few other small mammals but please don’t mention the bees). Sure, there are small differences. They tend to settle disputes with duels & have a thing for dandelion brandy (“the diabolical 3-way love child of methanol, crack cocaine & U-Boat fuel”)
The MC & narrator is Peter Knox, a (human) single dad who works for the Rabbit Compliance Taskforce. Although the bunnies are technically integrated, they are subject to slightly different rules. Most live “within the fence”, approved colonies with restricted movement. But some live in town. Peter is one of the few who can actually tell them apart & it’s his job to identify any who have broken laws.
By now, this set-up should have you thinking about real life historical parallels. Now lets add in a prime minister with a secret agenda to transport all rabbits to a government facility in Wales. It’s called the Mega-Warren & PM Nigel Smethwick publicly promotes it as a wonderful place for the furballs to socialize & feel safe. But his party (UK Anti-rabbit Party or UKARP) are avid supporters of segregation. His character is portrayed as a hilariously inept idiot surrounded by henchmen & scary PR people.
Peter’s trouble begins when he bumps into Connie, a stunning bunny he knew in university. His old crush is alive & well & as he gets swept up in her life, he’ll be forced to choose sides as tensions rise.
It’s an entertaining story that can be enjoyed on a couple of levels. On the surface it’s fun, witty satire. Fforde loads it with great characters, ridiculous government acronyms & plenty of that painfully polite British gift for understatement that borders on subversive. But if you look a little deeper, there are thinly veiled jabs at issues that sadly, are prevalent in real life. Fake news, racism, xenophobia & the need for those in power to portray anyone who thinks or looks differently as being “other”.
Dialogue is dryly funny & there are many comic moments that make this a great read, especially during a time when we could all use a good laugh. If you enjoy this, I highly recommend his series featuring Thursday Next, Literary Detective extraordinaire.
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right. Forgot that happened.”That would be the Spontaneous Anthropomorphic Event, an unexplained aligning of elements that resulted in walking/talking rabbits joining society (along with a few other small mammals but please don’t mention the bees). Sure, there are small differences. They tend to settle disputes with duels & have a thing for dandelion brandy (“the diabolical 3-way love child of methanol, crack cocaine & U-Boat fuel”)
The MC & narrator is Peter Knox, a (human) single dad who works for the Rabbit Compliance Taskforce. Although the bunnies are technically integrated, they are subject to slightly different rules. Most live “within the fence”, approved colonies with restricted movement. But some live in town. Peter is one of the few who can actually tell them apart & it’s his job to identify any who have broken laws.
By now, this set-up should have you thinking about real life historical parallels. Now lets add in a prime minister with a secret agenda to transport all rabbits to a government facility in Wales. It’s called the Mega-Warren & PM Nigel Smethwick publicly promotes it as a wonderful place for the furballs to socialize & feel safe. But his party (UK Anti-rabbit Party or UKARP) are avid supporters of segregation. His character is portrayed as a hilariously inept idiot surrounded by henchmen & scary PR people.
Peter’s trouble begins when he bumps into Connie, a stunning bunny he knew in university. His old crush is alive & well & as he gets swept up in her life, he’ll be forced to choose sides as tensions rise.
It’s an entertaining story that can be enjoyed on a couple of levels. On the surface it’s fun, witty satire. Fforde loads it with great characters, ridiculous government acronyms & plenty of that painfully polite British gift for understatement that borders on subversive. But if you look a little deeper, there are thinly veiled jabs at issues that sadly, are prevalent in real life. Fake news, racism, xenophobia & the need for those in power to portray anyone who thinks or looks differently as being “other”.
Dialogue is dryly funny & there are many comic moments that make this a great read, especially during a time when we could all use a good laugh. If you enjoy this, I highly recommend his series featuring Thursday Next, Literary Detective extraordinaire.
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LibraryThing member JBD1
The best Fforde book in a while, I think. Typically Ffordian in its oddities and quirks and Easter eggs, with some immediate and relevant contemporary overtones. Weird and fun.
