ThursdayNext : www.jasperfforde.com
A discussion of all things Thursday !
Jasper's Australian trip
Posted by: Karen (---.syd.ops.aspac.uu.net)
Date: October 24, 2002 08:58AM
<HTML>Well Jasper Fforde has been here (Australia) and the 2 books really well received. I was not fortunate enough to be able to get along to see or hear him speak - has anyone else? I am dying to know what a Jasper Fforde talk is like! With his mind and talent (plus all his literary, political and societal references) I am sure he would be fascinating to see/hear "live". You guys in the UK are lucky to have him there. By the way is there really a place called Swindon (saw this on another part of the site - have only heard about it through JF and also from "the Bill" - yep that's my 2002 UK cultural and geographical knowledge deficit showing I am afraid).
I wonder what JF has made of Australian culture - it is fairly easy for us to "get" the references in TEA and LIAGB because we have only recently emerged from being drenched in British culture and references (now it's the US, sigh - it is great to have lots of influences and of course the literature but it will also be good when we can equally champion our own history and "present"). Anyway enough of that - got off the track for a minute - just wondering if the trip provoked any response in "our" author and if we might see some of this in a future book... eg Thursday wipes out "Neighbours" or a throwaway line concerning an alternative 1985 version of Australia's history. I had to recheck my history in the midst of reading TEA I am a bit ashamed to say, thinking "how did Waterloo end up again?" etc! So not only has JF turned people back (or for the first time in some cases I think) to 19th century literary classics but he causes us to remember our (western) history too!
Like many of you I am also re-reading both TEA and LIAGB and cant wait for TN3.</HTML>
I wonder what JF has made of Australian culture - it is fairly easy for us to "get" the references in TEA and LIAGB because we have only recently emerged from being drenched in British culture and references (now it's the US, sigh - it is great to have lots of influences and of course the literature but it will also be good when we can equally champion our own history and "present"). Anyway enough of that - got off the track for a minute - just wondering if the trip provoked any response in "our" author and if we might see some of this in a future book... eg Thursday wipes out "Neighbours" or a throwaway line concerning an alternative 1985 version of Australia's history. I had to recheck my history in the midst of reading TEA I am a bit ashamed to say, thinking "how did Waterloo end up again?" etc! So not only has JF turned people back (or for the first time in some cases I think) to 19th century literary classics but he causes us to remember our (western) history too!
Like many of you I am also re-reading both TEA and LIAGB and cant wait for TN3.</HTML>
Re: Jasper's Australian trip
Posted by: poetscientistdrinker (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: October 29, 2002 01:12AM
<HTML>Hate to be the one to break bad news, but Swindon really exists.
It's one of those English towns that people here know about, but don't actually know, if you know what I mean. It's kind of got a reputation as a southern concrete monstrosity where a few roads meet up.
On the list of places with a reputation it's up there with 'concrete cow' Milton Keynes (and doesn't that sound like a book reviewer from a Nextian universe?), and 'Come friendly bombs' Slough.
On a similar notes, Crick (one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA) had a sign above his desk saying 'Reading rots the mind'. Did he mean the verb or the town? This is particularly pressing for me as I'm about to start a PhD at Reading uni!</HTML>
It's one of those English towns that people here know about, but don't actually know, if you know what I mean. It's kind of got a reputation as a southern concrete monstrosity where a few roads meet up.
On the list of places with a reputation it's up there with 'concrete cow' Milton Keynes (and doesn't that sound like a book reviewer from a Nextian universe?), and 'Come friendly bombs' Slough.
On a similar notes, Crick (one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA) had a sign above his desk saying 'Reading rots the mind'. Did he mean the verb or the town? This is particularly pressing for me as I'm about to start a PhD at Reading uni!</HTML>
Re: Jasper's Australian trip
Posted by: ScarletBea (148.177.129.---)
Date: October 29, 2002 08:24AM
<HTML>Oh, so you mean I shouldn't try to visit Swindon next time I'm in england?
Ben, here's a test: continue to write nice stuff when you go there, and then we'll evaluate if it's the town or the verb ;)
(and when do you start then?)</HTML>
Ben, here's a test: continue to write nice stuff when you go there, and then we'll evaluate if it's the town or the verb ;)
(and when do you start then?)</HTML>
Re: Jasper's Australian trip
Posted by: jon (---.abel.net.uk)
Date: October 29, 2002 09:19AM
<HTML>I have been to both Reading and Swindon several times (the people I work for sell software to bus companies; the boss gets to go to Hong Kong, and I get to go to Swindon...sheesh) and, Ben, I think you're gonna be alright. Reading is (to me) a much nicer place than Swindon; it still has a real (i.e. not concrete) town centre, some good pubs, and a fast and frequent train service into London. The latter means that house prices have gone through the roof and real people (such as bus drivers) can't afford to live there any more. Lots of nice places along the Thames within easy reach, too. It is not true that the University of Reading is a remedial centre for illiterates.
Swindon, on the other hand, is a concrete and glass hell, the original railway town submerged under a tide of computer programmers. Of the various items re Swindon on Jasper's site, the only completely 'real' one is the Magic Roundabout, which is exactly as described, and it being the most interesting thing in Swindon tells you all you need to know about Swindon.
I was thinking of putting together some notes for the benefit of non-British readers re the various references to insular culture in the TN series (e.g. Swindon, Wales, George Formby etc.) Do people think this a good idea and if so, is there anything you want including?</HTML>
Swindon, on the other hand, is a concrete and glass hell, the original railway town submerged under a tide of computer programmers. Of the various items re Swindon on Jasper's site, the only completely 'real' one is the Magic Roundabout, which is exactly as described, and it being the most interesting thing in Swindon tells you all you need to know about Swindon.
I was thinking of putting together some notes for the benefit of non-British readers re the various references to insular culture in the TN series (e.g. Swindon, Wales, George Formby etc.) Do people think this a good idea and if so, is there anything you want including?</HTML>
Re: Jon's British referece notes
Posted by: all-american-cutie (---.dalect01.va.comcast.net)
Date: October 29, 2002 04:52PM
<HTML>Oooh, could you??!!! kind of a Cliff's Notes/Translation Guide on TEA & LIAGB! Cool!
uh, as far as what to include, anything you would think would be strictly British would be great. I'm sure there's a lot of inside jokes that don't even get processed because they're BritPopCul type things. So if you see something like that, note it! LOL
Thanks!!!! This is gonna be cool. Neato!
(It's raining and a bit dreary here, just trying to get my day going and not being very successful at it yet, so I'm trying to get excited over something! Although, if ya gotta get excited, this is a good thing to get excited about!)
~Twila~</HTML>
uh, as far as what to include, anything you would think would be strictly British would be great. I'm sure there's a lot of inside jokes that don't even get processed because they're BritPopCul type things. So if you see something like that, note it! LOL
Thanks!!!! This is gonna be cool. Neato!
(It's raining and a bit dreary here, just trying to get my day going and not being very successful at it yet, so I'm trying to get excited over something! Although, if ya gotta get excited, this is a good thing to get excited about!)
~Twila~</HTML>
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