The Big Over Easy

Jasper Fforde (author)

Hodder & Stoughton, UK: 2005; 398pp

ISBN: 0340835680

Genres: crime, fantasy, folktales, humour, mystery

D.I. Jack Spratt (who eats no fat) and D.S Mary Mary of the Nursery Crimes Division (NCD) of the Reading Police Force, are investigating the unexpected death of Humpty Dumpty.

Investigation is complicated by the emergence of various nursery rhyme characters, such as Wee Willie Winkie and his sleep disorder; Rapunzel; the goose that laid the golden egg; not to mention the Titan Prometheus, who is seeking political asylum.

Matters are made more difficult for Jack by the interference of a corrupt member of the Worshipful Guild of Detectives. When you are dealing with such high profile and well published characters as Lord Flimsey, Inspector Dogleash and Hercule Porridge, it is necessary to be careful about throwing accusations around regarding sloppy investigative practices. Will Jack ever be accepted by the media, or will they only ever think of him as a man who has ‘issues' about giants?

This latest madcap escapade from Jasper Fforde requires the reader to have a fairly extensive knowledge of nursery rhymes as the manic narrative will be virtually incomprehensible without it. While there are a few references to The Eyre Affair for fans, this is a new direction for Fforde and one that is a very funny parody of the crime writing genre.

Notes at the top of the page carry their own humour, including such delights as newspaper articles about decisions to eliminate old narrative devices from crime stories (e.g. the identical twin scenario, and the over-dependence on dog-walkers finding bodies). To be able to write this kind of ‘nonsense', Fforde has to have a very thorough understanding of how narrative - specifically crime writing, in this case - is structured. As a result, much of the novel is about showing the reader how narrative works by doing all the expected things in an unexpected way.

Great fun and highly recommended for readers who enjoy something a little different.