LibraryThing member jillrhudy
I love a timely, clever satire. In "The Constant Rabbit," Jasper Fforde sets up a parallel history in which rabbits and some other animals (but not all) became anthropomorphized in 1965. This historical shocker is called the Spontaneous Anthropomorphic Event. The action is set in the present, 55
Peter Knox of Much Hemlock, Hereford, works for a government agency in the UK, the Rabbit Compliance Taskforce (RabCoT). RabCoT is in charge of keeping the alien Rabbit population under control and making sure the Rabbits comply with the law. The UKARP, or United Kingdom Anti-Rabbit Party, has taken control of the government and, under the leadership of Prime Minister Nigel Smethwick, is taking a harsh line in favor of "hominid superiority." Of the slightly fewer than a million anthropomorphic rabbits in the UK, about 100,000 are free. The rest are kept in colonies.
Along with the many other legal restrictions on Rabbits (a maximum wage included), the hominid supremacists want them all colonized, in a MegaWarren in Wales. I'm guessing that the title of the book is a play on "The Constant Gardener" due to the MegaWarren and many other conspiracies in Smethwick's totalitarian government.
Peter Knox is ostensibly an accountant, but is actually a Spotter due to his ability to tell rabbits apart. Knox doesn't like to think about what the RabCoT authorities do with the information he provides. 30 years ago at university, Knox knew a rabbit named Connie with whom he was close, but not as close as perhaps he and Connie wanted to be. Peter is also a "speed library volunteer" during Buchblitz (the six minutes every other week when the public library is permitted to be open). When Connie arrives requesting a banned book, "Planet of the Lagomorphs," she and Knox renew their acquaintance. He then finds out she is married and moving in next door. His neighbors the Mallets, who are descended from a magistrate who burned witches, are not going to take kindly to "vermin" in the neighborhood.
The villain of the novel is an anthropomorphized bloodthirsty fox in charge of RabCot, who reads "Fox and Friends." His name is Ffoxe. He kills rabbits. He is orange. He quotes Latin. Therefore, he is a parody of not one, but two world leaders. There are extreme political factions on both the right and left, 2LegsGood, on the right, are violent hominid supremacists. On the left, it is common at the RabSAg, or Rabbit Support Agency, to chop off one's thumbs in solidarity with the Rabbits.
The Rabbits are peaceful, vegetarians of course, and want to be left alone. Most Rabbits follow the Rabbit Way under the spiritual leadership of the Venerable Bunty. The Rabbits worship a goddess called Lago the Grand Matriarch. Due to their obvious advantages (population being an obvious one) and because they are simply different, their very existence is a political issue. Rabbits like Connie are not going to meekly go to the MegaWarren without a fight. "The Constant Rabbit" is a fun parody about racial discrimination and full of chuckles, if you're on Fforde's side. I can't imagine that Boris Johnson and Donald Trump devotees who are anti-immigration and opposed to Black Lives Matter will find the novel as funny as I did. Because I'm American and an Anglophile, I got nearly all of the jokes.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley and was encouraged to submit an honest review.
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years later. Peter Knox of Much Hemlock, Hereford, works for a government agency in the UK, the Rabbit Compliance Taskforce (RabCoT). RabCoT is in charge of keeping the alien Rabbit population under control and making sure the Rabbits comply with the law. The UKARP, or United Kingdom Anti-Rabbit Party, has taken control of the government and, under the leadership of Prime Minister Nigel Smethwick, is taking a harsh line in favor of "hominid superiority." Of the slightly fewer than a million anthropomorphic rabbits in the UK, about 100,000 are free. The rest are kept in colonies.
Along with the many other legal restrictions on Rabbits (a maximum wage included), the hominid supremacists want them all colonized, in a MegaWarren in Wales. I'm guessing that the title of the book is a play on "The Constant Gardener" due to the MegaWarren and many other conspiracies in Smethwick's totalitarian government.
