Jasper Fforde - Shades of Grey (possible spoilers)

[dorothyinAus]

What did you think of Shades of Grey?

I found it a bit darker and heavier in tone than the Thursday Next/Nursery Crime books. I am anxious to see where he is taking the characters, but overall, I am not sure what to think of the idea.

I read it last year, but the book has stuck with me, more so than any of the Thursday Nexts did. Not that I do not enjoy Thursday, she's a great character, and the books are great fun to read, but there was something different about Shades of Grey. I can't quite put my finger on what it is though.

(And am I the only one who heard all the furore about Fifty Shades of Grey and thought it was a marathon session for Fforde fans?)

[charlatti]

Definitely agree on the tone -- it was darker. The TN books are an alternate world but it's all mostly silly. Shades of Grey leans more into real dystopian, I think. It's been quite a while since I read it; I need to do a re-read sometime soon.

LOL at the Fforde marathon. I think he'd totally appreciate that interpretation!

[chicacocodrilo]

My husband asked me if Fifty Shades of Grey was the sequel to Shades of Grey when we saw people reading it in Cancun!

But yeah, Shades of Grey is darker. I liked it--I enjoy a good dystopian novel--and I'm curious to know how he'll keep Eddie and Jane linked, and how they'll take on the Collective.

I do remember thinking that Fforde may have had some trouble with this one. The pub date kept on getting delayed, and the descriptions of the book changed slightly with each new date. I also thought the first third was a bit slow, like Fforde was struggling to introduce the world he'd created. He finally hit his stride, though, and I loved Eddie's growing awareness of the world he really lives in and how he and Jane came to understand each other.

Wonder when the second one will be out?

[sporklemotion]

I really liked this book when I read it a little over a year ago. I don't remember much about it, and I'll have to reread it before going on to the next one. It was darker than his other books, but that worked for me-- I enjoy the Thursday Next books but find that I have trouble getting caught up in the stories. This one felt more cohesive to me and I liked that it didn't rely so heavily on allusions to literature or nursery rhymes.
It does seem like the publication dates keep getting pushed back... I thought I had seen on the website that the next Shades of Grey would be out by now-- anyone hear when it may come out?

[charlatti]

May 18, 2012 4:23:27 GMT -5 sporklemotion said:

It does seem like the publication dates keep getting pushed back... I thought I had seen on the website that the next Shades of Grey would be out by now-- anyone hear when it may come out?

Goodreads says 2013, but nothing more specific. But he's supposed to have two releases in October (TN #7 and The Last Dragonslayer).

[kategm]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who 1) read Shades of Grey, 2) thought this new cult book was another of his. It was definitely my favorite that I've read of his. I constantly think of that self-healing road whenever I drive over the terrible pot-hole filled roads we have here.

[taylormillgirl]

I picked up Shades of Grey on a whim when it was first released, and I flew through it. LOVED IT HARD.

I've been waiting patiently for the sequel, but like a pp said, I can't get a feel for when it's coming out. Fingers crossed that his publisher didn't drop the series.

[dorothyinAus]

My MIL keeps asking me if I know when the next book will come out. I knew it was a mistake to introduce her to Jasper Fforde.

According to his website, the next Shades of Grey book will be a prequel, not a sequel. I'll be bummed if it is. I am looking froward to see what happens. The book really made me think. I was surprised that it stuck with me as long as it did.

It's really an interesting take on the world. I'm sure it's a social commentary -- but maybe I am reading too much into the story. Maybe I just want it to be a comment on society. Maybe I just wish life were as easy to explain and figure out as things are in novels.

[taylormillgirl]

A prequel? What f*ckery is this???

Grrr.

This is why I wait until most series are complete before I read them.

[emisi]

I loved it. I thought it was a really interesting idea, having castes based on what color you could see. Definitely darker, but still fantastic.