Offbeat story an entertaining 'Affair'
By Anna Jarzab
Jasper Fforde's "The Eyre Affair" proves that one should never judge a book by its proximity to the discount shelf at Target. Though the British export seemed to go the way of the Dolly Parton autobiography, three successful sequels have earned their predecessor a little attention.
Though it is often referred to as Harry Potter for adults, J.K. Rowling fans beware -- there are no wizards or enchantments in this epic tale, and the closest heroine Thursday Next gets to a giant is the villainous Goliath Corporation. Though the story is set in late-20th century Britain, Fforde blends the familiar with the fantastic to create a unique world that playfully disorients his readers.
Everything is slightly offbeat -- the most popular game show is "Name That Fruit!" and all air travel is done by dirigible. But the most important difference of all: "Jane Eyre" has a different ending, in which the hero and heroine don't even end up together.
One of the most amazing aspects of Thursday's world is bringing law enforcement to its knees by holding fictional characters ransom. Special police forces are deployed when an original Charles Dickens manuscript disappears, and Thursday's former English professor soon becomes the only suspect. The suspect, Acheron Hades, is an infamous literary criminal with a lengthy history of violence and possesses "certain baffling powers" -- making him nearly impossible to catch.
When a bungled attempt to catch the crook lands Thursday in hot water, she is transferred back to her hometown, where the intrepid detective continues the pursuit of the super criminal on her own.
The meddling of the Goliath Corporation, her strange family and the appearance of an ex-love soon complicate Thursday's life further. When Hades manages to enter "Jane Eyre" to kill off characters and change the plot, Thursday follows him in order to save the novel, despite her opinion in the book that its "crap ending" could stand to be altered a bit.
Though Fforde's novel is heavy with literary references and archetypical characters with silly names, Thursday Next is just enough Sherlock Holmes mixed with just enough Bridget Jones to garner affection.
The hidden highlight of "The Eyre Affair" is Thursday's wildly entertaining family. It is chock-full of eccentric personalities (her rogue ex-colonel father who time travels) to her dreamy Aunt Polly (who gets lost in a Shelley poem). The only real disappointment is Thursday's sullen ex-boyfriend, Landon Park-Laine. A note to all writers: The romance is not going well if your readers are rooting for the estranged lovers not to be together.
"The Eyre Affair" is a successfully tongue-in-cheek spin on the old detective story genre, reminiscent of "Alice in Wonderland," "Star Trek" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but with a delightful wackiness of its very own. A
*Ã Ã "The Eyre Affair," by Jasper Fforde. Paperback, 384 pp., $14.