Post by Norm D. PlumberI think one the average I was unable to read more than about 10 pages
without getting "a look" from my wife for sitting there laughing like
a loon.
I'd give it about a 6 on a scale of 10 for being a great book, maybe a
37 on a scale of 10 for being a fun read.
Ah, and this isn't even one of the really good Discworld novels...
'Cause I feel like it-
Commentary on reading Discworld novels I made in an earlier post [now
a little dated, and not updated]-
The Diskworld novels are not a series as such- they don't have to be
read in
any order as each book is self contained. But... There are several
(five)
sets of characters that are repeatedly revisited. The only continuity
is
within a set, not between sets. They have almost no cross-continuity
(except when they do).
The sets are (in publication and chronological order within each
set)-
Rincewind: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, Eric,
Interesting Times, The Last Continent, The Last Hero (only technically
a
Rincewind book, illustrated), [The Science of the Diskworld I-III
(quasi
non-fiction)]. Most of the early books are Rincewind. They are
intended as
a parody of fantasy writing and tropes and only manage to be somewhat
amusing. Start with these and you'll wonder what all the fuss is
about and
almost certainly won't have the endurance to get to the good stuff.
Interesting Times is the best of the lot, the rest of the fiction is
forgettable.
Death: Mort, Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather, Thief of Time.
Reaper Man
is the first of the really good ones, start there within the Death
books.
Read Mort last, it's early and very weak compared to the others.
Lancre: Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies,
Maskerade, Carpe Jugulem. The Lancre books really start with Wyrd
Sisters,
start there. Equal Rites is something of an approximation and new
characters are introduced and one is somewhat re-tooled for the next
one.
The last two are relatively weak. Wyrd Sisters and Lords and Ladies
are a
pair that should be read together and ideally sequentially, though
technically Witches Abroad comes between them. WA describes a side
trip
that can be excised without harm.
Ankh-Morpork Watch: Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay,
Jingo, The
Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, Thud!. The best series of the lot, and
the one
that made the Diskworld what it is. Start at the beginning with G!
G!.
Tiffany Aching: The Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith. [I
Shall Wear Midnight] A relatively recent series written for
children. Still Diskworld and still
good though.
One-shots: Moving Pictures, Pyramids, Small Gods, The Truth, Going
Postal,
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents [Unseen Academicals].
The first two are relatively weak, the others good to excellent. The
Truth is my favorite Diskworld novel.
Basically, skip most Rincewind, Mort and Equal Rites and all of the
rest are
good to excellent.
Shawn's guide to proper nounds on the Disk (ie important people and
places)-
Places-
Diskworld- a flat (indeed, disk shaped....) world supported on the
backs of four rather large elephants which themsleves stand on the
back of a giant turtle (not tortoise, turtles are sea creatures, not
land creatures like tortoises. It has fins rather than feet.) named
the great A'Tuin, which swims through space. Where it's going, and
why no one knows. We know it reproduces by spawning little turtles
with their own little elephants and little disks. We don't know
whether it's male, female, androgynous, or other, or specifically how
it reproduces. Despite the differences, the Diskworld is basically a
satire of our own. (note- satire makes fun of reality, parody makes
fun of art forms. The Daily Show is both a parody of a new program
and a satire of reality. Sound smart at parties...). Note- the
oceans run off the sides and disappear, presumably reappearing
somewhere to continue the cycle.
Ankh-Morpork- the largest city on the Disk, but not the only large
city. Basically it's a satire of London around the early 19th
century. It was long ago the capital of an empire, but the empire is
gone. Now it is merely an independent city-state among a number of
others. It used to have a king (even after the empire), but the last
King (Lorenzo the Kind, said to love children, it what sense is
unclear...) was killed by Watch Commander Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes
(aka Stoneface Vimes, modeled on Oliver Cromwell) as a public service
in response to his excesses. Since then it has been ruled by an
official called the Patrician, chosen by the city's nobles and guild
leaders, who rules until killed or removed. The city is built around
the Tower or Art of the Unseen University, and is a twin city
composed
of wealthy Ankh and poor but vibrant (read- dangerous, even in
daylight...) Morpork. Most books revolve around Ankh-Morpork.
Unseen University is the greatest institute of magical instruction on
the Disk.
The Sto Plains- the region of the Disk occupied by Ankh-Morpork,
basically modeled on Europe culturally speaking. Note the geography
of the Disk is unrelated to Earth geography, though the societies are
similar. Notable other cities include fashionable Quirm (modeled on
Paris), and exotic Genua (modeled loosely on New Orleans). The major
economic activity of the Sto Plains is growing 50 varieties of
cabbage
(note, a great many not-cabbage-like vegetables are in fact related
to
cabbage, like broccoli, lettuce, onions, etc), which is to say
farming
in general.
