The Woman Who Died A Lot by Jasper Fforde

Regular readers of my blog might have noticed that I am a rather large fan of Jasper Fforde and his work. A while ago I reviewed his dystopian novel ‘Shades of Grey’ and I also wrote an article about his recent talk on his latest book launch for ‘The Woman Who Died A Lot’. I think it is therefore safe to say that I already had a fairly high expectation of the seventh instalment of Thursday Next’s adventure, well before it was released.

As a general rule, I tend to try to avoid hype surrounding popular culture. Whether it’s the latest Spiderman film or a certain current bestseller, I find that they rarely live up to expectation. The hype I was subjected to surrounding Fforde’s latest work was, however, entirely self-induced so there was no getting rid of it! But I am pleased to announce that Mr Fforde easily stepped up to the benchmark of his other novels and eagerly surpassed it.

Whilst listening to his talk at his book launch last week, a few things he announced initially set alarm bells ringing in my head. I thought that four plot threads might have been just one too many; Fforde’s dreamt up worlds and scenarios often require concentration and a pinch of salt at the best of times without extra storylines to handle. And I was worried that moving Thursday back away from the Bookworld would detract from the wonderful realm which Fforde has worked so hard to create so beautifully artistically. I thought I would miss the unending literary allusions and cultural references.

I needn’t have worried though. What I got when I opened the cover was probably the most exciting and entertaining instalment of Thursday’s life so far. The concentration of the storylines (all four of them)  in and around the family home in Swindon and Thursday and Landen’s two teenage children adds a warm reality to the novel, making all the deranged theories of ‘madeupions’, ‘mnenomorphs’ and smitings that little bit more credible. And Thursday is of course stationed in the next best place to Bookworld; a library.

And yet the tone of credibility which Fforde adds to this novel doesn’t detract from the sense of the ludicrously ridiculous which he establishes in all of his novels. The ideas of synthetic humans designed to have superpowers but to live only for one day and that the exact location of a smiting can be calculated according to precisely how much sin is concentrated in the area are utterly ridiculous and yet utterly ingenious. There are many more treats of this nature embedded throughout ‘The Woman Who Died A Lot’. And these treats are exactly why losing yourself in one of Fforde’s novels is always such a delight! So savour them, ration your reading, otherwise you’ll only want to start over and read the whole thing again, as soon as you’ve read the last word.

I eagerly await Thursday’s return, at some point in the future , in ‘Dark Reading Matter’. 

#bookbread

Today on twitter, #bookbread is trending. I've had great fun coming up with a dough-y twist on classic literature. Here are a few titles I've managed to modify:

Brighton Roll - Graham Greene
The Hound of the Bakervilles - Arthur Conan Doyle
A-scone-ment - Ian McEwan
The Rye Who Loved Me - Ian Flemming
The Hitchhiker's guide to the Granary - Douglas Adams
Batch 22 - Joseph Heller
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Scone - JK Roll-ing
Scone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell

For further altered titles, check out #bookbread on twitter. Feel free to comment below if you have any more ideas!!

Jasper FForde Speaks – Waterstones, New Street, Birmingham

Jasper FForde’s new novel ‘The Woman Who Died A Lot’ came out yesterday and Mr Fforde is touring bookshops across the country in order to promote it. The book forms the seventh instalment the series starring Thursday Next, a literary detective in a parallel universe where time travel was possible, dodos have been brought back from extinction and physics is rather different. This particular chapter of the story apparently brings us more delights, such as the rise of Yo Toast outlets, the smiting of cities by an angry deity, some rather feisty librarians with the power to conduct dawn raids to holders of overdue books and ornamental hermits. The novel moves away from Bookworld and instead the action takes place in Swindon, Thursday’s home town and the action focuses more closely on her family life.

