Something Rotten

by Jasper Fforde

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Thursday Next (4)

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6,780	146	1,268	(4.12)	296
Thursday Next, Head of JurisFiction and ex-SpecOps agent, returns to her native Swindon accompanied by a child of two, a pair of dodos and Hamlet, who is on a fact-finding mission in the real world. Thursday has been despatched to capture escaped Fictioneer Yorrick Kaine but even so, now seems as good a time as any to retrieve her husband Landen from his state of eradication at the hands of the Chronoguard. It's not going to be easy. Thursday's former colleagues at the department of Literary Detectives want her to investigate a spate of cloned Shakespeares, the Goliath Corporation are planning to switch to a new Faith based corporate management system and the Neanderthals feel she might be the Chosen One who will lead them to genetic self-determination. With help from Hamlet, her uncle and time-travelling father, Thursday faces the toughest adventure of her career. Where is the missing President-for-life George Formby? Why is it imperative for the Swindon Mallets to win the World Croquet League final? And why is it so difficult to find reliable childcare? 100,000 words, 6 illustrations, adverts and web-based special features section.… (more)

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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)
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▾Lists

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Speculative Fiction to Read (392)

Funny Books (24)

Books Read in 2011 (133)

Retellings of Shakespeare Plays (7)

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English (138) French (3) German (1) Italian (1) Dutch (1) Spanish (1) All languages (145)

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Showing 1-5 of 138 (next | show all)

419 (

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freixas | Mar 31, 2023 |

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boredwillow | Mar 4, 2023 |

4.66⭐ This is sheer entertainment for a bookish fantasy lover. Read my full review here. (

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joyblue | Jan 28, 2023 |

The best so far! On to #5. (

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DarrinLett | Aug 14, 2022 |

I've read this one for Shakespeare Cat as Hamlet has a spot in this literature laden adventure by time traveling Thursday Next. It was entertaining. There was so much going on, lots of literature characters make appearances. (

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Kristelh | Apr 16, 2022 |

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▾Published reviews

6 reviews

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thingScore 83

Fforde continues to pitch high, wide, and fast.

added by Katya0133 | editSchool Library Journal (Nov 1, 2004)

Sticking with this oddball novel is rewarding, and readers who share Fforde's love of literature and surreal sense of humor will enjoy this free fall through absurdity.

added by Katya0133 | editPeople, Joe Heim (Aug 23, 2004)

With humorous illustrations and curious footnotes sprinkled throughout, Fforde's latest will have hardcore fans roaring.

added by Katya0133 | editPublishers Weekly (Aug 16, 2004)

It's easy to be delighted by a writer who loves books so madly -- and who can imagine a Hamlet who roams the real world, declaring: ''That Freud fellow will have a bloody nose if ever I meet him.''

added by Katya0133 | editThe New York Times, Janet Maslin (Aug 5, 2004)

[Fforde] is always charming company, and if he sometimes strays too far into fantasy, well, what's so great about reality?

added by Katya0133 | editTime, Lev Grossman (Aug 2, 2004)

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▾Other authors

» Add other authors (8 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Fforde, Jasper	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Belanger, Frances	Designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Gray, Emily	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Roberts, Maggy	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Roberts, Stewart	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Thomas, Mark	Cover artist	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Series

Thursday Next (4)

Is contained in

The Thursday Next Chronicles I-IV by Jasper Fforde

The Thursday Next Chronicles I-V by Jasper Fforde

The Thursday Next Chronicles I-VI by Jasper Fforde

The Thursday Next Chronicles I-VII by Jasper Fforde

Was inspired by

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Has as a student's study guide

Novels by Jasper Fforde (Study Guide): First Among Sequels, the Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, the Well of Lost Plots, Something Rotten

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▾Common Knowledge

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Canonical title

Something Rotten

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Hamlet (Prince of Denmark)

(show all 13 items)

Important places

Swindon, England, UK

BookWorld

Important events

Related movies

Awards and honors

Dilys Award nominee (2005)

Epigraph

Dedication

For Maddy, Rosie,
Jordan and Alexander
With all my love
April 2004

First words

The Minotaur had been causing trouble far in excess of his literary importance—first by escaping from the fantasy-genre prison book Sword of the Zenobians, then by leading us on a merry chase across most of fiction and thwarting all attempts to recapture him.

Quotations

'You mean to tell me, Mr Holmes, that we are in the wrong book?'

KAINE PUBLISHING Warning: This book may become subject to retrospective book-burning legislation. To comply with Kaine Directive CSBO 812804, the Mandatory Combustibility Information of this novel has been calculated as follows. Energy Content: 19,180 Btu, Combustibility: Medium. Flash Point: 451°F

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Maslin, Janet

Stasio, Marilyn

Original language

English

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

Something Rotten

Tears in rain monologue

▾Book descriptions

Thursday Next, Head of JurisFiction and ex-SpecOps agent, returns to her native Swindon accompanied by a child of two, a pair of dodos and Hamlet, who is on a fact-finding mission in the real world. Thursday has been despatched to capture escaped Fictioneer Yorrick Kaine but even so, now seems as good a time as any to retrieve her husband Landen from his state of eradication at the hands of the Chronoguard. It's not going to be easy. Thursday's former colleagues at the department of Literary Detectives want her to investigate a spate of cloned Shakespeares, the Goliath Corporation are planning to switch to a new Faith based corporate management system and the Neanderthals feel she might be the Chosen One who will lead them to genetic self-determination. With help from Hamlet, her uncle and time-travelling father, Thursday faces the toughest adventure of her career. Where is the missing President-for-life George Formby? Why is it imperative for the Swindon Mallets to win the World Croquet League final? And why is it so difficult to find reliable childcare? 100,000 words, 6 illustrations, adverts and web-based special features section.

▾Library descriptions

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▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

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