Jasper Fforde has done it again in this genre-bending blend of crime fiction, fantasy, and top-drawer literary entertainment. After two rollicking ...
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May 17, 2008
Lena
rated it: 
I’m sad to say I didn’t enjoy this book anywhere near as much as the first two in the series. While I think Fforde’s choice to set the action almost entirely in the Bookworld was an intriguing one, I also got the sense he was in over his head.
Like many of the partially completed books in the Well of Lost Plots, there is a great amount of creativity on display here, but also a lot of half-baked ideas and poorly developed characters. The action took place in so many different setti More...
Like many of the partially completed books in the Well of Lost Plots, there is a great amount of creativity on display here, but also a lot of half-baked ideas and poorly developed characters. The action took place in so many different setti More...
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Sep 10, 2007
Anna
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In this third book, Thursday Next goes for a small holiday in a poorly written and unpublished novel in the Well of Lost Plots within the Book World. While there, she ends up joining the Book World police (Jurisfiction) as an apprentice to the Dickens Great Expectations character Mrs Haversham.
As in the previous two novels, this one if full of funny dialogues and meetings with characters from some of the great classics (Dickens, Brontë and Verne are just a few).
The book More...
As in the previous two novels, this one if full of funny dialogues and meetings with characters from some of the great classics (Dickens, Brontë and Verne are just a few).
The book More...
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Aug 25, 2011
Anthony
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I was surprised to see how many people didn't like this one as much as the first two. Personally, I loved it. Interestingly though, before I launched into the Thursday next books, I had already read the 1st 2 of Fforde's ' Nursery Crimes’ series, which intersects loosely with the book world setting of this 3rd novel, and for me a large part of the reading pleasure here was in the cleverness of that intersection, And so perhaps that has some impact upon the way I read the book.
Like th More...
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Oct 17, 2008
Sandi
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I jumped right into "The Well of Lost Plots" after finishing "Lost in a Good Book". I think I'm ready for some other reading for a while.
"The Well of Lost Plots" was a pretty interesting book, and it was fun. But, there wasn't a lot of plot to it and it jumped around a lot. Once again, Thursday's primary problem remains unresolved. I hope it gets taken care of in the next volume.
Oh, and I think I need to read "Great Expectations"
"The Well of Lost Plots" was a pretty interesting book, and it was fun. But, there wasn't a lot of plot to it and it jumped around a lot. Once again, Thursday's primary problem remains unresolved. I hope it gets taken care of in the next volume.
Oh, and I think I need to read "Great Expectations"
Sep 08, 2007
Cindy
rated it: 
Just got this one and had to read it right away. I was going to wait, as I still haven't read Lost in a Good Book, but I picked it up just to look through it and I couldn't put it down. I'm not even sure really why I like this series so much. Maybe just because it is so different. Or maybe it's all the Lewis Carroll stuff. But it was really good and I'm anxious to read more in this series.
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Sep 01, 2009
Scot
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This is the third installment in the Thursday Next, literary detective series, and to my mind the best so far. For this novel we leave (mostly) the alternative England of the first in the series, pass through (often) the BookWorld highlighted in the second of the series, and come to know Thursday’s refuge and hiding place from the evil mnemonomorph (love that word!) Aoris Hades, the Well of Lost Plots. This is the place below the Library of Book Two where incomplete or unformed literary works
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Oct 21, 2008
Bella
rated it:
Tis awesome so far. A truly marvelous plotline, with amazing contraptions thrown in. Ingenious.
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Jul 19, 2008
Honor
rated it:
I seem somewhat doomed to find series via a book somewhere in the middle. I'm sure it happens to everyone, but it -feels- like it happens to me a bit more often.
So... Except for people who find it accidentally, who'd read a review of this book? Likely someone who's interested in perhaps reading it... Who, I'd guess, would be someone who's already read the first two. So, this review's probably useless. None the less....
This book (as I'm sure is true for the rest of the More...
So... Except for people who find it accidentally, who'd read a review of this book? Likely someone who's interested in perhaps reading it... Who, I'd guess, would be someone who's already read the first two. So, this review's probably useless. None the less....
This book (as I'm sure is true for the rest of the More...
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Dec 22, 2008
Angela
rated it:
Absolutely amazing. I'm convinced that Fforde is one of the most brilliant authors writing fiction today.
The Well of Lost Plots, rather than being more of the same from the world of Thursday Next and Jurisfiction, is something fresh, still original, never boring, and simply... fabulous. I adore this series for so many reasons... not the least of which being that it, much like Harry Potter or Abarat, is too often viewed as a children's book when it (and the others) are really nothin More...
The Well of Lost Plots, rather than being more of the same from the world of Thursday Next and Jurisfiction, is something fresh, still original, never boring, and simply... fabulous. I adore this series for so many reasons... not the least of which being that it, much like Harry Potter or Abarat, is too often viewed as a children's book when it (and the others) are really nothin More...