Fforde’s talk was brilliant; he is an erudite and articulate speaker with a fascinating mind. He spoke of his methods of writing, which unlike authors who meticulously plan their work, centre around a series of ‘narrative dares’, Fforde explains these to be the literary equivalent of how Scottish cuisine is built upon a foundation of culinary dares. He told us avid readers that in such times of austerity as we find ourselves in today, he wanted to give something back as an author, and so incorporated an extra plot thread into this new novel, absolutely free! This means that ‘The Woman Who Died A Lot’ (a title which may sound strange, but Fforde is extremely proud of) deals with no less than 4 simultaneous main storylines, which ensure that the book promises to be just as action-packed and exciting as its 6 predecessors.

Fforde is a walking advert for authors’ determination. He wrote 6 ½ novels before one was published, 4 of which are now available in print. It is strange to think that there was a time in which nobody thought that Thursday Next and her manipulation of literature deserved a place on the British bookshelf but Fforde continued to believe in her and his determination paid off. He now writes 2 books a year with just 140 days allocated to each one. In order to achieve this he has to spend 8 hours in front of his laptop every day, whether that day is a ‘scribblage day’ (where he forces himself to get words on the page) or a ‘combing day’ (‘prose is like hair – it improves with combing’). But his efforts do not go unnoticed. Many fans have pre-ordered their copies of Thursday’s new adventure, and I myself cannot wait to get started. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype!!

When We Are Married – Criterion Theatre, Earlsdon

‘This is Herbert Soppet all over – he couldn’t even get us married right!’

J B Priestly’s ‘When We Are Married’ might seem a strange choice for an Amateur Dramatics company to perform; a comedy in three acts set in the small Northern town of Clecklewycke. However this production marks the end of the Criterion’s fiftieth anniversary year, and mirrors the first production ever performed there, now over a half-century ago. Using the play as an anniversary celebration is particularly fitting since the action of the production centres around 3 couples, each celebrating 25 years of marriage. That is, until they find out that the pastor who ‘married’ them was not officially ordained, making their marriage vows effectively null and void.

The play is a comedy from start to end and this company fantastically exploited this. The set was brilliant, forming the front room of Alderman and Mrs Helliwell’s where all the action takes place. The room was cut in half diagonally, with the corner falling down-stage centre to make the audience feel incredibly involved, as if the seating formed the other half of the room. This couldn’t help but contribute to the sense of engagement coming from the stalls as events unfolded onstage. There were ‘oohs’ let out spontaneously as characters were slapped across the face and ‘ahhs’ as cast members came to the end of tuneful renditions of stage show classics.

Looking round the audience at almost any point in the play I could see only smiles; no yawning, watch-checking or blank expressions proving that the actors were doing a fantastic job.

Priestley’s witty one-liners were delivered with perfect comic timing and expression and the period costumes and attention to detail of the set designers made you feel like you really were back in the 40s.

But despite the slapstick humour generated by a drunkard photographer and the witty lines, Priestley’s subtle comments on contemporary life also shone through. The role of women in society and philosophical questions of marriage were carefully disguised as entertainment by cast members whilst still causing audience reflection throughout the two intervals and after the show had finished.

The group musical number to finish had the (ever so slightly) older members of the audience singing along and brought a beautiful close to a wonderful show. ‘When We Are Married’ fully deserved the full house it received.

Find your inner Aztec!! - A Soldier in Every Son at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon

Luis Mario Moncada’s new play ‘A Soldier in Every Son’ was commissioned for the World Shakespeare Festival and attempts to tell the story of the rise of the Aztecs in central Mexico during the 14^th Century in a style inspired by Shakespeare’s history plays. The play follows three tribal communities in their struggle for power in an everyday battle for survival.

The production brings together the RSC company with 6 Mexican actors from the Compañía Nacional de Teatro de México in a cross-cultural collaboration celebrating Shakespeare’s global influence.

Incredibly costumed design by Eloise Kazan

The production is, in my opinion, a resounding success. Granted, the names are a nightmare to get your head round, and the plot can be a little confusing at times, with each actor playing several parts. But the costumes, the tribal tattoos, the choreographed battle scenes in the style of tribal dancing and the incredible talent of the actors at work makes for a compelling and entertaining account of such a colourful period of Mexican history.

