64/111 - Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

Finally onto the 4th book in the Thursday Next series. I don't want to go into too much detail with the plot of these books, as they're so complex and intertwined. I think I've said it before, but Jasper Fforde's writing really reminds me of Douglas Adams. Very absurd and funny.

Something which I would like to focus on is the way in which Jasper Fforde does comedy very well, but he also does sadness very well too. In all of these books so far, there have been some very touching moments which have even managed to bring a tear to my eye, which is very rare for me, especially with a book.

In Something Rotten, Thursday goes to visit Granny Next several times. She's a recurring character throughout the other novels, and helps Thursday out a lot when she's working in the Bookworld. She hints at her own history of working for SpecOps and the Bookworld, however we never really find out much about her. She is over 100 years old, and continually insists that she cannot die until she has read the ten most boring books.

At some point in Something Rotten, Thursday receives her punishment for altering the ending of Jane Eyre, which is to spend ten years wearing gingham, and no death until she has read the ten most boring books... just like Granny Next! It finally clicks that Granny Next is in fact an older version of herself, and she arrives at the care home just in time for her future self to die. Very sad.

Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde