The Frame

I slammed the first Thursday Next book when I first read it for violating its own principles of first-person narration, and yet I can’t keep myself from reading all the others in the series as soon as they come out, because the idea of Literary Detectives and being able to jump into books is just so darned appealing I can’t resist them. This is the fifth in the series, and it jumps ahead in time several years–Thursday’s son Friday is now seventeen and being courted by the ChronoGuard (oh, yeah, there’s also time-traveling–have I mentioned how irresistible I find time travel narratives?). Fforde has gotten better at not leaving gaping plot holes, so I’m more than ever ready to recommend the series to anyone who loves reading. The books aren’t always as coherent as they could be, but they’re never less than enjoyable, and often delightful. And sometimes, that’s all you need from non-required reading.
Above Average