The Well of Lost Plots

A Thursday Next Novel, Book 3

By: Jasper Fforde

Narrated by: Emily Gray

Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Jasper Fforde has done it again in this genre-bending blend of crime fiction, fantasy, and top-drawer literary entertainment.

After two rollicking New York Times best-selling adventures through Western literature, resourceful literary detective Thursday Next definitely needs some downtime. And what better place for a respite than in the hidden depths of the Well of Lost Plots, where all unpublished books reside?

But peace and quiet remain elusive for Thursday, who soon discovers that the Well is a veritable linguistic free-for-all, where grammasites run rampant, plot devices are hawked on the black market, and lousy books—like the one she has taken up residence in—are scrapped for salvage. To make matters worse, a murderer is stalking the personnel of Jurisfiction and it’s up to Thursday to save the day.

A brilliant feat of literary showmanship filled with wit, fantasy, and effervescent originality, this Ffordian tour de force is the most exciting Thursday Next adventure yet.

©2004 Jasper Fforde (P)2012 Penguin

Best Book Ever! Outstanding Narration

This was the first book of Jasper afford' that I've read. I couldn't listen fast enough! Truly deserving of all 5 stars in all 3 categories. Narration was phenomenal! Voices for all the characters made it easy to follow who was who. Story is ingenious! Can't wait for the next!

Thursday Next Just Keeps Getting Better

The same literary devices and amusing wordplay that's tickled me since The Eyre Affair and then some. This one held my interest every moment and I can't wait for the next.

Fforde does it again!

I first heard the Jack Spratt novels and loved them so much, I had to try Thursday Next next. I'm so glad I did.

Enjoyably delightful

Very creative. A pleasant funny read suitable for the whole family. Sadly, I must now read the entire series.

I want to be a jurisfiction agent

Jasper Fforde does not disappoint with this novel. It is fun and fully immerses us in the book world. Emily Gray does a great job with the narration. She has a diverse set of voices and believe me with the number of characters in this book this was no easy task.

Our Ms. Next becomes a Jurisfiction agent in the Well of Lost Plots. This is a purely fictional world filled with Ms. Havisham, The Cheshire Cat, Heathcliff, etc. You also have a vast number of characters from books that have not been published and generics. You'll have to read the book to truely understand how enjoyable the generics are. Ms. Next is still trying to get Landon back and is in hiding - that is why she is in the Well of Lost Plots.

Enjoy this book. It is science fiction but focuses on a many literary concepts such as the idea that there are no more original thoughts/plots and characters are just recycled versions of other characters so you can hire on multiple Heathcliffs, Merlins, and so on. It is delicious for any book lover.

Emily Gray, as mentioned above did a great job. I bring attention to this because I was critical of her performance in the previous Next Novel. She did not handle male characters well previously. She overcame this issue. Landon was a miniscule part of this book but there were many male characters and she did a fabulous job. If you are on the fence because the narration of the last book left you disappointed don't worry. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised.

Imagination overdrive engaged.

I dropped into the middle of this series, got obsessed and went back to the beginning. What a gas! Bookworld is a surprisingly cohesive nonsensical construct. The adventures are epic. Now I discover there's a fan club. Of course there is!

Excellent if you have read it

Great, but highly suggest reading this series. Lots of humor is in the actual writing, fonts, in book advertisments and footnotes.

Love this book

What did you love best about The Well of Lost Plots?

The whole storyline is fantastic. I loved the had had, that that conversation. It was a joy to listen too.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Well of Lost Plots?

The death of Miss Haversham.

What about Emily Gray’s performance did you like?

I loved the way she pronounces things and that she uses tone to relay emotions.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Adventures in Jurisfiction

Addicted to this series

I appreciate how each book tackles a different element of this alternative universe. Fforde has a quirky and wonderful knack for creativity and humor. Thursday Next rocks.

Excellent book, excellent narration

I have read this series before and it’s just as good this time around, but made better by Emily Gray’s narration - she’s so lovely to listen to and tells the story so well that I didn’t even download the Kindle version to read on my own. Jasper Fforde has a fantastic imagination and his writing is fun to read.