Shades of Grey 1: The Road to High Saffron
Shades of Grey
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| Author | Jasper Fforde |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Steven Wilson |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | fantasy, science fiction |
| Publisher |
Viking Adult (US) Hodder & Stoughton (UK) |
| Published | December 2009 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Followed by | Painting by Numbers |
Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron (simply titled Shades of Grey originally) is a dystopian novel, the first in the Shades of Grey series by novelist Jasper Fforde. The story takes place in Chromatacia, an alternate version of the United Kingdom wherein social class is determined by one's ability to perceive colour.
Chromatacia is a future dystopian society that exists at least five hundred years (although possibly more) after the collapse of our own society, identified as 'the Previous'. All life is governed by the laws set by Munsell, the supposed and revered founder of Chromatacia. The rules range from sensible, such as outlawing murder, to bizarre, such as outlawing the manufacture of spoons (though old spoons are often kept as personal heirlooms). The social hierarchy of Chromaticia is defined by the ability to see colour, which is limited in most people to varying degrees of one hue, or at most two. Those who can see red predominantly are in the second-lowest social order (only ranking above 'Greys', who cannot perceive colour), and 'Ultra Violets' hold the highest rank. The perception of colour also affects their health and wellness: certain colours have medical effects on people, and doctors in this world are called "swatchmen", since they show of colour to their patients. Shades of green, especially Lincoln green, act as a narcotic, and are often abused as recreational drugs. Surnames and names of towns are usually derived from various shades of colour, such as jade, carmine and saffron.
Protagonist Eddie Russett is a 'Red' sent to the outer-fringe town of East Carmine to conduct a chair census, which he speculates is punishment for a practical joke played on the son of a prefect. There he meets Jane, a Grey with a nose and a fierce temper, who often causes personal injury to whomever she meets. His father becomes the swatchman of the village and is well liked by the Greys. In the course of the story, Eddie discovers that much of what the government has told the public is not true; in particular, that misfits, supposedly sent to Emerald City to be brainwashed, are actually taken to the deserted town of High Saffron to be killed by a building, the colour of which is poisonous to look at.
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