The Fourth Bear

Months ago the Seth MacFarlane of the book world, Jasper Fforde, came out with his second novel in the Jack Spratt "Nursery Crime" series, called The Fourth Bear. The comparison is apt: Fforde's novels operate with the same (though more literary, and therefore more sophisticated) brand of humour as Family Guy. Every one of Fforde's books is set in his imaginative alternative universe where fiction and reality commingle, with the usual "nonsensical cutaways" and inside literary jokes and parodies working on levels which only a bibliophile could appreciate.

The absurd humour centres around Jack Spratt and Mary Mary, two seasoned police officers of the derelict Nursery Crime Division.

You get jokes like this:

He explained the news to Mary, who said, "How about if we do a plot device number twenty-six and pretend not to look for him?"

"So you're suggesting we look for him against orders, catch him, cover ourselves with glory, and the by-the-book officers look like idiots?"

Mary nodded enthusiastically. "Pretty much."

"No, we're going to follow plot device number thirty-eight."

Mary narrowed her eyes. "Which one is that again?"

"We wait until they beg for our assistance, then save the day. For now we follow orders. After all, do you think we'd get the support Copperfield is getting if it was an NCD inquiry?"