Discworld marathon blog...

[pip]

Leaving aside Moving Pictures and the question of polls...

Ah, bugger, I forgot what I was going to say.

Hmm...

Actually, while I am reading Reaper Man, let's get onto the subject of autographs. My copy of Reaper Man is autographed by Terry, with the slogan 'Read it and Reap', along with a doodled scythe. I'm curious, does Terry use the same slogan for the copies of the books that he signs?

Its probably a good way to keep signing interesting if he changes them a bit as he goes.
Got Neil Gaiman to sign a book and he wrote 'Dream Dangerously' which i thought was cool.
Two years later i got to go to another signing and he wrote the same line.
Oddly enough i was at both signings with friends and he wrote different lines for them both times so maybe just a freaky coincindence

 

[pip]

oops

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

I have had a few different signings from Terry over the years but on one occasion when I missed getting a 1st edition then found one years later, and had it signed he paused for a moment then put the same inscription in the book as the first time, only the colour of the stamp ink differed as well as the signature the imprint of the stamp was, Oh! buggerit I can't remember now will have to have a look or it might bug me.

 

[Tonyblack]

Post for technical reasons.

 

[Quatermass]

Here are the messages I got, minus names. Can anyone add to the list?

The Colour of Magic: 'More wishes'

Reaper Man: 'Read it and Reap'

The Science of Discworld: 'It spins!'

The Science of Discworld II: 'It spins again'


That's a real pity to hear about him mostly using his thumbprint now, Dotsie. I guess that's because of his Alzheimer's affecting his handwriting. You do notice that whenever he mentions writing his books nowadays, he mentions dictation software. Poor fellow.

 

[Dotsie]

He said RSI, but I can't imagine the Alzheimer's helps any. If it helps him, then who can mind really?

 

[Quatermass]

REVIEW: Reaper Man


Out of all the Discworld characters, I have a particular soft spot for Death. Maybe it is that, despite the fact that he is the anthropomorphic personification of the cessation of existence, he is nicer than you'd expect, comparable to Neil Gaiman's own take on the Reaper. Or maybe, because he struggles to understand humans, always looking from the outside, that he appeals to my own similar struggles with understanding humanity (as an Aspie). But he is a character after my own heart. And Reaper Man is perhaps the most important of the Death books, as it is where Death finally gets true perspective on humanity...

The Auditors of Reality, dissatisfied with Death's increasing eccentricity, decide, with the permission of Great Old One Azrael, to retire him. Death is given a short time left to live. Unfortunately, Death's retirement leads to all sorts of chaos on the Discworld, as while things still die, the life force isn't going anywhere, and one of those affected is ancient wizard Windle Poons. Revived as a zombie, shunned by the Unseen University faculty, and thinking more clearly in undeath than he was when alive, Windle needs to find out what is going on, with the help of a sort of reverse werewolf, a medium verging on small, an agoraphobic bogeyman, a fruit-seller turned reluctant vampire, and a zombie campaigning for undead rights. Meanwhile, Death, under the name of Bill Door, has decided to spend the last of his life at the farm of Miss Flitworth. But with a new Death about to rise from the minds of the living, a strange new lifeform appearing in Ankh-Morpork, and a new harvesting machine, life and unlife alike are about to get interesting...

Reaper Man can be divided quite clearly into two plots. The most important, but ironically the least prominent, deals with Death and his retirement in the form of Bill Door, while the less important but more prominent deals with Windle Poons and company trying to deal with the side-effects of Death's retirement. Despite this skewed story structure, it works, simply because the rather more intimate story of how Death copes with being the mortal Bill Door works best with less, while the lesser story needs more buildup. This may not seem right, but trust me, it does well.

Reaper Man is important in many ways because it is about character development. Death is obviously the most important character to be developed, with a simple life on a farm turning out to be a most enlightening experience. Not only is he made to kill a chicken for his dinner (he hasn't actually killed anyone, the events of The Colour of Magic notwithstanding), but he becomes a companion to not-quite-widow Miss Renata Flitworth. The turning point for Death's character comes partway through his story, during a fire in the village, and what Mort and Ysabell started in Mort, Miss Flitworth finishes with a slap to the face. Death's confrontation with his successor is, while not truly epic, is still well done, and the arc is concluded in a heartwarming and tearjerking manner.

The other story arc is closer to the plot of Moving Pictures and Soul Music in its way, with the excess life force caused by Death's retirement causing all sorts of havoc, not least of which is the revival of Windle Poons, a relatively minor wizard from Moving Pictures and whose nature in that story was to be a stereotypical old man. As a zombie, however, he is very well done, and while his initial quest to find the missing Death is quickly shifted into a quest to find out what is happening in Ankh-Morpork, he does it well. Listening to Windle's thoughts as he copes with undeath is interesting.

