Deja Fu

Author: Jasper Fforde
Pages: 384
Year Published: 2003

Jasper Fforde’s debut novel tells the story of Litera Tec (short for Literary Detective) Thursday Next as she tracks a criminal mastermind intent on extorting the British government, or he changes Jane Eyre forever by killing its main character.

Yep. You read correctly. Fforde posits a world in which it’s possible to enter the worlds created by authors and interact with their characters. It’s a neat premise and how Fforde builds it is clever and it’s obvious he had a lot of fun creating this world. Along the way we’re introduced to numerous other SpecOps departments, including one to fight werewolves and vampires, as well as a war in the Crimea that never ended in the 19h century.

However, what makes the book really enjoyable is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. At times he manages to evoke the tone and wit that were hallmarks of Douglas Adams. There’s even a little social commentary tucked away that never becomes pedantic and something for people who might admit to having read Martin Chuzzlewit.

This book is the first in a series, which means you can expect to see more of them. For now, Fforde’s story of kidnapping and extortion involving the characters pulled from Victorian literature was a good read.

-K