27.) The Eyre Affair by Jasper FForde

“Governments and fashions come and go but Jane Eyre is for all time.”

The Eyre Affair by Jasper FForde (Penguin Books, 2003)
(Thursday Next, Book 1)

Genre: Adult Fiction that Appeals to Teens, Fantasy, Modern Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction


Honors: Locus Award Nominee for Best Science Fiction Novel (2002), Dilys Award Nominee (2003), ALA Alex Award (2003), Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2006), Locus Poll Award Nominee for Best First Novel (2002)
[Honors Information found at Goodreads.com]

Review: This book is very hard to describe, but in this alternate history Britain is very different and in a long drawn out war against the soviets (?). Thursday Next is a Literary detective in special operations. But when a master criminal threatens many lives Thursday is asked to help. When the Master Criminal then goes after her uncle's invention that can transport people into book for real and change them Thursday must call upon what appears to be some sort of special power she has that she can transport herself into a novel without the help of the machine. She must save Jane Eyre herself.  

Opinion: I honestly have no idea why this book got chosen for an Alex Award. From what I have noticed most Alex Award winners have a young adult or child in the story somewhere but Thursday Next is a middle-age woman who is single and pretty pathetic. I was pretty much completely confused the entire time. I listened to it on audio and the woman narrating it was absolutely horrible, which made it much worse. I was very very disappointed in the entire thing. One of the least enjoyable books I read for this assignment. I don't know why it was so highly rated, and regarded. I almost want to read it again, or read more of it to try and figure out what was so great about it. 

Ideas: The only good thing about the story is that it has many cross genres. It is science-ficiton, fantasy, mystery/detective, with elements of military. I guess is someone was really crazy over Jane Eyre then this would be a good book? Not sure, I don't think would recommend it to anyone honestly.