The faculty of Unseen University are also finally developing into the characters we know and love. Ridcully is starting to show signs of complexity that weren't as apparent in his debut in the previous book, and the Dean starts to show his gung-ho attitude whenever there is something to be hit with magic. The Fresh Start Club, while filled with a few one-joke characters, are still interesting enough. Only Reg Shoe's singular quixotic nature and the rather boring Winkings mar this. Mrs Cake is also an intriguing character, along with her daughter Ludmilla (who now, retrospectively, reminds me a little of Taura from the Vorkosigan Saga) and her spirit guide, One Man Bucket.

Every once in a while, the stars align (so to speak), and the story and jokes work together almost completely seamlessly, and Reaper Man, in my opinion, is one of them. Despite the bifurcated storyline, it all comes together with the right amount of complexity, philosophy, and a strange and original concept about the origin of shopping malls.

Although Reaper Man may not be the best Discworld book for everyone, it is my personal favourite, one that has stood the test of time. One that shows, at least on the Discworld, why one shouldn't fear the Reaper...


Special New Utterance Rating Trial: Yay!

First words: The Morris dance is common to all inhabited worlds in the multiverse.

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[pip]

I always see this as two seperate books when i think back , one about the wizards and one about death . The Death one I love and the concept is brilliant. Like Q I have a soft spot for death hence having a room dedicated to Kidbys death drawings. The wizard side gets a tad over the top and weird.
Quite like Windle Poons who had only been a crank in a chair before this and love the intro to Reg Shoe but the whole snowglobe , trolly supermarket thing is just a bit too odd.
Still love this book and the interactions of Death with the people he finds around him .

Interesting review again

 

[Tonyblack]

I like this book, it is very touching and Terry seems to be writing about the endless march of progress that can tend to steamroller people. Death is considered old fashioned and even the scythe he uses is threatened by the progress of the invention of the reaping machine. It's the last glimpse of a past that been unchanged for hundreds of years and a look ahead to a future that will change the world forever.

In the same way the wizards in the city are seeing a glimpse of a future of technology, consumerism and greed that will change the city forever.

The book seems to be set on the tipping point before an industrial revolution that we've seen in the later books.

Good review, Q!

 

[Quatermass]

Sorry I didn't reply to your posts, Pip and Tony. I just didn't find anything I could answer substantially to.

REVIEW: Witches Abroad


In coming back to the Discworld titles and reappraising them, I found myself enjoying the Witches books more than I used to. I then wondered whether I would find anything new in my reappraisal of Witches Abroad, the third book to feature Granny Weatherwax and the second 'Lancre coven' book. Unfortunately, the answer is no...

Witch and fairy godmother Disiderata Hollow has died, bequeathing her wand to Magrat Garlick and manipulating Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg to follow Magrat to Genua. The problem, you see, is that they need to prevent a servant girl from marrying a prince, even if it goes against narrative causality. But they're up against stiff competition, for even if they survive the journey, they have to deal with Lady Lilith de Tempscire, a fairy godmother with some very definite ideas of how a story should go, and who looks very familiar indeed...

Witches Abroad is one of those stories that has excellent concepts within it, but precious little plot. However, unlike some other stories, Witches Abroad doesn't pretend to be much more than it really is. Which is a shame, really, as the story had some real mileage in it.

The Lancre coven are a delight as always, but while Granny Weatherwax does have a number of excellent moments (like managing to outwit a group of card-cheaters, not to mention defeating both the antagonist and another witch), I feel that her treatment of poor Magrat was rather abusive. Even for Weatherwax, there should surely be better ways of teaching Magrat how to use (or not use) magic. Magrat gets more of a prominent role, and she rises to the occasion, even though occasionally she needs a little help from the other two, and Nanny Ogg is a delight as always. And her hellish cat, Greebo, gets one of the most interesting and amusing metamorphoses in fantasy literature.

Of the guest characters, the most interesting is Lady Lilith, whose relationship to Granny Weatherwax (as a kind of dark side that believes that she is really the good one, and more) does have a cliched twist that nonetheless works well enough. Lilith's way of doing things, by shaping people into stories, is an excellent concept. It's just a pity that many of them turn into mostly bad pastiches of fairytales and kid's stories (with only the 'Red Riding Hood' sequence being particularly good). Mrs Gogol is probably the next best character, but one gets a strong whiff of wasted potential with this voodoo witch. Baron Saturday and Emberella come across as not done well enough versions of Baron Samedi and Cinderella respectively, although Casanunda deserves a mention for being interesting enough to merit a mention.

