The Terry Pratchett Thread

[brodski]

I love Pratchets Discworld books, even the “kids” ones, which still have a few “adult” (as in aimed at adults, not as in obscene) jokes in them. The only DW book I havn’t read is “the last hero”.

I think the best one off book is Wyrd Sisters, but I love what he’s done with some continuing characters, the Night Watch in particular- I loved “Nightwatch” and “Thud” as well.

I found Moving pictures quite week, and the Rinciwind series never really grabbed me, even though I like both Rincwind and Twoflower as characters.

Oh, and the Hogfather movie was (IMHO) rubbish, stick to the animated adaptations, much better.

 

[3point14]

Love Pterry, as you may be able to tell from my Sig.

I love the way he can make me look at a situation differently, and the subtlety with which he puts things across, particularly in the more observational stuff like Jingo or Small Gods.

I also love his imagination, and his ability to make me laugh out loud like an idiot on the train. Everyone looks, I don't care.

Also, if you see Pratchett being read in public, it's very easy to ask 'which one are you reading?' and almost invaiably, behind the book is a civilised, pleasant human being. I think that says a lot, although I'm not sure what.

I even directed the play 'Guards, Guards' a little while ago, which was fun, but hard work.

This is 'my' Vimes with Errol, who was made by my genius sort of co-director.


I keep thinking about doing another one, maybe 'Men at Arms' (I love the Vimes-Carrot-Detritus axis) but it's pretty daunting.

 

[SomeGuy]

I am one of the outcast fans apparently, because Soul Music ranks amongst my favourite of his books.

Of course you need to have some knowledge of music with rocks in... errmm.. rock music.

But "We're defenitally dwarves" cracked me up (They might be giants, being one of Pratchetts and mine favourite bands).

I also loved how he subtly wove the accusation of rock music being obsessed with death into the storyline with the whole Imp y Celin/Susan (acting Dead(the anthropomorphic personification, not the state) at the time) plot line.

The passage with the guys trying to come up with a band name while no less than 25 (and maybe some that I missed) famous band names are woven into the text is a classic.

 

[3point14]

I love Pratchets Discworld books, even the “kids” ones, which still have a few “adult” (as in aimed at adults, not as in obscene) jokes in them. The only DW book I havn’t read is “the last hero”.

Brodski! Do read 'The Last Hero' it really is Cohen and his Silver Hoard at their very best, and ends brilliantly. Also, Paul Kidby's artwork is fantastic. If I were rich, I'd try and buy originals.



Someone above comented that Faust Eric was a bit jumpy (cf TLF and TCOM) and it was, but I think that was becuase it was originally written as a big format book with lots of Josh Kirby artwork in it.

 

[3point14]

I am one of the outcast fans apparently, because Soul Music ranks amongst my favourite of his books.

Of course you need to have some knowledge of music with rocks in... errmm.. rock music.

But "We're defenitally dwarves" cracked me up (They might be giants, being one of Pratchetts and mine favourite bands).

I also loved how he subtly wove the accusation of rock music being obsessed with death into the storyline with the whole Imp y Celin/Susan (acting Dead(the anthropomorphic personification, not the state) at the time) plot line.

The passage with the guys trying to come up with a band name while no less than 25 (and maybe some that I missed) famous band names are woven into the text is a classic.

You're not alone - I love Soul Music too. Particularly Scum and co. and the Leapord skin clothing..

 

[Gurdur]

You're not alone - I love Soul Music too. ...

Yup, me too.

 

[Yllanes]

Without a doubt my favourite novel is Mort, with Guards! Guards! a close second.

Mine is Night Watch, followed by Thief of Time. I have a special place for Men At Arms, which was the first of the 'mature' (i.e. with plot) DW books that I read and the one that really got me hooked.

Granny Weatherwax is my most loved character followed by Nobby and Havelock Vetinari. That probably says more about me than I want.

Mine is Vetinary. The people who have read proof copies of Making money say he has a big role there, so I'm really looking forward to that book.

I haven't seen the Hogfather film yet...Is it any good?

Worth seeing. I think it must be unbearable for anyone who hasn't read the books, because the pace is completely off. It reminds me of the last Harry Potter movie, in that it consists of a series of well done individual scenes that are not linked properly.

I'm also curious about how well received TP is in Europe, USA and elsewhere...If at all.

There's some following in Spain, but I would guess it is concentrated in univsersity students. The first translations were not good (although I'm hearing the latest ones are much better). I only read Equal Rites (the weakest book, by the way) and Pyramids in Spanish. I don't know what's the last book to have been translated, but only a couple of years ago they were launching Soul Music, so that should give you an idea. However, there are Pratchett paperbacks in every library, even in newsstands. And the bigger ones have all the books in English too. Here in Madrid it is very easy to get all the paperbacks, both in their British and American editions.

Hawk one: I see you haven't read The Last Hero, go do it now. It didn't look that interesting to me at first, but the art is gorgeous and really an important part of the story (unlike in the illustrated Eric). Also, the introduction of Evil Harry Dread is the funniest passage in all of DW.

 

[Shrike]

Where to start?

Pratchett was introduced to me by my neighbour while living in Germany. First book I read was Hogfather, which had me in stitches.

I used to go to the nearest city with a big train station (Wiesbaden), because they sold TP in English. Desopite being Dutch, I've read everyting in English.
No, one short story in Dutch, but to me it doesn't work (neither does Douglas Adams, come to think of it - Ford Prefect was renamed after a bank...).
Reading this made me think of my favourite characters, but they are too many to mention. I'll give it a go: Nac Mac Feegle, Death, Greebo (especially in human form), Hex, the Bursar, the Dean, Ridcully, Vimes, Vetinari....

I'm lucky to have a co-worker who's also read Pratchett, so we get to mention quite a few things. He always says OOK when I reach for my banana, and you don't wanna know what happens when we 'reboot' our computers...

Ooh nearly forgot: My favourite books are actually the 'Science of Discworld' series. To me a very good introduction into sciences.

And more to add: There are torrents out there with all books in audio book.

 

[Jackalgirl]

Yay! Terry Pratchett!

Night Watch is my favorite. "You do the job that's in front of you." I just love love love Sam Vimes. When Pratchett writes from the POV of Sam Vimes, some wonderful and incredibly pithy observations about human nature come out -- the grittier side of human nature, that is, and something that really speaks to me as a military person.

Mort was the first one I read, and I really loved it too -- I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the anthropomorphic form of Death and the way Pratchett portrays him is hilarious.

Vetinari is fabulous too. Loved him in Night Watch. Of course, I love him whenever he shows up. Given the current slate of US candidates for President, I think I might just write-in Vetinari. We could hardly do worse, cxu ne? ; )

 

[brodski]

Mort was the first one I read, and I really loved it too -- I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the anthropomorphic form of Death and the way Pratchett portrays him is hilarious.

I think that Mort is the gateway drug to Pratchett. It seems to be the first Pratchett book offered too, and read by the majority of those that go onto to be Ptrerry junkies

 

[H3LL]

Brodski...As they say....The Last Hero is a must read and Dark Lord, Evil Harry Dread and his Shed of Doom is just fabulous.

I completely missed many of the music references in Soul Music and it never occured to me to make the connection for We're Definitely Dwarves.

Curses, another goes in the re/read pile

"It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things". - TP​

.

 

[H3LL]

This is 'my' Vimes with Errol, who was made by my genius sort of co-director.

Just too good to leave as a link.

Pinched it and uploaded it to JREF to add here.

Hope you don't mind

Princess Esmerelda Margaret Note Spelling of Lancre
Daughter of King Verence II and Magrat Garlick, Princess Esme made her appearance in Carpe Jugulum. Her unusual middle names are the result of a Lancre tradition that whatever the priest says at the naming ceremony is your name (Thus, Lancre once had a king called Ye-Gods-He's-Heavy the First, as well as a current farmer named James What the Hell's That Cow Doing in Here Poorchick, usually called 'Moocow'). Magrat owed her own name to a combination of this tradition and her mother's inability to spell "Margaret", and was determined it wouldn't happen again. - TP
​

.

 

[christie malry]

Oh, and the Hogfather movie was (IMHO) rubbish, stick to the animated adaptations, much better.

