How does Fforde come up with the names for his fictional characters? I mean, Lola Vavoom SOUNDS like a famous actress. Yet she isn't real.

I came up with the name "Betty Seaborg" for my novel about an actress who can't deal with real life, but it comes nowhere near matching the sheer awesomeness of "Lola Vavoom."

You know, because of Fforde, I imagine the entire fictional world as coexisting together. So I can seeing Jude Fawley going to see a Lola Vavoom (although it's not really in his character; I just mean someone from Jude the Obscure going, maybe his wife?). Or Pinnochio. It's all one, even the bad fiction.

It becomes almost existential... We are all connected and a part of the blanket... <Goes off to do pixelly/Picasso cubist thing>

If 'Lola Vavoom' had not existed someone would have had to invent her.

The Actualist philosophers claim that anything you can create a mental image of must exist somewhere in one of the universes, so somewhere Lola is in a state of existence. [Please read this paragraph with the Kinks song playing softly in the background.]



Q: Which actress, present or past, would, in your opinion, play the ideal Lola Vavoom?

A: Having seen the Lola Vavoom statue, it has to be Diana Dors. (Although in my mind she will always be Gina Lollobrigida)

Mae West... has to be Mae West.

I nearly posed next to the actual statue until I noticed in the dark that it was surrounded by pigeon droppings. Decided it wasn't worth a breach of hygiene.

A bit obvious but I've got to go along with SkidMarks, she has got to be Swindon's own Diana Dors. Or as she was born Diana Fluck!

Mae West. When she was old and unfashionable. Or possibly Dawn French.

Somewhat seriously: Most of the ffordian names are puns, and follow a certain linguistic rhythm. He's a clever lad, that one.

True, dat.

Having looked at the posted picture it really resembles Miss Dors. Mae West up close was not a pretty sight, especially when older. I still have pleasant thoughts when contemplating La Lollabrigida.

Is there a contemporary actress who could fill the requirements?

(Not watching TV much and not being a movie fan I am almost totally unaware of the modern clutch of actresses.

I sort of stopped with Racquel Welch and Sophia Loren. It is a very pleasant neighbourhood.

bunyip Wrote:
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> Having looked at the posted picture it really
> resembles Miss Dors.

There is a very good reason for that! - scroll down the page
<grins>
Enjoy the trip down Memory(yes, I think that is the preferred spelling) Lane

If you do get to see the statue the plaque reads Diana Dors "Actress" read into that what you will

A one who's been knocking around here for quite a few years I remember that there is a section on the Competion Page [www.jasperfforde.com] No 4, which might shed some light on Lola

I just think it is amusing that the statue is in a carpark! We had to all try and find it, the first person to find it got a lolly. I found it first, though never did get the lolly, which was probably a good thing in any case.