From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
*
Nominate books for the next discussions! (fall)
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 25 posts · 69 views
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 25 posts · 69 views
last updated 5 hours, 33 min ago
*
August 2025: Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 24 posts · 37 views
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 24 posts · 37 views
last updated Aug 08, 2025 03:48PM
showing 9 of 9 topics
view all »
Other topics mentioning this book
suggestions for suited for adult-mature reader
By Marie · 79 posts · 414 views
By Marie · 79 posts · 414 views
last updated Sep 13, 2012 05:29PM
*
3 Questions Game (read #1 post first, answer LAST post questions NOT "epic dream" questions!)
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 533 posts · 1218 views
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 533 posts · 1218 views
last updated Jul 27, 2025 07:35AM
The importance of novelty: do you reread books?
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 264 posts · 247 views
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 264 posts · 247 views
last updated Jun 04, 2018 08:16AM
What are you reading now? (Use clickable TEXT book links please!)
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 8133 posts · 2091 views
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 8133 posts · 2091 views
last updated Jul 17, 2022 08:04AM
Books you've thrown across the room (or wanted to)
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 62 posts · 81 views
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 62 posts · 81 views
last updated Jun 20, 2018 08:12AM
READ WITH US! "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman (SPOILERS)
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 48 posts · 54 views
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 48 posts · 54 views
last updated Oct 19, 2018 10:28AM
BOSSY BOOK CHALLENGE: ALIENS/SET IN SPACE
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 350 posts · 179 views
By Gertie , Please go nominate books for book club! · 350 posts · 179 views
last updated Jul 09, 2019 06:10AM
SEEKING: Looking for dystopian political satires
By Carl · 32 posts · 66 views
By Carl · 32 posts · 66 views
last updated Oct 17, 2019 09:55AM
What Members Thought

When I picked this up at the bookstore, the clerk warned me that it was not a Thursday Next novel. I brushed him off because I've really enjoyed everything that Fforde has written -- this was no exception!
I struggled through the first 75 pages or so of "Shades of Grey" as I tried to acclimate to the new world that is being presented. We have a society in which people are categorized (and social standing determined) by their abilities to see different colors - a Colortocracy. Purples are at the t ...more
I struggled through the first 75 pages or so of "Shades of Grey" as I tried to acclimate to the new world that is being presented. We have a society in which people are categorized (and social standing determined) by their abilities to see different colors - a Colortocracy. Purples are at the t ...more

After finishing this book I can only say that I wish the sequels were available now because I have so many questions.
A dystopian novel of a society that has risen from the ashes of Something that Happened. We're never told what that Something was. It's not even really alluded to even obliquely. Society has devolved into a caste system based on color. One's place is determined by the colors one can see and how finely they can perceive gradations of those colors.
There is a system of unbreakable r ...more
A dystopian novel of a society that has risen from the ashes of Something that Happened. We're never told what that Something was. It's not even really alluded to even obliquely. Society has devolved into a caste system based on color. One's place is determined by the colors one can see and how finely they can perceive gradations of those colors.
There is a system of unbreakable r ...more

I was surprised that I liked this as much as I did. It's highly abstract, amazingly weird, mildly amusing; droll even. The book definitely got better as it went along, although I found the end to be disappointing (but perhaps mostly because it was such a tease). Now I have another series from Jasper Fforde that I can't wait to read the next of!
UPDATE: I've been awaiting the next book in this series for YEARS. ...more
UPDATE: I've been awaiting the next book in this series for YEARS. ...more

I usually love Jasper Fforde, but this book was just okay. Although he builds a really intriguing world, it takes a long time for things to get going and this is perhaps too obviously the setup for an ongoing series. Having said that, Fforde has definitely piqued my interest and I will be reading the later books in the series.

Jan 25, 2016
Micaella
marked it as to-read
great premise but. eh.



Jan 11, 2010
Krazykiwi
marked it as to-get

Aug 11, 2010
Luzcasa
marked it as to-read

Sep 29, 2010
Cole
marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2014
Jennifer Van Den Hoogen
marked it as to-read

Oct 14, 2015
O'Rissa
marked it as to-read

Jan 30, 2016
Jess
marked it as to-read

Sep 13, 2017
Laura Seagraves
added it

Jan 28, 2018
Michele
marked it as to-read

Nov 19, 2020
Assumpta
marked it as to-read

Mar 16, 2022
Jane
marked it as to-read