Lost in a Good Book
Wednesday, 7. October 2009, 01:48:07
My latest literary obsession is the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. I have seen these books shelved under science fiction, under F fiction and under mystery. I think I would make up a whole new category for Thursday. I would shelve these books under Awesomenessest or bibliogeek or some other made up word. The one I just finished, Lost in a Good Book and the other Thursday Next novels (The Eyre Affair, the Well of Lost Plots, Something Rotten, First Among Sequels, and the not out yet, One of Our Thursdays is Missing) have their fair share of made up words.
Thursday Next, the main character, is a literary detective in an alternate universe to our own where the Crimean War never ended, time is comes unraveled, pet dodo birds that go 'plock-plock' have been revived and travel into and out of books by criminals bent on world domination or bored characters on vacation.
The references to other books are one of the things I love about these books. The Rocky-Horror style audience participation presentation of Richard III is probably my favorite so far. Other literary references include the works that Thursday jumps into suck as Jane Eyre, the Raven, Great Expectations, and the Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.
With the character of Thursday the reader gets to enter into some beloved books, Jane Eyre, and some more endured, Kafka's, The Trial (at least it wasn't The Metamorphosis, I'd probably squash Gregor with a giant shoe). Except, when I read, most of the time, I am there, in the book and engrossed. Which is why I was the only kid in the family not allowed to read in bed before going to sleep-because I just wouldn't stop. I learned this was not normal when I told on my cousin and he was actually *Allowed* to read in bed, and he stopped, and went to sleep. I adapted, small pen flash lights and thick blankets to hide the light were most helpful.
Fforde's book made me think about the books I'd want to go into like Thursday if I could, which places I'd like to go to and experience.
Some of my list:
- Little House in the Big Woods-especially when Mary and Laura are playing under some big trees, like playhouses in their perspective. I can't reference the part because my Little house books are packed away at my parents house.
- The Boxcar Children-the first two and the one where they're in a houseboat and meet a hermit. How cool would it be to live in a Boxcar?!
- Pemberley, from Pride and Prejudice. Preferably as Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy *sigh
- The castle Library, in Robin McKinley's retelling of beauty and the beast, Beauty. It has all books ever. Books not written at the time or in the world it was set.
- I'd like to go all over Blossom Street especially the local yarn store, A Good Yarn in the book of that name, by Debbie Macomber.
- There are many places I'd love to visit in the Harry Potter books, but of course high on the list are Diagon Ally, Hogwart's,the Village of Hogsmeade, and the Weasley's Home.
- The Graveyard from Gaiman's The Graveyard Book-which I will talk about more in a later post.
- Really anywhere in Narnia in any of the Chronicle's of Narnia. To elaborate would take up pages and pages of space.
- Anywhere in Tolkien's Middle Earth and in any time or anywhere or any time of The Silmarillion-see above as the the reason for the lack of elaboration on this one as well.
- The Fair on the other side of Wall in Neil Gaiman's Stardust. I would be as starstruck as Duncan or Tristran Thorne are.
- Into Possession by A.S. Byatt when Christabelle goes to see her family in northern england toward the end. I can't be more specific because someone checked out the book when I went to fact check.
- Into Illyria in Twelfth Night, because it is my favorite Shakespeare, it stole my heart and is not sad.
- I'd like to explore Howl's Moving Castle in the Diana Wynne Jones book of that name. I also have a smidge of a crush on Howl from the Miyazaki animated film. Christian Bale has a dreamy voice.
- I'd like to hang out at Charlie's Bakery and read and write and eat cinnamon rolls as big as your head, from Robin McKinley's vampire novel, Sunshine .
- I'd like to go into all or any of the twilight saga, because I want to glimpse them across the cafeteria, see the Cullen's house and visit a meadow with Edward like I imagine not like any movie.
- Finally, because I like grown up vampire books too, I'd like to go to Darius's mansion house from JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood Series.
Well, that's a short list of the longer one in my head that I won't put you through-not to mention the nonfiction. knitting. books. Deb. Stoller. E.Z.
Anywho, what books would you like to visit? Any particular places in any books or is there any character you'd like to interact with if your imagination could play?
~
muse
WIDGETIZE