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May 31, 2008
Gigi
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This book in the series has a lot more side stories and even more creative ideas which sometimes interrupted the flow of the story for me. It took a little more work to read as I had to remember quite a few different books and their plots which are referenced. But overall I really enjoyed it and the ideas that Fforde comes up with are so entertaining that it is fun just reading some passages.
One of the most entertaining of these passages was Lady Cavendish describing the "had ha More...
One of the most entertaining of these passages was Lady Cavendish describing the "had ha More...
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May 23, 2008
Lisa
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I slogged through most of the first fifth or so of this book; I preferred Thursday in her “real” world of the first two books. I was concerned that this third book wouldn’t be as enjoyable as I’d expected it would be. I ended up loving it though, and laughed as much as I did while reading the first two books, and cared as much about Thursday and certain other characters as much as well.
This book was kind of all over the place more than the first two books in the series, but there wer More...
This book was kind of all over the place more than the first two books in the series, but there wer More...
Jan 14, 2008
Martine
rated it:
In the third instalment of the series, real life becomes a bit too dangerous for Thursday, so she goes into hiding in the book world. And not just any part of the book world, but the Well of Lost Plots, where unpublished novels languish. Here, while the pernicious Aornis Hades tries to erase her memories, Thursday continues her training to become a Jurisfiction agent. Which is not as easy as it might sound, for characters are failing to show up for their Rage Control Meetings, murderous Minotaur
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Dec 29, 2008
Kallierose
rated it:
Inventive and unusual, these books are a blast. Thursday is a wonderful character, and everyone around her is just as much fun, from Spike (the vampire slayer) to Pickwick the dodo.
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Nov 18, 2010
Skylar
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In this third installment of the Thursday Next literary mystery series, our agent finds herself working for Jurisfiction in the Book World, residing in one of the unpublished novels to be found in the Well of Lost Plots. Fforde creates a clever fantasy world and uses numerous literary puns, which make The Well of Lost Plots worth reading. The story itself, however, is not really gripping, and Thursday's character has never seemed well developed or "real" to me. I keep reading this s
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Jun 30, 2011
The Well of Lost Plots continues the tongue-in-cheek adventures of Thursday Next and her foray into the world of Jurisfiction. This time, she is fully immersed in the book world, hiding from Golaith Corporation and the Hades family while she regains her strength and nurtures her growing belly. Next has lost none of her feistiness though, which means that hijinks ensue as she uncovers an insidious plot designed to change the book world forever.
More so than the previous two novels, The More...
More so than the previous two novels, The More...
Jul 08, 2010
Minh
rated it:
Fast forwarding on a little from the events of book 2, we now find Thursday on vacation as part of the Character Exchange Program, in a little read novel in the Well of Lost Plots. As per usual Landon is still eradicated and Archeron's sister is making things worse by erasing Thursday's memories of him.
To be honest I was more than a little lost reading the novel, there were so many sub-plots going on at once that when I put it all together it seems a bit of a mess, but a fun one! I'd actually p More...
To be honest I was more than a little lost reading the novel, there were so many sub-plots going on at once that when I put it all together it seems a bit of a mess, but a fun one! I'd actually p More...
Apr 10, 2011
Angela
rated it:
In this delicious sequel to The Eyre Affair and Lost in a Good Book, Fforde's redoubtable (and now throwing-up-pregnant) heroine Thursday Next once again does battle with philistine bibliophobes, taking a furlough from her duties as a SpecOps Literary Detective to vacation in the Well of Lost Plots, the 26 noisome sub-basements of the Great Library. Pursued by her memory-modifying nemesis Aornis Hades, Thursday joins Jurisfiction's Character Exchange Program, filling in for "Mary," sid
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Mar 28, 2011
Mjohnson
rated it:
The best in the series so far, in my opinion. This one is a book-lover's dream. Here, Thursday is needing to hide out and protect her unborn baby (fathered by someone who never existed--but will exist again, because I've read the 5th book). So she decides to retreat into a book. Literally. And in The Well of Lost Plots we get an ever greater understanding of how the book world works. Every character starts out as a generic, with no distinguishing features, but through education (even college), w
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Jan 24, 2011
Jenny
rated it:
Again, funny in the completely loopy and unpredictable sense as well as in the highly literary sense. One thing this series has going for it, which sets it apart from other fantasy series such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, is that the structural framework is different in each book, rather than being repeated again and again. The books could stand on their own, if the world(s) Fforde created weren't so detailed, strange, and fast-paced. Also, Thursday's character development occurs mostly
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Jan 12, 2011
Lis
rated it:
Having escaped her assorted enemies for the moment, Thursday Next is hiding out in an unpublished novel in the Well of Lost Plots as part of the character exchange program. She's still pregnant, and her husband, Landen Parke-Laine, is still eradicated, due to the evil machinations of Goliath Corp. Acheron Hades is dead, but Acheron's sister Aornis is still after Thursday, seeking revenge for her brother's death. She also still has to stand trial on a charge of Fiction Infraction, due to her unau
