What if all of your favorite nursery rhyme characters were to resurface in a single, compelling narrative? What if that narrative revolved around a criminal investigation that implicates the most powerful figures in a small England town?
If you’re hooked already, get ready for a wild ride that transforms innocent figures from your childhood into complete menaces and wacky comedians. Humpty Dumpy as a con man and womanizer who ends up murdered? Jack Spratt as the bumbling detective assigned to Humpty’s case? Sergeant Mary Mary (as in “Mary Mary, quite contrary”) as Spratt’s confused and reluctant sidekick? There are tons of different literary threads that pop up in this book, but you’ll find that Jasper Fforde does an excellent job weaving them into a solid plot. After reading this book, I’ve been reminded of the violence and danger hidden behind all of the nursery rhymes I read before bed as a kid. This doesn’t bug me, though—I found Fforde’s riff on these childhood tales to be highly entertaining.
When Humpty Dumpty turns up dead after tumbling off of one of his walls, Inspector Jack Spratt of the Nursery Crimes division in Reading, England, must piece together exactly what happened (and yes, there is a reference to him being unable to eat any fat. Haha). He faces serious competition from Detective Friedland Chymes, one of the region’s hotshot crime-solvers. Meanwhile, his assistant, Mary Mary, finds herself torn between the two of them. As additional details about Humpty’s life in the seedy underbelly of town emerge, Jack and Mary must make decisions about how far they want to go and who they want to be allied with.
“Most of the yard was filled with junk—broken bicycles, old furniture, a mattress or two. But at one end, where the dustbins were spilling their rubbish onto the ground, large pieces of eggshell told of a recent and violent death. Jack knew who the victim was immediately and had suspected for a number of years that something like this might happen. Humpty Dumpty.”
p. 33
People who dislike multiple cultural references appearing in close succession might want to avoid this book, but if you can take Fforde’s bizarre characterization of pretty much everybody with a grain of salt, you’ll get a real kick out of this mystery story. I found myself laughing out loud at multiple points, pleased with Fforde’s wonderful wit and unmatched creativity. The declining Spongg Footcare Empire that Jack and Mary study as part of the investigation, complete with a rundown factory and a mysterious mega-mansion, is sure to bring on some chuckles (although I must also warn that anyone who cringes at gross images of feet may not have the most pleasant reading experience).
Another thing I appreciated about the book is the care Fforde takes to humanize all of the characters involved. Suddenly, the famous figures we know from nursery rhymes are no longer confined to a few stanzas. Mary Mary experiences a difficult internal conflict as she tries to divide her loyalties between two different investigators. Jack Spratt has a large, loving family at home that ends up taking the legendary Prometheus in as a boarder (did I mention Fforde doesn’t just write about nursery rhymes characters?) Even Humpty Dumpty and Wee Willie Winkie, with their mysterious pasts and residences in one of Reading’s most dangerous neighborhoods, are two characters you’ll never see in the same light. The classic beanstalk from “Jack and the Beanstalk” also gets a mention:
“As Jack drove towards home, he could see the beanstalk illuminated by two searchlights that swept lazily to and fro, crisscrossing the night sky with their powerful beams…crowds of curious sightseers milled around the neighborhood, taking in the extraordinary spectacle of a giant beanstalk growing in the back garden of an ordinary suburban house.”
p. 294
To make a long story short, this is a literary adventure that’s sure to lift your spirits and occasionally induce a humorous eye-roll. I couldn’t recommend it more, especially during the stasis of the pandemic. Read a few of your favorite nursery rhymes for a refresher and then jump right in!
