The Fourth Bear

The Fourth Bear A Nursery Crime

Jasper Fforde2006
Jack Spratt and Mary Mary return in their second Nursery Crime adventure.--From publisher description.
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Reviews

Photo of Sian Wadey
Sian Wadey@sianwadeykerr
4 stars
Aug 12, 2022

The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde I'd read one of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels, but I didn't realise he'd written a collection of books based around nursery rhymes. I picked this up in a charity shop, not knowing it was the second in the series. But it didn't matter, the characters were introduced well and although I'd not read the previous one, there were several references to Red Riding Hood, which I'm guessing is the previous case. Fforde's universe is amazing, bears and aliens and PDR's (basically nursery rhyme characters) live alongside humans and it's all totally believable. I also love the added section of the Berkshire Bumper Book of Records at the beginning of every chapter. The story itself is brilliant if a little confusing. This book focuses on the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but puts a spin on it that brings it up to modern day. Intertwined in this is the psychopathic Gingerbreadman, possibly one of the best ideas ever! As well as bears breaking their porridge quotas, a new theme park known as Sommeworld and a global company known as QuangTech. The reason why I didn't give this five stars is because it took me a while to get into it. I probably read the last half of the book within two days, but the first half took me about a month. I'd say the reason for this is because there are a lot of different elements you have to keep in your brain, such as cucumbers exploding, the Gingerbreadman and Spratt and Mary busting a bear with a van full of oats. Only later does it all so cleverly slot together. Overall four strars for the great characters, clever plot and fantastic world that Fforde has created. I will most certainly be getting the others!

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Jeni Enjaian@jenienjaian
4 stars
Oct 30, 2021

I enjoyed this book much more than the first. Having read the first book I was much better acquainted with the characters and the slightly different world that the Nursery Crimes books are set in. (Plausibly these books are in the same reality as Thursday Next.) I loved all the word play and the constantly twisting plot. This overly-complicated plot (as all Jasper Fforde plots are) made much more "plausible" sense than the first book. (Plausible is in quotation marks simply because in the real world giant cookies aren't homicidal maniacs and bears are dumb animals not criminal masterminds. :D) I loved the minor subplot of Jack coming to terms with his PDR (person of dubious reality) and how that affected his relationship with his wife. This is an absolutely fantastic book. The only bad thing about it is that there's not a third book in the series...yet. (Of course, I may be completely ignorant but to my knowledge there is not a third book in the series yet.) I definitely recommend this book as I have every other Jasper Fforde book that I've read.

Photo of Jackie Cunningham
Jackie Cunningham@jackie_c
5 stars
Jul 5, 2024
Photo of Jessica Brown
Jessica Brown@aithneblaise
4 stars
Feb 24, 2022
Photo of Greg Park
Greg Park@greg
4 stars
Dec 8, 2021
Photo of Jennifer Oramous
Jennifer Oramous@jennybean132
4 stars
Nov 22, 2021
Photo of Pam Sartain
Pam Sartain@certainlygeeky
4 stars
Nov 9, 2021
Photo of Courtney Wise
Courtney Wise@courtneyw
3 stars
Oct 26, 2021
Photo of Jessica Nottingham
Jessica Nottingham@hdbblog
5 stars
Sep 1, 2021
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Samantha Ridge@samjane
4 stars
Aug 30, 2021
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Georgina@georgina
4 stars
Aug 28, 2021