Member Reviews

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  2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 5 stars

  “Smart, literary, hilarious. I loved it. Jack Spratt is the head of the Nursery Crimes Division of the police, and the criminals he encounters in this book include the Gingerbreadman (as in, "you can't catch me!"), a bear who may be having an affair with the second of the three bears (she of the too-cold porridge, the too-soft bed, and so on), a lemon of a car sold to him by Dorian Gray, and a new form of radioactive energy that keeps causing random explosions. Good, silly fun that is even better if you've read plenty of other books in the past (i.e., figure out who Dorian Gray is before you dive in).”

  emilysk wrote this review Monday, January 7 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 5 stars

  “The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde is the second book in the Nursery Crime series starring police detective Jack Spratt and his partner Mary Mary. In this entry, Jack and Mary investigate the mysterious disappearance of Goldilocks after she vandalized the home of the Three Bears. Fforde's world is populated by the many strange denizens of fairy tales and nursery rhymes along with the occasional mythological or Shakespearean creature, oh and don't forget about the aliens. His books are full of in-jokes and literary references. Each chapter is headed by a quotation from a nonsensical, nonexistent book that sometimes relates to the following chapter and sometimes makes the reader shake their head in confusion. This book is much stronger than the first in the series which seemed to wander off a bit into Fforde showing off his intellect rather than entertaining. In The Fourth Bear, he's settled into a rhythm that I can see him easily sustaining in future installments of the series. There are few laugh out loud moments in the book, but it's definitely a book that will leave you with a smile on your face.”

  clockstein wrote this review Wednesday, August 29 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 3 stars

  “It's not the most highly evolved of all mystery novels, but then again, who really needs a mystery that is overly complex and not enjoyable? If you've read "The Big Over Easy" then you know Jasper Fforde's MO and that's snappy silly dialogue and bat-shit crazy conclusions! Enjoy the ride, I know that I am. ”

  Meghan R wrote this review Saturday, January 5 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “3.5 stars.
  
  This is the second book in Jasper Fforde's Nursery Crimes series. Jack Spratt has been suspended (again) and Mary Mary is taking over as head of the Nursery Crime Division. This book involves the Gingerbreadman, Goldilocks, the three bears and giant cucumbers.
  
  I didn't like this one as much as the first Nursery Crimes book (The Big Over Easy), but I still love the way Fforde is able to weave in so many nursery rhyme characters (and other PDRs - Persons of Dubious Reality). There was a lot going on, so I started off trying to figure out how such-and-such a happening affected everything else going on, but I finally just gave up on trying to figure it out and enjoyed all the references to the nursery rhymes - really the main fun of reading these books, I think!
  
  I will pick up the 3rd book someday when it is released as well. ”

  LibraryCin wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Jasper Fforde's Nursery stories become more and more enchantingly complex”

  Bafut wrote this review Saturday, November 1 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Very cool and entertaining book!
  - I love the plot and the characters and can't wait for the next - and last :( book in the series to be published next year!”

  Kaylyn wrote this review Tuesday, September 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “After The Big Over Easy, this is another tale about DCI Jack Pratt and DS Mary Mary of the Reading Police Nursery Crime Division. Fforde has created a wonderfully real imaginary world where bears and other nursery rhyme figures try to live normal lives in the city of Reading. His books are an intellectual joy to read, with lots of clever jokes and wordplay - but emotionally, they leave me indifferent, and that's what keeps this book in the 3 star category for me. But I stand in awe of Jasper Fforde's imagination and flair.”

  mjacobs wrote this review Sunday, August 17 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “This was a fun read, but I enjoy the Thursday Next series more. I liked this one better than The Big Over Easy. It got a little slow in the middle for me.”

  Cathy P wrote this review Tuesday, August 12 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Cookie! Again, another clever, literary mystery in the Nursery Crimes Division. Terribly funny, not necessarily laugh-out-loud, but completely enjoyable.
  
  Thank goodness someone finally explained what Goldielocks was doing in that bed! Hussy.”

  Blue Cypress Books wrote this review Tuesday, August 5 2008. ( reply | permalink )