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Dec 30, 2010
Karissa
rated it:
This is the third book in the Thursday Next series. Currently there are five books in this series with the sixth book, "One of Our Thursdays is Missing", due out in March 2011. This was a great addition to the series and was as witty, entertaining, and crazy as all of the previous books have been. Fforde is an incredibly creative writer that creates an intricate plot, bizarre characters, and a book full of ironic humor. I actually listened to this on audio book which I highly recommend
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Aug 23, 2010
Danielle
rated it:
I'm really getting into this series now, though I initially found it slightly difficult to connect with. One of the downsides to now being sure I like this series is trying to recommend it to others. When the question "What is it about?" invariably comes up, I end up sputtering out something like "another dimension where it is 1986, time travel is normal, the main method of air travel is zeppelin, and people can jump in and out of books." It makes me cringe inwardly to be s
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May 02, 2010
Barky
rated it:
Thursday is still reeling from the eradication of her husband, Landon Park Lane, and she’s taken some time off from the “real world” (her alternative Britain) to hide out from the Goliath Corporation, the Chronoguard, and Spec Ops. She’s hiding in an unpublished manuscript called Cavisham Heights as part of the character exchange program through Jurisfiction. While she’s there, Thursday continues her Jurisfiction apprenticeship with Miss Havisham (from Great Expectations), eventually passing h
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Mar 26, 2010
Shannon
rated it:
(Review of book on CD)
I'm having a tough time rating this one. Three stars? Four stars? Jasper Fforde is, as always, extremely creative. He has an astounding knowledge of literature, and his world-building skills are amazing. I loved The Eyre Affair, and really enjoyed Lost in a Good Book. I'm having a bit more trouble, though, with The Well of Lost Plots.
Other reviewers have said this already, but I'll say it here, too: there is just so much going on in this book. More...
I'm having a tough time rating this one. Three stars? Four stars? Jasper Fforde is, as always, extremely creative. He has an astounding knowledge of literature, and his world-building skills are amazing. I loved The Eyre Affair, and really enjoyed Lost in a Good Book. I'm having a bit more trouble, though, with The Well of Lost Plots.
Other reviewers have said this already, but I'll say it here, too: there is just so much going on in this book. More...
Nov 18, 2009
Genie
rated it:
In this third novel of the series, we find pregnant Thursday Next taking
refuge in a poorly written and unpublished crime novel called Caversham Heights where she expects to rest there until the birth of her child. Taking a job in Jurisfiction, Thursday is assigned as an apprentice to Miss Havisham (from the Dickens novel). Miss Havisham is nothing like the character Dickens created. Instead she is a spirited, brave and capable law enforcement agent.
Main plot of the mystery begins More...
refuge in a poorly written and unpublished crime novel called Caversham Heights where she expects to rest there until the birth of her child. Taking a job in Jurisfiction, Thursday is assigned as an apprentice to Miss Havisham (from the Dickens novel). Miss Havisham is nothing like the character Dickens created. Instead she is a spirited, brave and capable law enforcement agent.
Main plot of the mystery begins More...
May 04, 2009
Vilja
rated it:
This was the best in the series so far. Set entirely in the BookWorld, this novel really lets rip with the imaginative use of language to bend perception of reality. It has the added advantage that the author can draw on classic characters such as Miss Havisham, Heathcliff and Mrs Tiggly-Winkle, which nicely makes up for his weakness in creating and handling his own original characters.
This is just my take on it, but I've had trouble identifying with or liking his original character More...
This is just my take on it, but I've had trouble identifying with or liking his original character More...
Oct 03, 2010
F.R.
rated it: 
In which my irritation at this series reaches a boiling point.
I had an odd reaction to the two previous Thursday Next novels, a curious mixture of subtle enjoyment and distinct annoyance. The enjoyment came from the fact that I’m a man who loves books and they were distinctly literary reads. But there was also a huge amount of quirkiness (never a quality I particularly like) and an arch ‘oh-isn’t-this-soooo-clever!’ self-satisfaction to the proceedings. There were points in the previ More...
I had an odd reaction to the two previous Thursday Next novels, a curious mixture of subtle enjoyment and distinct annoyance. The enjoyment came from the fact that I’m a man who loves books and they were distinctly literary reads. But there was also a huge amount of quirkiness (never a quality I particularly like) and an arch ‘oh-isn’t-this-soooo-clever!’ self-satisfaction to the proceedings. There were points in the previ More...
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Aug 15, 2009
Jeff
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 22, 2010
Sara
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Apr 01, 2009
Joanna
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I think out of all the Thursday Next books this is my favorite so far, although they are all good. In the third installment of the series we find our girl Thursday living in the fictional world and apprenticing to become a Jurisfiction agent, the fictional version of her outlander job of So-27. In her desire to avoid the parties in the real world out to "detain" her while her bun is in the oven, she gains a residence in the Well of Lost Plots and begins her new career.
I fo More...
I fo More...
