The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next 3) and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more

Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
Buy Used
Used - Very Good See details
Price: £2.80
Fulfilled by Amazon

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Colour:
Image not available

 
See 1 customer image
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next 3) on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next 3) [Paperback]

Jasper Fforde (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
Price: £6.93 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.06 (23%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Only 8 left in stock (more on the way).
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Friday, 21 June? Choose Express delivery at checkout. Details

Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition £4.99   -- --
Hardcover £16.10   -- --
Paperback £6.93   -- --
Audio, CD, Audiobook --   -- --
Unknown Binding --   -- --
Audio Download, Unabridged £9.74 or Free with Audible.co.uk 30-day free trial
Books Trade-In
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Certificate, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more.

Book Description

Publication Date: 19 Jan 2004 | Series: Thursday Next 3
Leaving Swindon behind her to hide out in the Well of Lost Plots (the place where all fiction is created), Thursday Next, Literary Detective and soon-to-be one parent family, ponders her next move from within an unpublished book of dubious merit entitled 'Caversham Heights'. Landen, her husband, is still eradicated, Aornis Hades is meddling with Thursday's memory, and Miss Havisham - when not sewing up plot-holes in 'Mill on the Floss' - is trying to break the land-speed record on the A409. But something is rotten in the state of Jurisfiction. Perkins is 'accidentally' eaten by the minotaur, and Snell succumbs to the Mispeling Vyrus. As a shadow looms over popular fiction, Thursday must keep her wits about her and discover not only what is going on, but also who she can trust to tell about it ...



With grammasites, holesmiths, trainee characters, pagerunners, baby dodos and an adopted home scheduled for demolition, 'The Well of Lost Plots' is at once an addictively exciting adventure and an insight into how books are made, who makes them - and why there is no singular for 'scampi'.

Frequently Bought Together

The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next 3) + Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next 2) + Something Rotten (Thursday Next 4)
Price For All Three: £18.81

Buy the selected items together

Product details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks; n.e. edition (19 Jan 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0340825936
  • ISBN-13: 978-0340825938
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 7,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Jasper Fforde Page
Jasper Fforde
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Product Description

Amazon Review

Word-of-mouth among readers often does more to make an author's name than any publicity campaign. That's certainly the case with Jasper Fforde, and The Well of Lost Plots will be eagerly devoured by his ever-growing coterie of admirers. Fforde writes playful and exhilarating books (which make delightful sport with the very art of fiction itself), and the experience his work offers the reader is quite unique. It's little wonder he has virtually created his own market. As in Lost in a Good Book and The Eyre Affair, this new novel is as much about itself and the whole world of books as it is about its putative plot. But a plot is needed so that Fforde can sustain his amazing inventiveness, and the narrative is kicked into action with the return of literary detective Thursday Next.

It's almost impossible to summarise the amazing adventures in which the beguiling (and confused) Ms Next becomes involved, but after she leaves Swindon (and her life inside an unpublished book called Caversham Heights), she becomes involved in the inauguration of a golden age of fictional narrative. But this turns out to be a very dangerous experience, and she finds herself having strange encounters with Dickens' Miss Havisham (even more eccentric than she was in Great Expectations) and enduring an unsettling journey into the world of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. But who is the villain laying waste to her memories? And will she come to terms with the fact that her husband Landen exists only in her mind?

As this synopsis indicates, The Well of Lost Plots is a truly unique jeu d'esprit. It helps to be familiar with many of the books being riffed on here, but even if you're not, this will be one of the most idiosyncratic and often hilarious experiences you will find a within the pages of a book. Jasper Fforde enthusiasts know that already. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'Jasper Fforde has gone where no other fictioneer has gone before. Millions of readers now follow ... Thank you, Jasper' (John Sutherland, Guardian 20030726)

'A born wordsmith of effervescent imagination' (Christina Hardyment, Independent 20030719)

'[Fforde's] brand of inspired lunacy truly stands on its own ... this new book completes his creation of a world of true literary comic genius' (Sunday Express on The Well of Lost Plots 20030719)

'The third of this cult series sees Jasper Fforde hitting his stride ... should be a joy to anyone who loves reading' (Time Out on The Well of Lost Plots 20030719)

'An immensely enjoyable, almost compulsive experience' (New York Times on Lost in a Good Book 20030719)

'Douglas Adams would be proud' (Scotsman on Lost in a Good Book 20030719)

'Don't ask, just read it. Fforde is a true original' (Sunday Express on Lost in a Good Book 20030719)

'This year's grown-up JK Rowling' (Sunday Times 20030719)

'The Eyre Affair is a silly book for smart people; postmodernism played as raw, howling farce' (Independent 20030719)

'It is always a privilege to watch the birth of a cult, and Hodder has just cut the umbilical cord ... There are shades of Douglas Adams, Lewis Carroll, 'Clockwork Orange' and '1984'. And that's just for starters' (Time Out, on 'The Eyre Affair' 20030719)

'Ingenious - I'll watch Jasper Fforde nervously' (Terry Pratchett on The Eyre Affair 20030719)

'This year's grown-up JK Rowling' (Sunday Times on Lost in a Good Book 20030719)
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

› Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully written story and quite worth the read... 30 Jan 2004
By M. Wegerson
Format:Paperback
I loved Fforde's other Thursday Next series and I couldn't wait to get this one. I was so impatient that I in fact ordered it from the U.K. because I couldn't wait the extra month or so to buy it in the U.S. Let me tell you, it was quite worth the extra money, I loved this book...I finished it in four days...I couldn't put it down.
Thursday finds herself in an unpublished book in the Well of Lost Plots, hiding out from the Goliath corperation. She is also on her way to becoming a full Jurisfiction agent. If this wasn't enough already, her mind is becoming muddled because of Aornis Hades, the sister of Archeon, and is looking into a string of murders that might be related to the introduction of UltraWord. Along the way we encounter the cast of Wuthering Heights in a rage controll session, we meet up with Mr. Rochester again and many other lovable literary figures. This third in the series is just as good and just as creative as Fforde's first. I applaude Fforde's cleverness and freashness that is garunteed with his books.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully odd 16 Mar 2004
By MissJay
Format:Paperback
I bought The Eyre Affair because it looked like it would be funny. I bought Lost In A Good Book because I thought The Eyre Affair was fantastic. I bought The Well Of Lost Plots because I knew I was on a roll by then. I wasn't wrong and I'm positively frothing at the mouth in anticipation of the next book.

Jasper Fforde manages to successfully weave together a quick course in A-level English, purely bizarre fantasy, a cast of fascinating characters, a fair amount of action adventure, a little love and loss and a generous amount of warm humour. He is an excellent story teller and I, as a reader, am delighted to bound along after him as he takes his plots to deliciously surreal heights.

I wouldn't know where to start in describing the plot so I would recommend readers to simply find out for themselves. I defy anybody to fail to find pleasure in a book which features a tame dodo who eats marshmallows and goes "plock".

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Imaginative 26 Jan 2004
By Untouchable
Format:Paperback
For those who are late to Jasper Fforde's books, the quick overview is that he has created a brilliantly imaginative parallel world where Wales is a communist country, the Crimean War has been in progress for over 120 years, dodos and thylacines are household pets and it is possible for people to read their way into books. To get a better feel for his world and to appreciate this book more fully, it is strongly recommended that you read THE EYRE AFFAIR and LOST IN A GOOD BOOK first.

While the first 2 books were set mainly in the real world with occasional visits into various classic novels, this one takes place almost exclusively within books and the result is a breathtaking expansion of what was already a superb creation.

Thursday Next, heroine of the first two books is hiding out from the evil Goliath Corporation, among other enemies, inside The Well of Lost Plots. To be specific, she's hiding out in a dreary crime thriller called Caversham Heights where she takes over a role of Mary in the story as part of the Character Exchange Programme. The Well of Lost Plots is where all of those books that are still being written are kept, along with a wealth of plot devices, characters both good and evil who are waiting to be used and members of Jurisfiction who rule on problems within books and who generally maintain order.

Thursday encounters various dangers while working as a Jurisfiction apprentice including a dangerous flock of grammasites, verbisoides in this instance, who attack and consume any stray verbs they could find. She also has terrible problems with a mispeling vyrus that threatens to reduce the story and it's characters to an unrecognisable shambles....

This really is an incredibly imaginative and entertaining book that expands Fforde's BookWorld to unbelievable proportions. It's left me fervently hoping that there are more Thursday Next stories still to come. Read more ›

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Surreal but brilliant! 7 Dec 2003
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
In the third book of amazing series Fforde takes us right into the world of books. There are camios from Stickley-Prickley and Slow-Solid, not to mention an insight into just how dangerous entering an Enid Blyton story can be. We follow Thursday Next as she becomes a qualified Jusrisfiction Operative, defends Heathcliff against the Pro-Cath terrorists and struggles to keep her memories. This book is a must read, it has car chases (Havisham and Mr. Toad), love, tears and murder. The only warning I will leave you with is that you do find youself wondering just what characters do get up to when you've closed the book...
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars A well lost plot 22 Nov 2011
By Denis Reed
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Phew! This was hard work.Loved all the others in the series and came to this with the same expectations.Found myself ploughing through a turgid first 110 pages which could have been ripped out and thrown away and normal service resumed for the rest of the novel.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Just When I Thought It Couldn't Get Any Better... 19 May 2006
By Chris Chalk
Format:Paperback
Before I get into this I will concur with a fellow reviewer on one point; this book is best read if you have read the previous two books in the Thursday Next series, there are many facets to The Well of Lost Plots that may seem slightly alien if taken in isolation, where I will disagree with the same reviewer though is that even if you read this as stand alone it is still a fantastic book.

