The Eyre Affair, By Jasper Fforde

(Anna’s Recommendation): I thought this novel was, for the most part, clever, amusing, and an enjoyable read. Anyone who was a fan of The Phantom Tollbooth in their younger years (or, in my case, still to this day) will find that this book is almost an adult version, with the same language tricks and playful consciousness of the way we use words and literature. With that comparison in mind, however, I would add that this book cannot quite capture the same magic, or rather, the same constancy of the sparkle of the Phantom Tollbooth. The Eyre Affair seems to slide back and forth from sparkle and wit to something a little more plodding. That said, the book is a fun read and a great book for those who yearn for something like an inside joke for literature lovers (Anna may even have used those same words in her recommendation of the book – so it must be true!).