Jasper Fforde is a genius

"You see?" I said to Hamlet as we walked away.
"What?"
"This is exactly what I mean. A lot happens in the real world for no good reason. If this were fiction, this little incident would have relevance thirty or so chapters from now; as it is it means nothing--after all, not every incident in life has a meaning."
"Tell that to the scholars who study me," Hamlet snorted disdainfully, then thought for a moment before adding, "If the real world were a book, it would never find a publisher. Overlong, detailed to the point of distraction--and ultimately, without a major resolution."
"Perhaps," I said thoughtfully, "that's exactly what we like about it."

Thursday Next and Hamlet at the bottom of page 76 in Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde, being the fourth in a series commencing with The Eyre Affair, the mention of which causes aerobil to snort disdainfully whenever I mention it excitedly to another victi--er, potential reader.

(P.S.--the next Next novel is coming out in July!)