num_pages: 400
description: Penzler Pick, January 2002: Imagine this. Great Britain in 1985 is close to being a police state. The Crimean War has dragged on for more than 130 years and Wales is self-governing. The only recognizable thing about this England is her citizens' enduring love of literature. And the Third Most Wanted criminal, Acheron Hades, is stealing characters from England's cherished literary heritage and holding them for ransom.  Bibliophiles will be enchanted, but not surprised, to learn that stealing a character from a book only changes that one book, but Hades has escalated his thievery. He has begun attacking the original manuscripts, thus changing all copies in print and enraging the reading public. That's why Special Operations Network has a Literary Division, and it is why one of its operatives, Thursday Next, is on the case. She has been trying to trace Hades ever since he stole Mr. Quaverley from the original manuscript of Martin Chuzzlewit and killed him. You will only remember Mr. Quaverley if you read Martin Chuzzlewit prior to 1985. But now Hades has set his sights on one of the plums of literature, Jane Eyre, and he must be stopped.  --Otto Penzler
language: English
title: The Eyre Affair
titlecomplete: The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next, #1)
characters: Mycroft Next, Pickwick, Spike Stoker, Emma, Lady Hamilton, Edward Rochester, Braxton Hicks, Mrs. Nakajima, Joffy Next, Jane Eyre, Polly Next, Jack Schitt, Acheron Hades, Thursday's Dad (name unknown), Wednesday Next, Thursday Next, Landen Parke-Laine
genres: Mystery, Fiction, Alternate History, Humor, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Adult, Fantasy, Books About Books
ratings_count: 131131
places: Wales, England, Swindon, England
series: Thursday Next
awards: awardedAt: 1009872000000
name: Locus Award
category: Best Science Fiction Novel, awardedAt: 1009872000000
name: IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, awardedAt: 1041408000000
name: Dilys Award, awardedAt: 1041408000000
name: ALA Alex Award, awardedAt: 1136102400000
name: Lincoln Award
publisher: Hodder & Stoughton