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The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
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The Big Over Easy (2005)

by Jasper Fforde

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Nursery Crime (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
4,2341451,078 (3.87)243
alternate reality (65) British (60) comedy (36) crime (105) detective (99) England (37) fairy tales (60) fantasy (465) fiction (646) humor (398) Humpty Dumpty (57) Jack Spratt (86) literature (30) metafiction (38) murder (24) mystery (481) novel (50) Nursery Crime (109) Nursery Crime series (30) Nursery Crimes (47) nursery rhymes (161) own (26) read (93) satire (39) science fiction (34) series (71) sff (29) signed (36) to-read (55) unread (50)
  1. 30
    The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde (FMRox)
    FMRox: This book includes the characters from The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde as a mild developing plot.
  2. 10
    Last Tango in Aberystwyth by Malcolm Pryce (LittleKnife)
    LittleKnife: Both mysteries with offbeat humour set around real places in the UK
  3. 21
    Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (souloftherose)
    souloftherose: It's difficult to explain this recommendation without giving spoilers to one or other of the books. There were certain plot elements to Rivers of London/Midnight Riots which made me think of The Big Over Easy. And both books have a well-developed sense of humour.… (more)
  4. 00
    Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham (one-horse.library)
  5. 11
    Amberville by Tim Davys (wisemetis)
  6. 11
    The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly (jonathankws)
  7. 12
    Who's Afraid of Beowulf? by Tom Holt (Dr.Science)
    Dr.Science: The English author Tom Holt is relatively unknown in America, but very popular in England. If you enjoy Jasper Fforde or Christopher Moore you will most certainly enjoy Tom Holt's wry sense of English humor and the absurd. He has written a number of excellent books including Expecting Someone Taller, and Flying Dutch, but they may be difficult to find at your library or bookstore.… (more)
  8. 01
    Mystery man by Colin Bateman (Pigletto)
    Pigletto: Humourous detective fiction
  9. 01
    The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin (meggyweg)
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English (144)  Dutch (1)  All languages (145)
Showing 1-5 of 144 (next | show all)
This book was so fun to read. Can't wait to read more by this writer! ( )
  andrearules | May 13, 2013 |
I've found Jasper Fforde's books generally fun/amusing. I'd read the Thursday Next books; I expected to enjoy Nursery Crimes. There was nothing I'd point to that was wrong with the book, although being familiar with his writing, I wasn't terribly surprised by the tone, form, style, etc, etc. Someone else described it as a "beach read for nerds" -- which sounds just about right to me. It's heavy on puns and references, light on real characterisation. While there has to be a plot, it feels very much like the plot is there to contain the puns and references, not really for its own sake.

It's easy to read and fun; I'm not sure I'll ever reread it. I found Thursday Next more compelling -- it helps that I adore Jane Eyre, and I wasn't used to Fforde's style then. ( )
  shanaqui | Apr 9, 2013 |
Another inventive mystery from Jasper Fforde. Really good on audio too. ( )
  akmargie | Apr 4, 2013 |
Welcome to an alternative England, where characters from nursery rhymes investigate nursery crimes and the investigation is more focused on getting a good story than on getting a correct conviction. Jack Spratt and his new partner, Mary Mary, have just been assigned to investigate the death of Humpty Dumpty. But this seemingly straightforward investigation is not all it's cracked up to be. (Sorry, I don't know if that even made sense, but I had to work it in somehow.)

I really enjoyed this. Something about the feel of a hard-nosed detective story contrasted with using characters from nursery rhymes just really amused me. And it was an unpredictable whodunnit on top of everything else. If you don't take yourself (or your books) too seriously, you would probably enjoy this. I have also really enjoyed Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, so if you enjoyed those, you'll probably also like this series. ( )
  JG_IntrovertedReader | Apr 3, 2013 |
Why do I keep reading these if they're not very good? It's the titles. Damn Jasper Fforde & his witty titles. ( )
  cat-ballou | Apr 2, 2013 |
Showing 1-5 of 144 (next | show all)
[W]hile Thursday Next was a detective and Jack Spratt is a detective, the feel and the tone of this particular, new homage is totally different, new, and a lot of fun.
added by Katya0133 | editFantasy & Science Fiction, Michelle West (Feb 1, 2006)
 
The wildly imaginative Fforde delights in satirizing the clichés of detective fiction.
added by Katya0133 | editLibrary Journal, Michael Adams (Nov 15, 2005)
 
His self-styled "daft novels" are not for the lazy brained but for the actively engaged reader, one who knows the secret pleasures of a word puzzle and can draw on a lifetime of literature.
added by Katya0133 | editUSA Today, Anita Sama (Jul 28, 2005)
 
Outrageous satirical agility is his stock in trade: Mr. Fforde has made that clear in a string of literary parodies that pry well-known characters loose from their native novels and plays.
added by Katya0133 | editNew York Times, Janet Maslin (Jul 22, 2005)
 
Full of allusions and puns on detective fiction and nursery rhymes, Fforde's fifth novel and first in a new series is good fun for all fiction collections. Highly recommended.
added by Katya0133 | editLibrary Journal, Devon Thomas (Jul 1, 2005)
 

» Add other authors (3 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Jasper Ffordeprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Gauld, TomCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Prebble, SimonNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Thomas, MarkCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Canonical title
Original title
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People/Characters
Important places
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Epigraph
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king's horses
And all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
--Traditional
Dedication
For my brother Mathew,
whose love of the absurd--
and the profound--
enlightened my childhood
First words
It was the week following Easter in Reading, and no one could remember the last sunny day.
Quotations
And she was from Basingstoke, which is nothing to be ashamed of.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
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References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

Book description
Haiku summary

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0143037234, Paperback)

Jasper Fforde does it again with a dazzling new series starring Inspector Jack Spratt, head of the Nursery Crime Division

Jasper Fforde’s bestselling Thursday Next series has delighted readers of every genre with its literary derring-do and brilliant flights of fancy. In The Big Over Easy, Fforde takes a break from classic literature and tumbles into the seedy underbelly of nursery crime. Meet Inspector Jack Spratt, family man and head of the Nursery Crime Division. He’s investigating the murder of ovoid D-class nursery celebrity Humpty Dumpty, found shattered to death beneath a wall in a shabby area of town. Yes, the big egg is down, and all those brittle pieces sitting in the morgue point to foul play.

(retrieved from Amazon Mon, 15 Nov 2010 09:11:37 -0500)

(see all 5 descriptions)

Nursery celebrity Humpty van Dumpty is found shattered to death beneath a wall in a shabby area of town. Detective Inspector Jack Spratt and his assistant Mary Mary of the Nursery Crime Division investigate their first case together, discovering a sinister plot involving cross-border money laundering, problems with beanstalks, and titans seeking asylum.… (more)

» see all 8 descriptions

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