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Early Riser

A Novel

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Early Riser

Written by: Jasper Fforde
Narrated by: Thomas Hunt
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About this listen

An instant New York Times best seller

The new stand-alone novel from Jasper Fforde, the best-selling author of the Thursday Next series and the forthcoming stand-alone The Constant Rabbit

Every Winter, the human population hibernates.

During those bitterly cold four months, the nation is a snow-draped landscape of desolate loneliness, devoid of human activity.

Well, not quite.

Your name is Charlie Worthing, and it's your first season with the Winter Consuls, the committed but mildly unhinged group of misfits who are responsible for ensuring the hibernatory safe passage of the sleeping masses.

You are investigating an outbreak of viral dreams which you dismiss as nonsense; nothing more than a quirky artifact borne of the sleeping mind.

When the dreams start to kill people, it's unsettling.

When you get the dreams, too, it's weird.

When they start to come true, you begin to doubt your sanity.

But teasing truth from the Winter is never easy: You have to avoid the Villains and their penchant for murder, kidnapping, and stamp collecting; ensure you aren't eaten by Nightwalkers, whose thirst for human flesh can only be satisfied by comfort food; and sidestep the increasingly less-than-mythical WinterVolk.

But so long as you remember to wrap up warmly, you'll be fine.

©2019 Jasper Fforde (P)2019 Penguin Audio
Dystopian Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction Thriller & Suspense Comedy Dream Winter
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What the critics say

"Charlie's journey...is so absorbing, and Fforde's wit so sharp, the reveal that the narrative is also a commentary on capitalism comes across as a brilliant twist.... Whip-smart, tremendous fun, and an utter delight from start to finish." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"In this richly detailed, dystopic novel from Fforde (the Thursday Next series), most of the population of Wales hibernates in huge Dormitoria through the unbearable Winter.... The sprightly characters, such as the murderous villains maintaining the habits of English sophisticates and the intimately feuding pair of Chief Consul Toccata and Aurora, the head of HiberTech security, bring absurdity into the ambiance, but behave understandably enough to be credible. Charlie's confused but determined mundanity is a relatable anchor in this wild winter world, leavened by Fforde's surrealistic humor. Douglas Adams fans will enjoy the vibe." (Publishers Weekly)

“What captivates here is something that will appeal to any reader - and that’s the feeling that there’s something at stake in fiction, that characters created in books are every bit as real as the memory of a person.” (John Freeman, Newsday)

What listeners say about Early Riser

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....sigh....Wonderful ❣️

What a great story. I hope I meet the characters in My dreams.
And I'm making plans to visit Wales, go to the Gower and eat cockles with lava bread on toast with thick cut bacon.
Thank you Jasper Fford

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Fantastic!

The only real downside to this book was realising I'd reached the end of the story.

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Disappointment

True, I'm only 2/3 through this, but after the marvellous Shades of Grey, this is very disappointing. Similar to Grey in some respects, I find this often boring (to the point of making me sleepy while on the open road—not good), rarely funny (vs. SoG which maintains humour throughout), and just not much of a story, despite the cute concept. Maybe it will get better in the final third, but I kinda doubt it.
UPDATE: This has become one of my "sleep books"—something I listen to when I need to get back to sleep. The narration is pleasing to the ear, the writing good, but overall it's still not a book I'd highly recommend...

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