Something Rotten

A Thursday Next Novel

By: Jasper Fforde

Narrated by: Emily Gray

Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Jasper Fforde's time-traveling and fiction-jumping detective Thursday Next is an international hit with fans and critics. Beginning with The Eyre Affair, a Book Sense Top 76 Pick, Thursday's adventures have all cracked The New York Times best seller list.

After spending her time chasing a stray Minotaur into pulp Westerns, filling in for Joan of Arc, and raising her infant son, Friday, Thursday needs a break in the real world. But her return to Swindon is far from relaxing. Rogue fictioneer Yorrick Kaine and the evil multinational Goliath Corporation are trying to rule the world, and a deadly assassin called the Windowmaker is tracking Thursday's every move. To top it all off, her husband is still missing after being eradicated from the timestream before they met.

Fans of Douglas Adams and Monty Python won't want to miss this charming detective adventure sure to tickle the funny bone and stimulate the literary mind.

Delve into Jasper Fforde's literary universe with the other books in his Thursday Next fantasy/detective series.

©2004 Jasper Fforde (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"A brazenly witty series." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Opening one of Jasper Fforde's novels means stepping into a playful new universe....It's easy to be delighted by a writer who loves books so madly. (The New York Times)

Thursday Next is always a good time

I have enjoyed all of the Thursday Next books. I'm always impressed by their wit and charm and I find myself chuckling aloud. I was put off by the switch in narrator at first, so much so that I stopped listening. Then I came back 6 months later and didn't have such a distinct memory of the first narrator so it wasn't a problem. The narrator only suffers in comparison to the first, but is fine on her own.

No words

I tried to think of a good title for this review, and I have no words because there are so many words to describe this excellent character and series. There is no equal for whimsy, adventure, caps of character. Love. Love. Love.

Mind-blowing!!!

I literally have whole-body goosebumps having just finished this book!!!!!!!! what an incredibly beautiful and genius mind Jasper Fforde has!!

The recording quality was lower than the previous

The sound was less clean than the previous book. Storyline is all over the place, but that's what I expected. Hamlet was a fun character.

A worthy successor to Terry Pratchett

This is a wonderful story in a great series. The Jasper afford isn’t as clever or funny or deeply humane as Terry Pratchett but he’s every bit as imaginative. And even more playful.

This book is almost surreally self referential. The idea of croquet as a contact sport is delightful. The ending is sweet and sad without being at all tragic.

Looking forward to the next book. Which I’ll start reading soon as I press submit.

Highly Original

Jasper Fforde is a very unique writer, you really have to like this sort of thing. I only recommend him to certain people, but if you love the odd and unusual and have a good imagination you will love his writing. I would never recommend him to someone who doesn't like sci-fi, Monty Python or Douglas Adams. If you like any of the above, Fforde is for you.

I love this series

I've listened to all of the Thursday books and I love the series and it's quirky world.

Some of these reviews puzzle me and I can only guess that some of the books have been rerecorded or something, as Elizabeth Sastre is not the narrator for any of the Thursday Next series available on Audible at the moment. Emily Gray narrates all of them, except for The Eyre Affair which is narrated by Susan Duerdan. I've enjoyed both of these narrators.

The only thing that bugs me about this series is that there seems to be an inconsistency in the pause length in between chapters. Often the pause is long enough that I am just about to reach for my iphone to make sure it didn't die on me when the next chapter starts and occasionally the pause is so short it rambles out from the previous sentence. It's a small enough flaw that it doesn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the series.

Time travel messes with your head...

... but fortunately Thursday Next can roll with the punches. I love this series. I especially loved the tender and moving last chapters, when the narration point-of-view suddenly changes.

Thursday Next: a hero for intellectuals

In this last installment to the Thursday Next series, our heroine is desparately trying to retrieve her eradicated husband. She spends her time embroiled in real world politics with a few bookworld characters popping in and out. While not as immersed in literary reference, it certainly takes a shot at the politics of today. Be prepared for a shocking conclusion!

The best of the lot

I really enjoyed the Eyre Affai, but thought that the books had, although very good, gotten worse with each subsequent volume. Something Rotten is great -- the best of the lot. Jasper Fforde has written a funny and interesting book. It moves the story ahead and totally entertains. Excellent.