Jasper Fforde is the author of novels, which are a mixture of fantasy, metaprose and parody. His works are characterized by literary allusions, a pun, and an exciting plot. The popularity came to the author after the publication of the series of novels “Thursday Nonetot”.
The first book, where the reader from the first pages gets into an unusual world, has become a real cult. The heroine of the cycle, a girl named Thursday, fell in love with many. Judging by the reviews, the parallel universe created by Jasper does not want to leave for a long time. And every next novel, admirers of his talent are looking forward.
A bit about the author
The writer was born in 1961 in London. He began his career in the film industry. Immediately after training, he worked as a messenger, and soon rose to the assistant operator. He shot commercials and films, among them such well-known as “Holy”, “Golden Eye”, “Mask of Zorro”.
He started writing back in the 80s. During work, I had to shoot a lot and travel around the world. For my own pleasure I began to compose different stories. When I got a taste, I felt a craving for writing. Jasper Fforde's creative biography began with publisher failures. But he firmly decided to change his work in the film industry to the profession of a writer - this did not scare him.
What lies behind success?
After the publication of his debut novel, Forde became an extremely fruitful writer. Almost every year his books began to be published. There is some contagious cheerfulness in his letter. He so scrupulously builds a fictional world (culture and political structure, scientific activity and economic features, professional preferences and even relationships with God) that makes the reader move, wade through many language games, references and allusions. After all, at Jasper Ford, each character is not just a character - it is either a reference to the character of the hero, or to a famous person, or just a joke. Each proposal needs to be peered, peered: there’s something hiding in it for sure.
Forde's novels abound in details, features, details that fit tightly and clearly together and create an inextricable thread of narration. Perhaps this is the secret of the popularity of his works. In addition, the writer's own website is a kind of continuation of the universe he created. There are not only details of the fictional world, but also news regarding his work, interviews with various publications, games, competitions and a lively forum. Jasper Fforde actively communicates with readers on social networks, and their questions do not remain unanswered by the author.
Thursday Nonetot
The first acquaintance of readers with Thursday Nonethoth, the guardian of the law in Knigomir, took place in 2001. Readers will see a world where the Crimean War has been going on for 150 years between the Russian Empire, where the Romanov dynasty rules, and the communist republic of Wales. Build it helped a certain Ulyanov. In this world, people are obsessed with books. Anyone who wants to can perform in the theater, but you can suddenly find yourself in a temporary hole. People here love Jane Air, so the abduction of the manuscript has become an event of the century. For the salvation of the national treasure, the literary department is headed by Thursday.
A continuation of this exciting story was the novels:
- "Hardcover";
- "The Well of the Fallen Plots";
- “Something is amiss in our Kingdom”;
- "The first among the sequels";
- One of our Thursdays is Missing;
- The Woman Who Died a Lot;
- Dark Reading Matter will be the eighth book in the series, as reported by writer Jasper Forford.
The Department of Fairy Tales
This series is planned by the author as a trilogy. At present, 2 books “Death of Humpty Dummy” and “Secret of a Closed Room” have been translated into Russian. The third novel The Last Great Tortoise Rac is scheduled by the author for 2018. Detective Jack Sprot from the Hotel of Fairy-Tale Crimes lives in the same alternative reality as the heroine of the “Nonetot Thursday” cycle. Forford harmoniously fits events from famous fairy tales into the plots of his books. It turns out a strange but delicious mixture, seasoned with humor.
The first book investigates the case of the death of Humpty Dumpty. As you know, he was sitting on the wall. Humpty Dumpty fell in a dream. Himself fell or helped? And in a dream? This is what Jack has to do. Sprat is a very interesting person who displays the heroes of fairy tales. He indicted the deliberate killing of the Wolf to three pigs. There are witnesses who confirmed that he was not going to eat them, since he was a vegetarian. But in court, Jack lost this case, as the jury, consisting of their only pigs, found three piglets not guilty.
On the pages of this series, Jasper Fforde introduces readers to characters known since childhood. These are Hansel and Gretel, three bears, Rumpelstiltskin. The detective component of the novels is at a high level. Until the last, it is very difficult to guess who the culprit of the crime is. And what a detective without detectives? The books contain many references to famous characters, for example, Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Inspector Morse. The Department of Fairy Tales is a terrific satire on the genre of detective.
Other books by Jasper Forford
The grayscale series was also planned by the author as a trilogy. The first book of the same name is a cross between Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World. Forde builds his anti-utopia on an unexpected foundation - human color perception. In England, the future of society has reached an unprecedented heyday and new technologies. But after some mysterious catastrophe, a person lost the ability to perceive the entire color spectrum. Many gradually became discolored and finally became Gray. The release of two other books, Painting by Numbers and The Gordini Protocols, was scheduled for 2015. They are currently under construction.
The Dragonslayer Dragon Trilogy is an exciting and witty fantasy. Two books have been translated into Russian: “The Last Dragon Hunter” and “Song of the Quark Beast”. Last one? The Eye of Zoltar, as stated by Jasper Forford, was released in 2014.
In all of his books, Forford, in the preface to the chapters, indicates biographies, worldly stories, or diaries of his heroes. He ends each novel by advertising various products from the novel. This adds a playful charm to books, and readers are immersed in the imaginary worlds of the writer. The account of books sold goes to millions, but not everyone can appreciate all the ideas of the author. Those who are not prone to puns will clearly not appreciate their excess in Jasper's books. The author’s dialogues are usually very strong, but not everyone can understand and accept his jokes.