The Fourth Bear (original 2006; edition 2006)

I think I liked The Fourth Bear more than I liked The Big Over Easy. I am very used to Jasper Fforde's style, tricks and puns, but this book had some sections I found truly brilliant -- and read at length to my flatmate. This one seems even more meta-fictional than the others: more so than The Big Over Easy, anyway. It's been a while since I read the Thursday Next books.

One thing I felt really sad about was Ashley losing his memory of his date with Mary. I actually really wanted them to get together. Ashley was a really sweet character -- quirky and sometimes used just to get a joke in, sure, but that goes for every character in Jasper Fforde's books so far.

One of the things I don't know how I feel about, with Jasper Fforde's stuff, is that -- certainly with the Nursery Crimes books, anyway -- I can't ever figure out how it's going to end, or how it's going to get there. It's not that fun reading something entirely predictable, sure, but sometimes I wish I had just a bit more of a clue. Mind, everything does tie up in a neat little bow at the end, with stuff from the beginning (or middle) tied back neatly into the main story. It's unpredictable, but maybe somebody paying more attention, or someone a bit quicker, might be able to predict it somewhat. Also, part of it might be getting references -- I wouldn't have understood the Dorian Gray subplot much if I didn't know the story of Dorian Gray. ( )

DCI Jack Spratt and his partner Mary Mary are investigating an exploding greenhouse, the disappearance of Henrietta "Call me Goldilocks" Hatchett, and trying to locate the crazed psychopath, Gingerbreadman. Just another day in the Nursery Crime division of the Reading Police Department.

I just love Jasper Fforde. He's so smart, funny, and unpredictable. This book went places that I would never have imagined, and the mystery was solidly constructed. If you think you can handle some very strange, very smart humor, pick this one up. ( )

A fun, light read - not sure the premise really holds up under close scrutiny (the premise of nursery rhyme characters existing in the real world, not the mystery itself), but a fun read, nevertheless. Especially loved how the car subplot wound up being woven into the main storyline. ( )

Oh, goodness, I'm not even sure where to start. The Gingerbread Man is a psychotic killer who escapes from jail. Goldilocks is found dead in a partly-finished WWI theme park. Sinister events plague the cutthroat world of competitive cucumber-growing. Bears deal in illicit porridge paraphernalia. Punch and Judy are marriage counselors. The whole thing is absolutely ridiculous, but Detective Jack Spratt is on the case. I got quite a few chuckles out of this one, but most of the really good laughs were from the excerpts from The Barkshire Bumper Book of Records at the beginning of each chapter. If you're familiar with nursery rhymes and enjoy absurd humor, you'll probably enjoy this one. I don't know how well it stands on its own, but as the sequel to The Big Over Easy it's quite entertaining. Too bad Fforde hasn't written any more in this series. ( )

Jack Spratt and Mary Mary investigate the disappearance of a young blonde, last seen at a cottage belonging to a nuclear family of bears. Of course the mystery also involves the porridge black market, 50-kilo cucumbers, alien dates and a gingerbread serial killer. Why wouldn't it? Haters of bad puns, beware. Some of these, er, shaggy bear stories last almost the entire length of the book. ( )