I bought this book as a Christmas present for my dad along with the next 4 books in the series. I got them at the Book Rack for a great price, but suspiciously they did not get wrapped and packed along with the other gifts headed for Florida. I kept telling myself I would hurry up and read it and get it sent before it was too late, but it never happened. Then I decided as long as I've waited, I might as well read Jane Eyre first. I'm hoping I can finish the series before I visit over spring break. That's when I've promised Dad he would receive them. Thankfully he and his fiance always have a lot of books on their night stands as well (yes, I come by it honestly) and he swore he was in no rush to receive these. I think he was excited that I found them for such a great deal and that I am reading them too!
So was it worth all the waiting and guilt? AB-SO-LUTELY! This book is the biggest mosh-up of genres I have ever read. It has time travel, science fiction (but not too much), mystery, thriller, comedy, and intellectual repartee. It is like Stephanie Plum with a master's degree. The Wall Street Journal describes it as "filled with clever wordplay, literary allusion and bibliowit, combining elements of Monty Python, Harry Potter, Stephen Hawking and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But a quirky charm all its own." I would probably say not equal parts of those elements - less Stephen Hawking and more Monty Python - but definitely quirky and certainly charming.
Did I really need to read Jane Eyre first? No, probably not. If you read it years ago in school, or not at all, you would still enjoy this book. Having read it though did enhance the story and I'm thinking that if you read the cliff notes version (here is a link to a good summary: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/janeeyre/summary.html) you would enjoy it just a little more. So if you are a Stephanie Plum fan, a fan of words, or just in the mood for a refreshing change of literary pace, I'd recommend you check this out.
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