XXXX- The Last Continent, strongly modeled on Australia. Visited by
Rincewind in .The Last Continent'.
Agatean Empire- Modeled on China. Actively discourages any contact
with the outside world and the whole place is walled off. Gold is as
common there as copper is elsewhere, so travellers from there with
gold coins make the place seem extremely rich. While pretty
prosperous and advanced, it isn't really any richer than the Sto
plains. Visited by Rincewind in 'Interesting Times''. Now ruled by
Cohen the Barbarian and the Silver Horde {until the events in The Last
Hero]
Howondaland- Modeled on deepest Africa.
Klatch- a geographic region not a country, with aspects of pan-Arabia
and India. When Ankh-Morpork fights wars it is generally with
political entities in Klatch.
Uberwald- modeled on eastern Europe, another geographic region rather
than a country. There are vampires and werewolves and mad scientists
and Igors aplenty there.
Ramtop mountains- borders on the Sto Plains and Uberwald. Contains
many small mountain communities and mico-Kingdoms. Culturally an
extension of the Sto Plains.
Lancre- one of those small mountain kingdoms in the Ramtops.
Cor Celesti- giant mountain at the center of the disk that rises like
the needle in a record album. On top of Cor Celesti is
Dunmanifestin,
home of the Gods.
Copperhead- large Dwarven community and the source of most of Ankh-
Morpork's dwarven immigrants. Dwarves in general are very
conservative, but Copperhead less so than others.
People-
Rincewind- First Pratchett hero. A wizard incompetent in his craft
to
the point of never being able to even try to do magic, let alone
trying and failing. Because wizards are born rather than made, he
does have some of the bennies of being a wizard and thus really is
one
despite his incompetence. He has 'Wizzard' written on his hat so
people will know he is one, he sure as hell can't show them his
ability... (yes, it is mispelled...) He does have the virtues of
being able to run fast and beg for his life in every language of the
Disk. (does it go without saying that he is also a coward?). The
Gods of the Disk are real, and pass the time playing games with
humans
as their pawns. Rincewind is the unwitting pawn of 'The
Lady' (presumably the goddess of luck), and as a result frequently
finds himself in situations where the fate of the Disk rests on his
actions. This is also why he has travelled over so much of the Disk.
Accompanied by 'The Luggage' which is a sentient homicidal magical
trunk on legs that protects Rincewind from harm (sometimes) and can
follow him through time and space.
Two-Flower- Naive Agatean tourist and original owner of the Luggage.
Hired Rincewind as his guide.
Cohen the Barbarian (aka Genghis Cohen)- The greatest barbarian hero
in history, now 90 years old and feeling every year of it. Still the
greatest barbarian hero in the world despite his age, because he is
Just That Good.
Silver Horde- a handful of Cohen's equally super-annuated buddies.
They are old men, but they are the best in the world. If they could
be killed someone would have already. Like Cohen they are Just That
Good. Cohen and the Silver Horde conquer the Agatean Empire in
'Interesting Times'. In 'The Last Hero' they infiltrate
Dunmanifestin
to 'return fire to the Gods', mostly because they are upset that the
gods allowed them to grow old. Whether they are alive or dead is
ambiguous now.
Granny Weatherwax- most powerful witch on the Disk. A good witch by
choice, but not by nature. Inhabitant of Lancre.
Nanny Ogg, lifelong friend of Granny Weatherwax, and probably the
'best' witch on the Disk. Almost certainly the best midwife in the
history of the Disk, as the husband of the goddess of Time choose her
to deliver their child.
Magrat Garlick- junior Lancre witch. Has 'modern' views. Competent,
but viewed as silly by Granny and Nanny Ogg. While she is competent,
they are the best...
Verence II, King of Lancre and Magrat's husband after Lords and
Ladies, former professional Fool, his unpleasant training by the
Fool's guild has left him with a serious and bookish nature. As
advisor to the previous King he nearly defeated the triumverate of
Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick. More dangerous than
he appears.
Death- seven foot skeleton in a robe with a scythe. Compassionate
and
good at his job. Sometime oppooent of the Auditors, who hate life
and
want to destroy it. Adoptive grandfather of Susan Sto Helit.
Susan Sto Helit- adopted granddaughter of death (Death adopted her
mother and her father was Death's apprentice for a little while).
Tries to live as normal a life as she can, but being death's
granddaughter does not help.
