First Thoughts - Over Easy

[10lees]

Since I have read quite of bit of Jasper Fforde's previous work in the
Thursday Next series, can I say I was very dissapointed in the first
chapter. This series seems to be a little light on writing and
thought, I almost don't want to go further after reading the first
chapter. I have delved in a little more, and I am not sure if I am
prejudiced due to my dislike of detective novels, even fantasy ones.
Other thoughts?

[Megan....@gmail.com]

well, on that note, i'm going to make a bold request: i think our next
months choice should have nothing to do with detectives, sci-fi or
fantasy. we've had a few of those in a row, and deserve a break.
perhaps we can indulge into something a bit chewier? i'll keep my eye
out.

my first impression on this book is that the writer uses a lot of bold
similes.i dont have the book in front of me for examples, but he likes
to use bizzare similes that make me pause and re-read the sentence.
i'm a lit nut and appreciate a good juxtaposition, but if you make me
stop mid-sentence to re-read for clarification, i think that
discredits the simile. in my opinion, the reader should glide over the
simile. if it makes the reader smile, GREAT! but it should always help
the reader clarify whatever it's describing - not complicate it.

ok, done with that rant....

ten, i agree with you that the writing isnt quite there for me either.
it appears to be a light and fluffy book, but it's 400 pages. that's a
long light fluffy book. he's also using smart allegories that give me
pause to think that he's going somewhere with them. but i think he may
only be using them as "tricks" to get us into the plot. i dunno...
it's almost like there are too many red herrings already, but i'm 75
pages in, so i dont really care yet.

[richt...@gmail.com]

I'm through page 70 and.... well it doesn't get much better... I'll
finish it of course but... it's pretty bad :)

It's kind of a cross between the Politically Correct Fairy Tales that
came out a few years ago and Who Framed Rodger Rabbit. Some of the
cameos that Nursery Rhyme characters make in it are fun but it isn't
as well done as say Allan Moore's excellent League of Extraordinary
Gentelmen. I keep waiting for the book to take an interesting turn
but now that I'm about a quarter of the way through it I've just been
disappointed.

Still, without bad books there would be no good books.

[rhett butler]

Yeah, I have to say that the first few chapters didn't really impress me.  Still, I'm almost halfway through it at this point and certain, more subtle, aspect of the novel are intriguing to me. 

 

For example, we get a much different protagonist from the typical detective story.  Instead of a misanthropic, alienated, loner, we're told about a happily married family man with a beautiful wife, a productive if stagnant career and an easy, likable manner.

 

Not only that, but The Big Over Easy satirizes the traditional detective stories for being sensational (Chymes and the guild), while Spratt's detective work is by the numbers detecting. 

 

So, I enjoy those unexpected, subtle aspects of the book, but for the most part  I'm unimpressed

 

--
"To the ambitious for whom neither the bounty of life nor the beauty of the world suffice to content, it comes as penance that life with them is squandered and that they posses neither the benefits nor the beauty of the world.  And if they are unable to perceive what is divine in Nature which is all around them, how will they be able to see their own divinity, which is sometimes hidden."

- Leonardo Da Vinci

[richt...@gmail.com]

I think that's a great point (re: how it kind of turns the
stereotypical hard boiled detective on his head). I'm down to about
the last hundred pages and am becoming frustrated with the actual
Sherlock Holmes vs. Encyclopedia Brown aspect of it all. Encyclopedia
Brown's were always fun cos you were allowed to solve the mystery
along with whole gang. Sherlock (and don't take me wrong, I am a huge
Sherlock Holme's fan) came across as brilliant cos parts of the story
that were omitted or were visual and the audience could not see them.

Jack is certainly not Sherlock Holmes, but it does feel like certain
pieces of information is being held back (I'm looking at you picture
that came in from Skinner). Otherwise, I probably am a moron (I'm
comfortable with that). It just seems like we're rapidly approaching
that "epiphany" part of the book where something (like in the
photograh) comes forth and solves the crime. Then the hatred and
anger sets in and I can't rip the book apart because it's a library
book, so I just sit and stare at it thinking angry thoughts. Perhaps
a good hour will be spent composing hastily penned sentences to Jasper
Fforde until the paper is ultimately too distraught to be sent. This
is what this book is driving me towards.

On Oct 13, 8:51 am, "rhett butler" <rhetto...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yeah, I have to say that the first few chapters didn't really impress me.
> Still, I'm almost halfway through it at this point and certain, more subtle,
> aspect of the novel are intriguing to me.
>
> For example, we get a much different protagonist from the typical detective
> story. Instead of a misanthropic, alienated, loner, we're told about a
> happily married family man with a beautiful wife, a productive if stagnant
> career and an easy, likable manner.
>
> Not only that, but The Big Over Easy satirizes the traditional detective
> stories for being sensational (Chymes and the guild), while Spratt's
> detective work is by the numbers detecting.
>
> So, I enjoy those unexpected, subtle aspects of the book, but for the most
> part I'm unimpressed
>

> - Leonardo Da Vinci- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -