[QuickTidal]

Quick Ben, on 20 May 2011 - 02:15 PM, said:

Kanubis, on 20 May 2011 - 02:03 PM, said:

Quick Ben, on 20 May 2011 - 01:56 PM, said:

I'm sort of new to Discworld. I've read the first duology, Sourcery and Guards! Guards! and watched the Hogfather mini-series.

I'm going to continue with the watch saga since Guards! Guards! was awesome. So I'll eventually get to Snuff!

If you liked Guards! Guards! you're in for a treat. The entire Watch series is flat-out awesome.

I'm planning on reading the watch arc straight through from men-at-arms onwards. I have to get the books first though. I borrowed the three Rincewind books that I've read from my brother, but he has no watch books.

Good on you, that's a great arc. Men At Arms especially...but that's cause I have a soft spot for Detritus and his troll-like awesomeness and military work training songs.

[Mott]

The watch books are definitely the most enjoyable along with the witches (although I have to admit my love for Monstrous Regiment). I've actually been listening to them the last few years rather than reading them, I love the unabridged audiobooks so much. I think when Snuff comes out though I'll get the book, probably should pre-order it actually.

I think the vimes street version of where's my cow is the best, foul old Ron's cameo had me cracking up.

[Pilgrim]

Thanks! Now to go dig that out of my bookshelves! Sick of reading thomas the train stories and mickey mouse to my 4 year old...Time for him some Pratchett!

[D'iversify]

amphibian, on 20 May 2011 - 11:11 AM, said:

POOPOO MCBUMFACE, on 20 May 2011 - 09:59 AM, said:

I'm definitely in the minority on it, and I don't feel his writing was much weaker than usual (as I felt it was in UA). tbh, I just felt that the humanist themes were done better in some of the mainline Discworld books like Small Gods - which, to be fair, is one of my favourites, so it's hard to compare objectively - and got a bit preachy in parts. It wasn't a bad book overall, though, and would be great by most authors' standards; I just feel that it doesn't stack up against some of his previous work.

Night Watch was bloody great, though. Maybe my favourite of them all.

I <3 Night Watch so dang much, but I can't ever recommend it as the first Discworld book to newbies. The Thief of Time gets that nod, and I urge the readers to backtrack to Wyrd Sisters and then mow the rest down.

I didn't like Small Gods that much. Pyramids seemed to hit many of the same themes and with lighter humor for me. But Small Gods did have Lu-Tze popping up in it...

Thief of Time was fantastic, though incidentally was the last Discworld book I've read. I'd actually read pretty much everything before ToT in order of publishing, with the exception of Eric and Masquerade. The trouble I found with later Pratchett books was that the content was still good but I found them a bit drawn out. In a way I preferred the fact you can read his earlier stuff in a couple of sittings.

Whilst I liked Pyramids a lot (with a particular soft spot for Hat the God of Unexpected Guests), the more serious tone of Small Gods actually enhances Pratchett's message. Plus it's classic for the depiction of the Ephebian philosophers.

[King Lear]

I haven't read any Terry Pratchett in aaaaaages. Looking forward to reading this though, the books about the Watch are my favourites.

[Stradivarius]

amphibian, on 20 May 2011 - 11:11 AM, said:

POOPOO MCBUMFACE, on 20 May 2011 - 09:59 AM, said:

I'm definitely in the minority on it, and I don't feel his writing was much weaker than usual (as I felt it was in UA). tbh, I just felt that the humanist themes were done better in some of the mainline Discworld books like Small Gods - which, to be fair, is one of my favourites, so it's hard to compare objectively - and got a bit preachy in parts. It wasn't a bad book overall, though, and would be great by most authors' standards; I just feel that it doesn't stack up against some of his previous work.

Night Watch was bloody great, though. Maybe my favourite of them all.

I <3 Night Watch so dang much, but I can't ever recommend it as the first Discworld book to newbies. The Thief of Time gets that nod, and I urge the readers to backtrack to Wyrd Sisters and then mow the rest down.

I didn't like Small Gods that much. Pyramids seemed to hit many of the same themes and with lighter humor for me. But Small Gods did have Lu-Tze popping up in it...

on the topic of small gods, it has been pointed out to me that many lectures in dgree level re suggest reading small gods for an in sight into possible life spans of gods, and its a bloody good book!

[polishgenius]

Well, that was a good book.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 14 October 2011 - 11:44 PM, said:

Well, that was a good book.

Oh awesome, glad you enjoyed it PG! I'm looking fwd to it!

[Use Of Weapons]

Just got it today, looking forward to starting!

[Obdigore]

Read it, pretty good. I thought it was funny where Nobby and Fred end up, and I thought Willikins as especially awesome in this book.

[Macros]

damnit, with good reviews now i have to read it

[amphibian]

I'd put this at "Good, but not great".

The book shines best when dealing with the goblins, Young Sam, the environmental descriptions and Sybil. It doesn't do so well with the bad guys, getting much out of the country-based characters and suffers a bit because Vimes has evolved to a point where he's never in any serious danger of anything other than exhaustion.

[alt146]

I dunno about this book. I felt that, like Unseen Academicals, it wandered a bit, although the familiar characters helped it a little. I get the impression he was going for another Nightwatch/Thud! type novel, but it just didn't have that emotional impact or tightness of writing. It reads like a watch version of I shall wear midnight, which was also a bit muddled. Not a bad read, but not his best work. It's a real pity, as much as I really hate to say it, from here on out it's likely going to post-peak Pratchett

Has anyone heard of any plans to 'wrap-up' the series?

[Obdigore]

alt146, on 21 October 2011 - 08:51 AM, said:

I dunno about this book. I felt that, like Unseen Academicals, it wandered a bit, although the familiar characters helped it a little. I get the impression he was going for another Nightwatch/Thud! type novel, but it just didn't have that emotional impact or tightness of writing. It reads like a watch version of I shall wear midnight, which was also a bit muddled. Not a bad read, but not his best work. It's a real pity, as much as I really hate to say it, from here on out it's likely going to post-peak Pratchett

Has anyone heard of any plans to 'wrap-up' the series?

I was amazed he wrote this one. I thought Unseen was going to be the last one. Of course a couple years after his death the publishing company will tap someone else to try and do it, but we all know it wont be the same.

[alt146]

Obdigore, on 21 October 2011 - 09:05 AM, said:

alt146, on 21 October 2011 - 08:51 AM, said:

I dunno about this book. I felt that, like Unseen Academicals, it wandered a bit, although the familiar characters helped it a little. I get the impression he was going for another Nightwatch/Thud! type novel, but it just didn't have that emotional impact or tightness of writing. It reads like a watch version of I shall wear midnight, which was also a bit muddled. Not a bad read, but not his best work. It's a real pity, as much as I really hate to say it, from here on out it's likely going to post-peak Pratchett

Has anyone heard of any plans to 'wrap-up' the series?

I was amazed he wrote this one. I thought Unseen was going to be the last one. Of course a couple years after his death the publishing company will tap someone else to try and do it, but we all know it wont be the same.

I really hope that isn't the case, unless Pratchett himself identified someone who he would like to have carry on the series after he died. You'd think a man who has been knighted for his writing would be treated as more than a cash cow.

[POOPOO MCBUMFACE]

As long as he doesn't get handed over to Eoin Colfer too.

[amphibian]

The more I think about this book, the more I find problems with the goblins - specifically the unggue stuff. The sub-plot with Sgt. Colon was too neatly resolved for me. I actually have less problems with the human bad guy than with how Pratchett sort of abandoned an in-depth look at the goblins. We got more about the Trolls and Dwarves from Thud! than we did the goblins here.

[Use Of Weapons]

My problem with the goblins was more "you did this with orcs already".

[Obdigore]

UseOfWeapons, on 24 October 2011 - 09:09 AM, said:

My problem with the goblins was more "you did this with orcs already".

Oh I don't know. The orcs were terrifying killing machines, because that is what they were bred to be and what they are forced to be by their human sergeants if you will.

Goblins, on the other hand, spend all their time making unggue pots and can apparently learn, but are treated more as an infestation of vermin than anything else.

Although both books are obviously about racism/nationalism, they explore two of the different sides of it and are fairly separate books.

I think its more that he has done it with dwarves, trolls, werewolves, and golems so far...