Best New-to-Me Books of 2005: Adult Fiction
Adult Fiction
The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
Fantasy and English classics collide in this clever, original, and exciting novel. Thursday Next is a "literary detective" in an alternative England where classic literature influences not only pop culture but also world politics. When archvillain Acheron Hades obtains a device that can bring literary characters into the real world, and vice versa, he threatens to destroy literature as we know it. It's up to Thursday, of course, to stop him. Humor and literary references abound. Knowledge of Jane Eyre's major plot points is helpful.
The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith
This delightful book, which I picked up at a used bookstore in San Francisco out of desperation for something to read, turned out to be one of my favorites for the year. (For the record, I've never seen the movie.) A remarkably literary and understated suspense, The Talented Mr. Ripley is the first book in Highsmith's series about Tom Ripley, a sociopath with a talent for identity theft. Tom is at once morally repugnant, frightening, and sympathetic. Although the book is not your typical action-packed page-turner, I couldn't put it down.
The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
Fantasy and English classics collide in this clever, original, and exciting novel. Thursday Next is a "literary detective" in an alternative England where classic literature influences not only pop culture but also world politics. When archvillain Acheron Hades obtains a device that can bring literary characters into the real world, and vice versa, he threatens to destroy literature as we know it. It's up to Thursday, of course, to stop him. Humor and literary references abound. Knowledge of Jane Eyre's major plot points is helpful.
The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith
This delightful book, which I picked up at a used bookstore in San Francisco out of desperation for something to read, turned out to be one of my favorites for the year. (For the record, I've never seen the movie.) A remarkably literary and understated suspense, The Talented Mr. Ripley is the first book in Highsmith's series about Tom Ripley, a sociopath with a talent for identity theft. Tom is at once morally repugnant, frightening, and sympathetic. Although the book is not your typical action-packed page-turner, I couldn't put it down.