Not seen the ITV Xmas Special, so can't compare, but the Cosgrove Hall animations were pretty rubbish I thought. Loyal to the books, OK, but not great as cartoons in their own right.

Aside: wonder if that's why the oft-mooted Good Omens film hasn't quite made it out of development hell yet?

 

[Sir Arthur Mortal Coyle]

Another fan here, I was lucky enough to start collecting his books many, many years ago, including "Carpet people" so have lots of first editions, some signed, which are all happily going up in worth as we speak, Hoorah.

Anyone know a good librarian who can reach those high shelves?

 

[H3LL]

Aside: wonder if that's why the oft-mooted Good Omens film hasn't quite made it out of development hell yet?

Not sure how recent this is, but......

"It could have been worse. I've heard what Good Omens was looking like by the time Sovereign's option mercifully ran out -- set in America, no Four Horsemen... oh god". - TP Interview

"The duke had a mind that ticked like a clock and, like a clock, it regularly went cuckoo". - TP

​

.

 

[Kotatsu]

I'm a total Discworld fan. There's a couple of problems, though. There are many DW fans in Sweden but I've never met any.

Do you live in a box? Here in Gothenburg, I can hardly put my feet down without stepping on a Pratchett fan. I don't think there's anyone in our RPG society who doesn't like Pratchett, and most could easily give a short review of any given book, or at least quote something. There's even plans for roleplaying in Ankh-Morpork during the fall, so if you live anywhere near Gothenburg, and can easily get there more or less regularly, please come and play. We're usually in the Students' House near Avenyn.

Personally, I think the only decent books he's written since Carpe Jugulum are Night Watch and Last Hero. I couldn't get rid of the feeling that books like Going Postal and Monstrous Regiment were sort of hurried just because he needed to buy a new car and knew people would buy anything with his name on it. They are nowhere near as lame as Last Continent, but they're very close. As soon as he started modernizing Ankh-Morpork too much, I lost more or less all interest in the books.

However, due to a misalignment of my loyalty gland, I have still bought most of the newer books.

 

[3point14]

Just too good to leave as a link.

Pinched it and uploaded it to JREF to add here.

Hope you don't mind

Mind? I'm honoured. (So is Errol.)

 

[3point14]

Personally, I think the only decent books he's written since Carpe Jugulum are Night Watch and Last Hero. I couldn't get rid of the feeling that books like Going Postal and Monstrous Regiment were sort of hurried just because he needed to buy a new car and knew people would buy anything with his name on it.

I think this is unlikely, I'm pretty certain that if he needs a new car, he can afford one without having to rush a book, I suspect they are pretty much what he intended them to be.

I'm pretty certain he is a sceptic, too, or at least has a sceptical mindset. He's a very keen amateur astronomer as well, and has a wicked little building for his telescope, built by a boat builder, I believe. (He, Brian May and several others featured on a TV show about astronomy I watched a while ago

 

[christie malry]

I'm pretty certain that if he needs a new car, he can afford one without having to rush a book

I remember Robert Rankin saying he'd met Pratchett and the first thing he'd said was along the lines of 'it's hard you know. I'm trying to decide whether to buy my second home in the South of France or portugal.'

So, not too broke and not too modest about it either then...

 

[Flo]

Big Pratchett fan here. The first I read in the early 90s was Wyrd Sisters, I picked a copy at Geneva train station thinking I would abandon it on the train if I didn't like it. During the 1/2 hour between two trains in Bern, I searched all the newsstands for other books by Pratchett. Same on the way back from Zurich.
One month later, I was in London and bought every single of his books in hardback. I'm feared in all bookstores all over Geneva for my relentless demands of everything Pratchett in hardback ("You really want us to order it ? it's expensive, you know").
I've been converting family and friends to Pratchett, buying them the books in French (rather good translation), it's mandatory reading in my Kendo club and frequent subject of conversation during warming up exercises.
My father names his cats based on Lady Vimes' dragons (my favorite cat is called PlumePierre = Featherstone).

My favorite characters are the University Faculty and staff, as well as a number of secondary characters that give substance to the overall ambiance of the diskworld ... Nanny Ogg, of course (ever tried some of her recipes ?).