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7/14/2009

Humpty Dumpty, et al.

I don't usually review books .. but ....

Jack Spratt's first wife died because of the effects of her poor diet. His second wife, Madeline, has no such food issues. This and more is covered in the book I'm reading, called "The Big Over Easy" by Jasper Fforde. It seems the fairy tales didn't tell the whole story, for as far as I know, no book of fairy tales ever mentions that Jack Spratt, is, in reality, Detective Inspector Jack Spratt, of the Nursery Crime Division of the Reading Police. That's Reading in England - not Pennsylvania.

He and his Sergeant, DS Mary Mary, while investigating the apparent suicide of the rather shady and unscrupulous Mr. H. A. Dumpty (known to his friends as 'Humpty'), are informed by the Division's forensic pathologist, Mrs. Singh, that Humpty was, in fact, murdered - shot through the shell by a large caliber weapon.

This book is an amazing flight of fancy by Jasper Fforde, and I am smack in the middle of reading it. It's been a long time since I have been so taken by a book - I suggest, if you're looking for some reading to do this summer, that you look at Mr. Fforde.

There are two books in the Nursery Crime series (the other is "The Fourth Bear"), and there are several others in a series about Special Operative in literary detection, Thursday Next. Thursday appears first in "The Eyre Affair" and then she's in "Lost in a Good Book". All of this is wonderful, inventive stuff.

Give it a try.

Ndinombethe.

15 comments:

Shadow said...

how i love flights of fancy. i'll keep my eyes open for this one.

Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba) said...

I've added it to my very long to be read list.

moneythoughts said...

Sounds very interesting.

Nan Sheppard said...

I'll look out for it when I get to the Land Of Bookstores.

Your EMR idea sounds great! Good luck!

Momisodes said...

Sounds quite interesting! I wish I would have read this post before heading to the library today.

GirlBlue said...

Squeeeeeee! You've discovered the Nursery Crimes series, Jasper Fforde is LOVE! If you like that you would love the Friday Next series also by Fforde, its actually not better just a different. Do read them all, I still have to get my claws on the last Friday Next book myself.

Unknown said...

After reading this post I'm left asking myself when I lost the ability to think outside the box.

*sulks off*

Joyce-Anne said...

I'm intrigued.

Unknown said...

Shadow: Well worth it. Really.

Rebecca: Move it up the list.

Moneythoughts: And fun!

Nan: Do. You'll like it.

Momisodes: Next time.

GirlBlue: Friday? I thought it was Thursday Next.

Hyphen Mama: Awwww. Don't sulk. Just do it.

Tara R. said...

Sounds like my kinda book. I may have to check it out for a good read on the plane to Chicago!

Unknown said...

Sounds like a good treat :)

Patsy said...

Just so happens I'm looking for a good book to read -- and I do like a good detective story. This one sounds interesting --- trip to the library this afternoon.

Eve Grey said...

I took a course in university where the text was a feminist re-writing of fairy tales. This sounds much more fun!

GirlBlue said...

woops sorry you're right it is Thursday, her mother is Wednesday and her son by her eradicated husband (Landen)is Friday whew *wipes brow*...glad we cleared that all up

Holly said...

How funny! I'd love to read it.