Peter Knox is ostensibly an accountant, but is actually a Spotter due to his ability to tell rabbits apart. Knox doesn't like to think about what the RabCoT authorities do with the information he provides. 30 years ago at university, Knox knew a rabbit named Connie with whom he was close, but not as close as perhaps he and Connie wanted to be. Peter is also a "speed library volunteer" during Buchblitz (the six minutes every other week when the public library is permitted to be open). When Connie arrives requesting a banned book, "Planet of the Lagomorphs," she and Knox renew their acquaintance. He then finds out she is married and moving in next door. His neighbors the Mallets, who are descended from a magistrate who burned witches, are not going to take kindly to "vermin" in the neighborhood.
The villain of the novel is an anthropomorphized bloodthirsty fox in charge of RabCot, who reads "Fox and Friends." His name is Ffoxe. He kills rabbits. He is orange. He quotes Latin. Therefore, he is a parody of not one, but two world leaders. There are extreme political factions on both the right and left, 2LegsGood, on the right, are violent hominid supremacists. On the left, it is common at the RabSAg, or Rabbit Support Agency, to chop off one's thumbs in solidarity with the Rabbits.
The Rabbits are peaceful, vegetarians of course, and want to be left alone. Most Rabbits follow the Rabbit Way under the spiritual leadership of the Venerable Bunty. The Rabbits worship a goddess called Lago the Grand Matriarch. Due to their obvious advantages (population being an obvious one) and because they are simply different, their very existence is a political issue. Rabbits like Connie are not going to meekly go to the MegaWarren without a fight. "The Constant Rabbit" is a fun parody about racial discrimination and full of chuckles, if you're on Fforde's side. I can't imagine that Boris Johnson and Donald Trump devotees who are anti-immigration and opposed to Black Lives Matter will find the novel as funny as I did. Because I'm American and an Anglophile, I got nearly all of the jokes.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley and was encouraged to submit an honest review.
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LibraryThing member grizzly.anderson
The time is more-or-less now in an alternate UK where a sudden unexplained event created Anthropomorphized Rabbits (and other animals). Peter Knox is the narrator and one of a small number of people who can tell rabbits apart by appearance. They all look alike, you know. The Anti-Rabbit Party is in
If this sounds just a little bit like it might be a commentary on Black Live Matter, violent racist police, white-supremacists, government backing of hate-groups, and the complicity of the silent masses, you'd be exactly right. In fact starting about 2/3 of the way through the narrator explicitly informs us this is satire. Not funny satire, political satire. There is truth to the saying "if you have to explain the joke, its not funny." I think that applies equally to satire. And if the author feels like they need to *repeat* the explanation then they must really think their audience isn't going to get it.
Its not a bad novel, but it doesn't really break any new ground, nor is it nearly as witty as most of Fforde's books. And in a few year I expect it will feel extremely dated. Its not a bad read, but I rather doubt I'll ever want to re-read it either.
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power, and he somewhat reluctantly works in the Rabbit Control divsion which has more-or-less unbridled authority up to and including officers killing without consequence. And then his unrequired college flame, Constance Rabbit, moves in next door. And to top it all off, Peter was complicit in her previous husband being handed over to and killed by "human supremacists".If this sounds just a little bit like it might be a commentary on Black Live Matter, violent racist police, white-supremacists, government backing of hate-groups, and the complicity of the silent masses, you'd be exactly right. In fact starting about 2/3 of the way through the narrator explicitly informs us this is satire. Not funny satire, political satire. There is truth to the saying "if you have to explain the joke, its not funny." I think that applies equally to satire. And if the author feels like they need to *repeat* the explanation then they must really think their audience isn't going to get it.
Its not a bad novel, but it doesn't really break any new ground, nor is it nearly as witty as most of Fforde's books. And in a few year I expect it will feel extremely dated. Its not a bad read, but I rather doubt I'll ever want to re-read it either.
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LibraryThing member MickyFine
In 1965 an Anthropomorphic Event occurred in Britain that turned a small group of rabbits into human-sized, speaking creatures. In 2022 the debate about the treatment of the more than one million anthropomorphic rabbits is raging and getting more vitriolic, even in the small village of Much Hemlock
I adore Jasper Fforde and this book just adds to the list of things I love about him. It doesn't hurt the book begins with a chapter on speed librarying, which is both very funny and a brilliant comment on the awful treatment of libraries and library staff in the UK over the past decade. The novel then goes on to craft a compelling plot, filled with wonderful characters, while also commentating on current events in a brilliant way. I think what marks out this satire as so excellent is that ignoring its obvious satirical look at Brexit and rampant racism, it's still a thumping good book. Highly recommended.
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where Peter Knox and his daughter, Pippa, reside. When Constance Rabbit and her husband, Major Clifford Rabbit, move into the village, it forces Peter to reckon with his own passive stance on the issue and choose a side.I adore Jasper Fforde and this book just adds to the list of things I love about him. It doesn't hurt the book begins with a chapter on speed librarying, which is both very funny and a brilliant comment on the awful treatment of libraries and library staff in the UK over the past decade. The novel then goes on to craft a compelling plot, filled with wonderful characters, while also commentating on current events in a brilliant way. I think what marks out this satire as so excellent is that ignoring its obvious satirical look at Brexit and rampant racism, it's still a thumping good book. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
The population of anthropomorphized rabbits swells to 1.2 million in 2022 England after "the event" in 1965 that gave rabbits their humanlike abilities. Old guard status-quo lovers fear "the rabbit" will take over the country an force their culture - extreme veganism, care of the earth, abhorrence
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of waste and violent behavior - on humans. Fforde shows a great understanding of human nature and of rabbit nature, too, in this amusing and sometimes philosophical morality play. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gwendydd
Jasper Fforde clearly has some anger and despair over the current white supremacist / populist movement. Fortunately for the rest of us, he has tackled that anger and despair in typical wacky Fforde style.
This is set in a near-future alternate reality, 50 years after an Anthropomorphizing Event in
As always, Fforde writes with humor. This might be the most straightforward and unconvoluted plots of all of his books. The characters, good and bad, are all delightful.
I hope this book has a really short shelf-life. I hope that the only reason anyone reads this book in 20 or 50 years is as an example of how fiction was used to react to a very troubled time in history. It's a fun read, but in a "laugh so you don't cry" way. It's also the most self-aware of Fforde's books - there are a few places where he completely drops the pretense that this is a work of fiction with a first-person narrator. For instance, the narrator mentions that jails are full of bankers, and Fforde breaks the fourth wall in a footnote to say "I wish the world worked like this." This makes it feel like Fforde is saying directly to his readers, "Yes, we all use fiction as a coping mechanism."
This is set in a near-future alternate reality, 50 years after an Anthropomorphizing Event in
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which a bunch of animals were turned into human-ish creatures - they have the size, intelligence, and language capabilities of humans, but they're still animals. As the animals have tried to integrate into human society, a lot of humans don't want them there and have become Human Supremacists. The parallels to white supremacy are obvious - the book kind of beats you over the head with allegory. It has a lot to say about how people can be closed-minded and hypocritical, and how much better things are when people are open to each other's cultures. It also says a lot about the nature of forgiveness, and how to make amends for being complicit in a harmful system (When the narrator is feeling guilty about being complicit in the state's oppression of rabbits, a rabbit says "Shame is the gateway emotion to increased self-criticism, which leads to realization, an apology, outrage, and eventually meaningful action. We're not holding our breaths that any appreciable numbers can be arsed to make the journey along that difficult chain of emotional honesty -- many good people get past realization, only to then get stuck at apology"). It's about how to be a good ally.As always, Fforde writes with humor. This might be the most straightforward and unconvoluted plots of all of his books. The characters, good and bad, are all delightful.
I hope this book has a really short shelf-life. I hope that the only reason anyone reads this book in 20 or 50 years is as an example of how fiction was used to react to a very troubled time in history. It's a fun read, but in a "laugh so you don't cry" way. It's also the most self-aware of Fforde's books - there are a few places where he completely drops the pretense that this is a work of fiction with a first-person narrator. For instance, the narrator mentions that jails are full of bankers, and Fforde breaks the fourth wall in a footnote to say "I wish the world worked like this." This makes it feel like Fforde is saying directly to his readers, "Yes, we all use fiction as a coping mechanism."
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LibraryThing member bardbooks
Just finished, still lingering with the ending, which is wonderful.
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
The 'event' is what turned the rabbits and some other mammals into sentient human-like beings. To the dismay of villagers, a Rabbit family has moved into Much Hemlock. Human supremicists are determined to make them leave, and even to relocate all the rabbits to a special location.
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
3.25 stars
It was in the late 1960s that the “Event” happened. The Event caused rabbits (and a few other animals...though not nearly as many as the rabbits) to become anthropomorphized. It’s decades later and many people are leporiphobes. Peter Knox (who works for the Rabbit Compliance
My summary might not be exactly right, as I found the first half-ish of the book quite confusing. I ended up quite enjoying the second half, though, once I (kind of) figured out what was going on… though I don’t want to say too much more in my summary so as not to give anything away. So for the first bit of the book, I kept thinking – ok, Fforde is way too smart for me because this is over my head. I did like the second half-ish, though. At that point, there seemed to be more of a plot and things happened, and I understood what was happening. Anyway, this all made me unsure how to rate it, so I went with 3.25, between ok and good. It seems there was a bunch of “deep” satire that went over my head, but once there as a plot, I liked it!
It was in the late 1960s that the “Event” happened. The Event caused rabbits (and a few other animals...though not nearly as many as the rabbits) to become anthropomorphized. It’s decades later and many people are leporiphobes. Peter Knox (who works for the Rabbit Compliance
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Taskforce, sort of tracking down specific rabbits, I think) discovers a long-ago college friend (and rabbit) Connie has moved in next door, along with her husband. My summary might not be exactly right, as I found the first half-ish of the book quite confusing. I ended up quite enjoying the second half, though, once I (kind of) figured out what was going on… though I don’t want to say too much more in my summary so as not to give anything away. So for the first bit of the book, I kept thinking – ok, Fforde is way too smart for me because this is over my head. I did like the second half-ish, though. At that point, there seemed to be more of a plot and things happened, and I understood what was happening. Anyway, this all made me unsure how to rate it, so I went with 3.25, between ok and good. It seems there was a bunch of “deep” satire that went over my head, but once there as a plot, I liked it!
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LibraryThing member whitsunweddings
The United Kingdom has not been having a great few years. I'd planned to spend at least some of my twenties living there, but watching the British lurch from austerity to Brexit to becoming literal Plague Island, I'm increasingly aware that this will likely never eventuate.
I'm sad about this, but
But I get that that's the point he's making! That satire in the age of Boris and Trump is pointless, because we already live in a nightmare reality! But basically this book feels like a long list of why the UK is miserable right now, with some sexual Spanish civil war Sylvanian families thrown in (there was too much detail about how much the narrator wanted to fuck a lady rabbit for my tastes tbh). It's also quite horribly gruesome in parts ("lopping" both humans and rabbits), and then there's little misplaced bursts of classic Fforde silliness, like speed librarying and a prison organised by tropes. A lot of explaining goes into them and then they're never brought up again. It's jarring.
When Fforde is at the top of his game, he's pretty much my favourite author - the intricate meta-labyrinths he creates are so joyously clever - but this was a disappointment to me. I understand Fforde to be going through some things over the past few years, and a part of me wonders what this book would be if he'd done away with the forced twee and just gone super dark with this story. As is, there's neither enough carrot nor stick in the Constant Rabbit - a pity.
I'm sad about this, but
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Jasper Fforde is clearly also feeling it strongly. The Constant Rabbit is his indictment of present day Britain - with some of Trump's America thrown in, of course - and Fforde's usual twee (giant rabbits! That talk and wear clothes! And you can fuck them!) doesn't coalesce with the genuinely grim 2020 political landscape he's satirising. As always, I adored Fforde's world-building (the socialist hippy rabbits were fun), but the-ripped-from-the-Guardian feel of the racism against them felt incredibly unsubtle. Like, there's literally a politician who wants to build a wall around a rabbit warren and make the rabbits pay for it. And you end up with some real expository clangers where the narrator's just like "I realize now that I had been racist. Here's a list of all the racist things I did".But I get that that's the point he's making! That satire in the age of Boris and Trump is pointless, because we already live in a nightmare reality! But basically this book feels like a long list of why the UK is miserable right now, with some sexual Spanish civil war Sylvanian families thrown in (there was too much detail about how much the narrator wanted to fuck a lady rabbit for my tastes tbh). It's also quite horribly gruesome in parts ("lopping" both humans and rabbits), and then there's little misplaced bursts of classic Fforde silliness, like speed librarying and a prison organised by tropes. A lot of explaining goes into them and then they're never brought up again. It's jarring.
When Fforde is at the top of his game, he's pretty much my favourite author - the intricate meta-labyrinths he creates are so joyously clever - but this was a disappointment to me. I understand Fforde to be going through some things over the past few years, and a part of me wonders what this book would be if he'd done away with the forced twee and just gone super dark with this story. As is, there's neither enough carrot nor stick in the Constant Rabbit - a pity.
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LibraryThing member foggidawn
Fifty-five years ago, a Spontaneous Anthropomorphizing Event occurred in Britain, and several rabbits (plus a few other animals) were suddenly human-sized and able to speak and walk upright. Fast-forward to present day, and the status of the rabbits has become a hot political issue. Peter Knox
The reviewing part of my brain feels broken this morning, so I'm not going to push it. This was fun, like all of Fforde's stuff, but I felt like the plot dragged a little in the middle (this may be because I spent the past year reading children's books almost exclusively, and no fault of Fforde). If you liked his other books, you'll probably like this one. I liked this a little more than Early Riser, but not as much as Thursday Next.
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would say he's a moderate, but as certain events come to a head, he may find himself taking a stand in ways that surprise him. It all starts when an old school friend, Constance Rabbit, and her family move in next door...The reviewing part of my brain feels broken this morning, so I'm not going to push it. This was fun, like all of Fforde's stuff, but I felt like the plot dragged a little in the middle (this may be because I spent the past year reading children's books almost exclusively, and no fault of Fforde). If you liked his other books, you'll probably like this one. I liked this a little more than Early Riser, but not as much as Thursday Next.
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LibraryThing member LyndaInOregon
Fforde's sly fantasy doesn't stray far from its Orwellian roots, despite the author's fondness for puns, implied puns, and drive-by literary references. In an England where an unspecified "event" has rendered some animals sentient -- and human-sized -- species-ism and racism blend into an uneasy
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alliance with genocidal implications. Show Less
LibraryThing member bangerlm
This is an allegorical social commentary on racism, xenophobia,etc told in typical Jasper Fforde satirical fashion. In general, I am not a fan of allegory, unless the story holds up without the allegory, which thankfully in this case did. I thought the world building was clever and interesting. As
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far as the social commentary, there were some satisfying digs, some pointed comments, but other parts that, to me, missed the mark. Show Less
LibraryThing member JessBass87
Outstanding
Yet another wildly imaginative, wholly improbable, and outrageously entertaining story by the incomparable genius of Jasper Fforde. Everything that comes from his head is just brilliant.
Yet another wildly imaginative, wholly improbable, and outrageously entertaining story by the incomparable genius of Jasper Fforde. Everything that comes from his head is just brilliant.
LibraryThing member Xengab
Great plot that mirror so much of the worlds troubles in a way that people can understand without getting offended.