I've read the first 3 books in Fforde's Thursday Next series. They're fast-paced, funny and gorgeously convoluted, in the tradition of writers like Partchett and Douglas Adams. They are also packed with literary references for the Eng Lit crowd, but are good fun even if you don't get these. I don't know how the education system elsewhere works, but nearly anyone with a high school education ought to be able to spot most of the refs.
The only thing I'm worried about is that Fforde has been keeping certain plot threads suspended for a while - over three books. As I've said elsewhere, I hope he doesn't fall prey to the series malaise.
Basically - good, clean, quirky fun with some intelligence to it.