So we begin. Thursday has decided to seek refuge in The Well as a way of escaping (amongst other things) The Goliath Corporation and as a way of protecting her unborn child whilst at the same time trying to think of a way to bring back her eradicated husband (Landon) from, well I am not really sure what you bring an eradicated man back "from" but wherever it is she is trying to manage it. On top of this workload (see women can have it all) she is living the life of a character in a particularly poor detective novel (Caversham Heights) as one of the stories main characters Mary (part of the Character Exchange Programme).

Thursday is also a fledgling trainee officer for Jurisfiction - the book worlds police force - and is apprentice to the inimitable Miss Haversham from Dickens' Great Expectations - I lively character to be sure! Whilst in this tranquil oasis Thursday is drawn into a conspiracy that could only have been cooked up in The Well (it involves a Minotaur, a Vyrus - spelt this way, a new book operating system and humpty dumpty...).... Read more ›
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book in the series!
Can't wait to read the next one, I just love the imagination that has been involved in creating these books - Jasper Fford is a brilliant writer!
Published 1 month ago by Charlotte Iosson
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun! and then some more Fun!
This, the 3rd in the "Thursday Next" series of books, finds Thursday taking refuge in an unpublished novel of dubious merit while she ponders her next move in her quest to retrieve... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Liz Wilkins
3.0 out of 5 stars Slightly frustrating...
The book arrived promptly, and in good condition. No complaints at all on this front. However, it's a different edition to the one that was displayed, and that's disappointing. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ben Letham
5.0 out of 5 stars More complex than the other 2 but still a good read
this 3rd book develops some of the plot lines from the previous 2 books (as you might expect) and is therefore slightly more complex. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Tedward
3.0 out of 5 stars It's OK
After reading the first two Thursday Next novels, I was excited about getting my teeth into this one. Read more
Published 4 months ago by David Wistow
5.0 out of 5 stars As good as the other two...!
This book is as good as the other two. Well written and easy to read. I'm not sure how well the book would stand on its own as there is much background to the story in the previous... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Anon
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Everyone should read a bit of Jasper Fforde! I read these after my dad say 'You've got to read this'. I have to admit... he was right! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mathew C.
5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic read
Loved this book. It's cleverly written and very amusing and is a great addition to the series. This is a must read before Something Rotten as it sets the background for the reader.
Published 7 months ago by James Walker
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
I was expecting to enjoy this book, after loving the first two in the 'Thursday Next' series, but found myself disappointed. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ephiny
4.0 out of 5 stars FForde ddelivers mmore
if you have got this far in the Thursday Next series you will know exactly what to expect from Jasper Fforde - a freewheeling, hugely fun romp of ideas, outrageous puns, and... Read more
Published 15 months ago by DJJ
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

There's a problem loading this menu at the moment.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.

    Your Shopping Basket is empty.

    Give it purpose -- fill it with books, DVDs, clothes, electronics and more.

    If you already have an account, sign in.

    There's a problem previewing your shopping basket at the moment.

    Check your Internet connection and go to your cart, or try again.

    View Shopping Basket (0 items)

      Customer Discussions

      This product's forum
      Discussion Replies Latest Post
      No discussions yet

      Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
      Start a new discussion
      Topic:
      First post:
      Prompts for sign-in
       


      Active discussions in related forums
      Discussion Replies Latest Post
      fiction discussion forum
      Nobody reads on the loo do they ? not really - and yet so many people have books in the loo !       		19 10 minutes ago
      fiction discussion forum
      Self-published books: pain or gain?       		6126 31 minutes ago
      science fiction discussion forum
      Doctor Who DVD Release Schedule...       		1158 33 minutes ago
      fiction discussion forum
      Come on - why don't we write our own book right here in the fiction forum ? I'll do the first sentence, and then jump in....hold on, here we go...       		7212 43 minutes ago
      science fiction discussion forum
      Help me find some new books to read please       		67 1 hour ago
      thriller discussion forum
      Vince Flynn dies       		3 2 hours ago
      thriller discussion forum
      recommend me a great original book       		375 3 hours ago
      mystery discussion forum
      British Cosy Mysteries       		146 5 hours ago
      Search Customer Discussions
      Search all Amazon discussions
         
      Related forums

      Listmania!

      Create a Listmania! list

      Look for similar items by category

      Feedback


      Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges