The Eyre Affair

The Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde

Evan’s ESS = 10 out of 10

Erin’s ESS = out of 10

Content = PG (Adult Concepts, Mild Language, Side Splitting Humor)

"Take no heed of her.... She reads a lot of books."

Why:  Because books based on classic books rule!  Whenever you have a chance to enter into a world previously created by a famous author, you should always jump at the opportunity (unless of course you didn’t like the classic or if the parody is poor).  Much of The Eyre Affair is comic gold and the fact that you get to explore a different side of Jane Eyre’s world is a bonus.     

We can honestly say with a fair amount of conviction that The Eyre Affair is different from every other book you’ve ever read.  Cut from the same cloth as Douglas Adam’s, you definitely have to “get” Jasper Fforde’s humor in order to like it.  Set in a parallel universe, the reader is left to explore a plethora of new concepts, like the Prose Portal, which can transport anyone into the text of a book.  Even if you aren’t a fan of the zany logic and intense wordplay, there’s enough suspense and confusion to entertain the reader all the way to the end.  Plus, Jasper’s pile of 76 rejection slips stands as a shining beacon of hope to all aspiring unpublished writers.

Editor’s Note: Sorry, but you’re not allowed to read this novel before completing Jane Eyre (Watching the movie doesn’t count although Joan Fontaine’s performance in the 1944 remake was brilliant).