Jasper Fforde is a naughty man

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> Carolyn:
> I thought it was brilliant -wasn't sure to begin with, but he 
> sustained the plot right to the end. I kicked myself for not 
thinking 
> of Rapunzel after they found the 28ft hair (!). There's a kind of 
> ruthless pathos to pregnant egg characters, don't you think? I 
mean, 
> most women feel like exploding every month, but I like the idea of 
> literally doing so as you produce your offspring. Cut out all this 
> motherhood crap wouldn't it?

Sean:
Heh. I am proud of myself for getting the Rapunzel clue, but the Jack
Spratt/Jack and the Beanstalk clues were much cleverer. And how's 
that for a reworking of Humpty Dumpty? The mad scientist did it! 
Jack appears to be the only one who dimly suspects that there's a 
novel going on. But I didn't get the Lola and Spongg clue until Dot 
mentioned the Generics argh.


Dot:
I thought immediately of Rapunzel, but for some reason was convinced 
she was blonde. Didn't it go "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your 
golden hair?" Or am I being ditzy again?

Oh – and I found it. The Eyre Affair, p 278, as Thursday and
Bowden are coming out of the patch of bad time:
"The first occasion was on a road somewhere in the Home Counties. It 
looked like winter, and ahead of us a lime-green Austin Allegro 
estate pulled out from a slip road. I swerved and drove past at 
great speed, sounding my horn angrily."


Carolyn:
> Let JKR take it as an example of carefully-sustained multi-book
> plotting with dead clever jokes and limitless pastiche thrown in.
> Wonder if Voldy's thought of infecting the world with veruccas..
 
Dot:
Unfortunately, I think they're attempting quite different things. 
Fforde chucks in little points that he's sure will be useful, but 
I'm not convinced he's sure when; I've never had the impression that 
the series is heading for a conclusion that he's had all planned out 
for ages. Which makes it easier for him, I think. JKR, on the other 
hand, has (perhaps foolishly) turned the whole thing into a game 
with her fans, so that we'll jump on such points immediately. 
Problem with JKR is it's difficult to tell the difference between 
red herrings, genuine clues, and (ahem) sloppy writing that seems to 
hint at stuff but is really just filler. And undoubtedly we'll be 
dead pissed off if the sloppy filler doesn't even turn out to have 
been a red herring (I'm thinking of Florence, and suchlike). Fforde 
can get away with bits of filler because he's never promised his 
fans red herrings.

And personally, I reckon facial herpes is more Voldy's style.

Dot