Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

[Read 10/1/2007] Mystery/Fantasy/SF

I just love this series; Fforde is hysterical. The Well of Lost Plots [Jasper Fforde, 2003] is the third Thursday Next book, set entirely in the BookWorld where Thursday is continuing her apprentice Jurisfiction training under Miss Haversham (from Great Expectations). Thursday lives on a houseboat within the book “Caversham Heights”. She lives with two “generics” – students at St. Tabularasa’s who have yet to be given book assignments. Thursday partners with Jack Spratt (a detective) to try to solve a BookWorld murder.

Meanwhile, Text Grand Central is about to release Book v9, “Ultraword”. Note that Book v8.3 is the current paper-based type of book. There is a big problem with Ultraword and Thursday uncovers a plot to have it released anyway. Thursday travels with Miss Haversham to the Outside world where they try to discover who has entered BookWorld and used a minotaur and a “mispeling vyrus” to hide his escape.

Finally, Thursday, the two generics (now Randolph and Lola) and Thursday’s pet dodo, Pickwick take a vacation in the book Caversham Heights.