The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

The quasi-biblical mess that is 2020 has been a year of literary discovery for me. Just as you can find pretty much anything on Reddit, I’ve also realised you can find pretty much anything in books. ‘The Constant Rabbit’ by Jasper Fforde is just one of several forays into anthropomorphic fiction, a subgenre I first learned to love through Jamie Brindle’s ‘Chaos Drive’.  While The Constant Rabbit does not feature the anthropomorphised frogs of Brindle’s creation, it does feature rabbits (and foxes and weasels too.) 

The Constant Rabbit follows Peter Knox, a mildly boring middle-aged man working for a notoriously anti-Rabbit agency in an England with over 1 million human-like rabbits. Following an ‘Event’ 55 years prior these rabbits had started to walk, talk and function in society to much leporiphobic (rabbit-phobic) opposition. Fforde’s exploration of the political implications of this absurdist entry into British society provided grounds for a scathing satire of anti-immigrant and pro-Brexit rhetoric - and human nature in general. 

Fforde’s absolute success throughout this novel was in making the idea of humanised rabbits seemingly probable. Not only did he think through the impact this would have on human culture but also developed a clear sense of rabbit culture and the ways in which the two would interact. His success in establishing the absurdist world of our protagonist made for both a humorous and thought-provoking read. 

Doing what weird fiction does best, Fforde’s political commentary is able to make use of this absurdism by applying comedy and approachability to social critique. Similarly to the use of animals in Art Spiegelman’s Maus, different animals are used to represent different groups of people. A feature of anthropomorphic fiction in general, this allows the reader to separate from their own context whilst simultaneously comparing it to that of the book. 

However, while I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building and character-arcs, The Constant Rabbit is fairly light on plot. Though I enjoyed Peter’s often clueless perspective, the fact he didn’t know what was happening most of the time meant that there was also not a lot beyond his monotonous life to drive the book forward. His discovery of rabbit-culture and examination of his own role in their plight was interesting, but I also felt like nothing actually happened for the first 250 pages. 

The use of inter-species romance was also interesting, but also kind of weird. The implications of what is effectively consensual beastiality were concluded to be ‘love is love’. However, the end of the book called this into question for me as the species barrier is still very much a thing. I also found Peter to be bizarrely apathetic about certain events which I would have expected a far greater reaction to. 

I decided to give this a 3 star rating all up, but would definitely recommend it to those looking for something a little weird and serious. I’ve also heard Fforde’s other work is similarly whimsical and look forward to checking it out.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder and Staughton and Jasper Fforde for giving me an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of The Constant Rabbit from Kobo, Bookdepository, Amazon and most other major booksellers. 

Ivy Feckett is Looking for Love: A Birmingham Romance Review

‘Ivy Feckett is Looking for Love’ is Jay Spencer Green’s second novel, and the second that I’ve read. His first novel, ‘Breakfast at Cannibal Joe’s’, is a dystopian comedy equally entertaining and thought-provoking.  Consequently, I went into this expecting to simultaneously laugh and frown. I wasn’t disappointed. Certainly a tonal shift from Breakfast at Cannibal Joe’s, Ivy Feckett swaps dystopian for romance as we see Ivy navigate the bizarre world of academic research and Birmingham-borne cults. She also starts to fall for her boss, Ned Hartfield. 

In what I’ve discovered to be Green’s signature style, this Birmingham romance is guaranteed to elicit laughs and smiles abound. One of my favourite aspects was the quasi-biblical quotes which begin each chapter, especially once their relevance became apparent. I am highly tempted to try and harass Green into writing a full version of this bible, but that would probably be rude. 

The setting of Birmingham is clearly one which Green is highly familiar with, as we’re taken on both a tour of its geographic class divides and the bustling CBD. If the borders ever open back up I’d love to spend a day in Birmingham retracing Ivy and Sam’s steps; maybe even give geocaching a shot. Alas, Ivy Feckett will have to suffice for now. 

Ivy as a character perfectly encapsulates the female introvert. She’s smart; she knows (or thinks she knows) when she’s wanted. I felt personally attacked by some of the lines in this book, especially as she describes her reasoning for not going out or generally doing anything outside her routine. The arrival of Ned sees a change in Ivy. She starts to tackle a subject she’s long relegated to her own imagination - sex. I found her obsession with him fairly stupid but entirely realistic. And then there’s her best friend Sam. 

Sam, like Ivy, is a nerd. He loves geocaching and boardgames. Winning either in Ivy’d presence is his way of showcasing masculinity. It’s adorable. Sam accompanies Ivy throughout the book, as her colleague and bestie, he’s also witness to her burgeoning romance with Ned. Ned is manipulative and repulsive, and is part of a much larger plot Ivy doesn’t realise she’s involved in too. Don’t go into this expecting a plain old romance, the surprising mystery of this plot really shows up around half-way through. I won’t say any more on this because I think it’s more fun to discover, but I will say that it’s both an entertaining and philosophical inclusion. 

‘Ivy Feckett is Looking for Love’ is hilarious and heartwarming, and I’d highly recommend picking it up. I saw another reviewer saying it’s a romance for people who don’t like reading romances, which I’d say is pretty accurate because of how much relatability, humour and depth it brings to the table. Jay Spencer Green has fast become one of my favourite discoveries of the year and I’ll soon be looking to his third novel, Fowl Play. I gave this a deserving 5/5 stars. 

                                                        

You can purchase this book at Amazon, Kobo, and BookDepository.

Note: I would like to thank Jay Spencer Green for reaching out to me and giving me a copy of this book to review - it means the world as a reviewer.