‘A Soldier in Every Son’ describes a period of history which is not familiar the majority of modern British audiences and therefore the cast and crew set themselves an enormous task in presenting the play in a way which was entertaining, not just educational. A feat, which I believe they performed exceptionally well; the action will have you on the edge of your seat yet all the little comic references and humorous moments will relieve some of that tension beautifully.

Cast and Crew on ‘finding your inner Aztec’

I was lucky enough to attend a question and answer session with members of the cast and crew, in which they shed a little light on how exactly they managed to pull off this mammoth task.

They explained that the play originally started off being 5 hours long, with many sections being almost a direct translation of some of Shakespeare’s most famous works. Luke Kernaghan, assistant director, spoke of the difficulty that cast and crew, along with writer Luis Mario Moncada, found in finding the play’s own unique voice through the allusions to Stratford’s literary hero. In the end, they resulted to cutting almost all of these direct references, and as star of the show Alex Waldmann quite rightly said, with a play filled with power, ambition and bloodshed, how can Moncada’s work not echo that of Shakespeare?

Alex Waldmann as Ixtlixochitl (I told you the names were a mouthful!)

The actors spoke of the difficulties they found in ‘finding their inner Aztec’, it must be hugely difficult trying to identify with people who lived in a world so far removed from modern British society.  But according to Waldmann, really small things such as never standing fully upright, and using various invented gestures instead of hugging or shaking hands helped as a constant reminder of the alien nature of this civilization.

Susie Trayling as Tecpa

So, without wanting to give too much away, you would be missing out if you didn’t get to see this show whilst it’s here. With colour, exuberance and passion A soldier in Every Son really is a new history of an ancient civilisation for a modern audience.  Catch it before it heads off to Mexico!

Julius Caesar

This particular rendition of Shakespeare’s famous Roman tragedy forms part of the RSC’s World Shakespeare Festival 2012. Guest actors, directors and musicians have been brought in from all around the globe to help celebrate Shakespeare’s role as a global playwright, not just a national icon. You can find out more about the festival itself by following this link - http://www.worldshakespearefestival.org.uk/about/

Gregory Doran directs a Julius Caesar set in modern Africa which echoes the recent uprisings against dictatorships which have taken place there. The setting is made obvious through the use of flags, ethnic music and a cast made up of solely black actors, although the script has not been altered and refers often to Rome.

The set itself echoes a Roman amphitheatre with large steps which lead up at the back of the stage, yet this is given a modern edge by exposing some of the reinforcements which lie beneath the concrete in a section at the back of the steps. The set was also expanded quickly and very effectively through the use of poles and fabric to form a tent in Brutus’s camp. The musicians often sat on these steps to play which provided the audience with a great view of their interesting collection of authentic African instruments.

The play seems to be fairly condensed, taking place over just 2 hours and 15 minutes with no interval, yet the fast paced action means that you are always kept on your toes.

The cast consists of a large ensemble of incredibly talented actors and Doran made use of them brilliantly. He had just the right number to make crowd scenes credible but not cluttered on stage, and the interaction between cast and audience in the 15 minutes prior to the performance helped break down the divide between stage and seating to make you feel really emotionally involved with the action unfolding in front of you. But for me, although the quality of the acting was exceptional as always, Paterson Joseph’s portrayal of Brutus really stole the show. His presentation of Brutus really brought about the duality of the character and his motives behind all of his actions. He definitely portrayed a Brutus for modern times.

The only criticism I have of the play was the lack of blood involved. I have seen a couple of productions of Julius Caesar at the RSC in recent years and all of them have resulted in the stage being awash with fake blood. Personally, the death of Caesar was not credible in the slightest since he was stabbed 6 or 7 times without even a drop of blood on his body, and yet Brutus and the other conspirators washed their hands in blood to the side of his body. When the robe of the dead Caesar was displayed by Mark Anthony later on, it had blood stains where daggers had pierced the fabric and subsequently the flesh, a big discrepancy between the events as seen on stage and those perceived to have happened. This is perhaps a minor detail, but for me it was the only fault of the performance, slightly marring an otherwise perfect production.

There are still tickets available to see the show live and in my opinion, it’s definitely worth making the journey. A definite must-see.