Shades of Gray

I first read The Eyre Affair ages ago . . . probably in 2003. (Which feels like ages ago.) Since then, I've read everything Jasper Fforde has written. He's one of the few authors where I'll run and buy the hardcover as soon as it's published. His newest book, Shades of Gray, is a departure from his usual fare where characters jump in and out of books, mixing and mingling with fiction's greatest characters, to solve crimes.

Gray is set in the future. Something has happened to bring an end to civilization as we know it and a new human race has taken over earth. These new humans have limited sight--many people can only see one color, and those are the lucky ones. The rest see only in grayscale. This sounds bleak--and there is a bleakness to this world--but the book is full of Forde's quirky humor. One of the many mandates of the heavy-handed government is the leapback, when certain technologies are forbidden. One leapback prohibited the manufacture of spoons, so they are now a precious commodity. People cherish their spoons--if they are lucky enough to have them--and bequeath them to their heirs.

It is that despotic government, however, that gives the book its dark undertone. Citizens are subject to rules and regulations over every aspect of their lives--what clothes they can wear, when and where they can eat, what books they can read. But, in the midst of this oppressive world, Eddie Russett, with his high perception of red, is questioning the way things are and looking for ways to implement change. This, of course, gets him in trouble. He is banished to the outer limits of the civilized land where he uncovers even darker elements of the government. But, in Fforde fashion, he meets a girl and has some fun adventures on the way.

If people haven't read Fforde, I'd recommend starting with The Eyre Affair and the other Thursday Next books. But, if you're already familiar with his milieu, Shades of Gray won't disappoint!

P.S. I went to an author event for this book, and he said that he's working on a new Thursday Next novel.