{"id":7630,"date":"2010-06-01T17:26:00","date_gmt":"2010-06-01T21:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/?p=7630"},"modified":"2010-06-01T17:26:00","modified_gmt":"2010-06-01T21:26:00","slug":"review-shades-of-grey-by-jasper-fforde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/2010\/06\/review-shades-of-grey-by-jasper-fforde\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Shades of Grey<\/em>, by Jasper Fforde"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"My review of Jasper Fforde’s newest novel, Shades of Grey<\/em>, is online over at The Book Book<\/em><\/a> blog.<\/p>\n

Maybe I’m just lucky to have read and savored everything else which Fforde has written. His work is without peer, I think — not necessarily in the sense of “none better,” more in the vein of “nothing else like it.” He’s endlessly inventive, does not take himself too seriously, always takes the story<\/em> seriously, and somehow — despite his literally fantastic plots and alternate-universe settings and characters — escapes categorization as a writer of fantasy and\/or science fiction. He probably belongs the “Pantheon” list in the right sidebar here. I desperately want his job.<\/p>\n

In any event: Shades of Grey<\/em> is highly recommended for readers who don’t mind being challenged by strange, even slightly loopy ideas, and who can recognize tongue-in-cheekery when they see it.<\/p>\n

For more on the plot and so on, check the Book Book<\/em> review. And of course, feel free to ask questions here (or over there) if you’d like.<\/p>\n

______________________________<\/p>\n

On another note…<\/strong><\/p>\n

You may notice signs of some construction here for a little while. From time to time I think about messing with the overall “look” of the blog, but that’s not likely to happen; I’ve invested too much time in customizing what I’ve already got.<\/p>\n

So far, two changes:<\/p>\n