Thursday, March 04, 2004
Ffordian Ffun
I can't believe I forgot to mention this in my earlier round-up of random events I hadn't discussed--I went to a Jasper Fforde reading & signing on Saturday in San Mateo! It totally made my weekend. Fforde's books are like extended inside jokes for the well-read. They're hilariously packed with so many literary references that I feel like I need to read more books just to get all the stuff I didn't catch the first time around! His writing is incredibly clever and creative, and he's the same in person. I had a great time hearing him talk about his writing, his books, and other random tangents.
What I love about his writing is one of the things he talked about—being intrigued with the idea of making connections between books. He does this in so many ways—using characters from classic literature in his own stories, making references to other classic books, and actually writing material to fill in bits of other books: like writing the context for some of the Cheshire cat's non sequiturs or answering the Mad Hatter's question of "Why is a raven like a writing-desk?" (The answer being "Because there's a B in both.")
There's a passage in The Well of Lost Plots where Thursday uses the footnoterphone to try and communicate with one of the characters in a book she’s currently reading, A Dark and Stormy Night. Fforde said that someday he's going to publish that book, and on page 200, that character will randomly say, "Did someone call my name?" and there will be a footnote of Thursday, calling his name. I love this stuff.
Kristy currently has my copies of Lost in a Good Book and The Well of Lost Plots, and some bookstores are weird about people bringing in books to be signed (they want you to buy THEIR copies…), so I stupidly left my lone Fforde (The Eyre Affair) at home. But at the end of his talk, Jasper (can I call him Jasper?!) said "I'm happy to sign anything you've brought!" And, he had mentioned some of the updates he made to the US edition (including a bonus extra chapter)…so I gave in and bought the US edition of WLP for Kristy, and had it signed. For Kristy, that is. I then explained that Kristy had borrowed my copies, and told him I would try to get her to come to the LA signing to get my copies signed! It was so cool, his girlfriend was standing there, and she said, "Ok, we'll have to remember that…Kristy is bringing books to be signed for Barbara!" Kristy made the trek to San Diego yesterday to go to a signing in La Jolla, so I shall get my signed book yet. I still have to check and see if Jasper remembered me when Kristy handed over my book to be signed!
After the weekend and being reminded of how much fun Fforde's books are, I've become obsessed yet again. I need to re-read all three! After I finish East of Eden, that is...
What I love about his writing is one of the things he talked about—being intrigued with the idea of making connections between books. He does this in so many ways—using characters from classic literature in his own stories, making references to other classic books, and actually writing material to fill in bits of other books: like writing the context for some of the Cheshire cat's non sequiturs or answering the Mad Hatter's question of "Why is a raven like a writing-desk?" (The answer being "Because there's a B in both.")
There's a passage in The Well of Lost Plots where Thursday uses the footnoterphone to try and communicate with one of the characters in a book she’s currently reading, A Dark and Stormy Night. Fforde said that someday he's going to publish that book, and on page 200, that character will randomly say, "Did someone call my name?" and there will be a footnote of Thursday, calling his name. I love this stuff.
Kristy currently has my copies of Lost in a Good Book and The Well of Lost Plots, and some bookstores are weird about people bringing in books to be signed (they want you to buy THEIR copies…), so I stupidly left my lone Fforde (The Eyre Affair) at home. But at the end of his talk, Jasper (can I call him Jasper?!) said "I'm happy to sign anything you've brought!" And, he had mentioned some of the updates he made to the US edition (including a bonus extra chapter)…so I gave in and bought the US edition of WLP for Kristy, and had it signed. For Kristy, that is. I then explained that Kristy had borrowed my copies, and told him I would try to get her to come to the LA signing to get my copies signed! It was so cool, his girlfriend was standing there, and she said, "Ok, we'll have to remember that…Kristy is bringing books to be signed for Barbara!" Kristy made the trek to San Diego yesterday to go to a signing in La Jolla, so I shall get my signed book yet. I still have to check and see if Jasper remembered me when Kristy handed over my book to be signed!
After the weekend and being reminded of how much fun Fforde's books are, I've become obsessed yet again. I need to re-read all three! After I finish East of Eden, that is...
| posted by Barbara | 12:12 AM