The story itself isn't unlike Equal Rites in a way, in that it is about a journey to a far away place (that takes up much of the book, mind) to try and shake up a status quo, while telling an aesop about the seductiveness of certain kinds of magic, in this case, granting wishes and using stories to get your own way. But Witches Abroad feels like it re-used too much of Equal Rites' structure without adding enough of its own identity. The climax, too, is rather rushed, as if Pratchett realised that the plot was a bit thin on the ground and so brought it to its conclusion as soon as possible. However, despite being thin on the ground, it is still a good story, better than many others, and one wonders if the makers of Shrek 2 had read this book.

Overall, Witches Abroad was disappointing, at least compared to the Witches books that have gone before. However, it is a good example of the Discworld average, which means it's a pretty damn good book anyway.


Special New Utterance Rating Trial: Hmm.

First words: This is the Discworld, which travels through space on the back of four elephants which themselves stand on the shell of Great A'Tuin, the sky turtle.

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[pip]

Witches abroad always reminded me of Shrek 2 with the corrupted fairy godmother and frog turned human ruling. Always wondered if Dreamworks pilfered from terry.

Strongest thing to say for this book is that its a good step into the whole Granny's inner battle with herself which develops really well in later books.

 

[Tonyblack]

Witches abroad always reminded me of Shrek 2 with the corrupted fairy godmother and frog turned human ruling. Always wondered if Dreamworks pilfered from terry.

Strongest thing to say for this book is that its a good step into the whole Granny's inner battle with herself which develops really well in later books.

Well the dragon falling in love with Donkey in Shrek 1 is a bit like Errol in Guards! Guards!

 

[pip]

Witches abroad always reminded me of Shrek 2 with the corrupted fairy godmother and frog turned human ruling. Always wondered if Dreamworks pilfered from terry.

Strongest thing to say for this book is that its a good step into the whole Granny's inner battle with herself which develops really well in later books.

Well the dragon falling in love with Donkey in Shrek 1 is a bit like Errol in Guards! Guards!

except for the fact errol couldn't talk and wasn't a donkey and never got a Spice Girl pregnant

 

[Quatermass]

Witches abroad always reminded me of Shrek 2 with the corrupted fairy godmother and frog turned human ruling. Always wondered if Dreamworks pilfered from terry.

Strongest thing to say for this book is that its a good step into the whole Granny's inner battle with herself which develops really well in later books.

True, but at times, I feel that Granny Weatherwax is too hard in the wrong way on others, particularly Magrat. It's a bit like what Vetinari does to Vimes in Men at Arms, and I get the feeling that there should have been a point where Magrat didn't thump the wall, so to speak. If she's so good with her folk psychology, she could know of a better way that doesn't drive as much of a wedge between them.

I think that, at heart, Weatherwax seems like a character who doesn't seem right at times. I remember reading Carpe Jugulum for the first (and, to date, only) time, and thinking, isn't she a stupidly paranoid woman to think that she was deliberately not invited to the christening? I might have missed something on that readthrough, though. But you'd think someone as old and wise as her would be able to think of a reason. Did I miss something, or forget something?

But I agree that this is the start of Weatherwax struggling against her inner darkness, or her inner evil witch. And she is, in the end, an interesting character. Although to be honest, Nanny Ogg is a far more likeable character, her treatment of her daughters-in-law notwithstanding.

I loved the dichotomy between Weatherwax and her sister in the story. In fact, I think, well before I read Witches Abroad, that I saw the Paul Kidby illustration showing the Weatherwax sisters, Esme glaring at a smiling Lilith. I like how the fact is pointed out in the book that Lily was the 'evil' one who thought she was the good one, while Esme, while not nice, is still the good one.

 

[Quatermass]

Well the dragon falling in love with Donkey in Shrek 1 is a bit like Errol in Guards! Guards!

except for the fact errol couldn't talk and wasn't a donkey and never got a Spice Girl pregnant

Shrek, like Discworld, exists to subvert preconceptions about stories.

 

[pip]

And Shrek and discworld do it so well
I did always feel sorry for Magrat and Granny can be a bit of a bully to be honest which is hard to take sometimes but she seems to bring things the right way in the end.
Nanny is a much easier character to reconcile. She's likeable and understands people better than Granny . She is possibly stronger as well which is hinted at from time to time.

 

[Willem]

I think that, at heart, Weatherwax seems like a character who doesn't seem right at times. I remember reading Carpe Jugulum for the first (and, to date, only) time, and thinking, isn't she a stupidly paranoid woman to think that she was deliberately not invited to the christening? I might have missed something on that readthrough, though. But you'd think someone as old and wise as her would be able to think of a reason. Did I miss something, or forget something?

It's not paranoia, it's pride.
For a woman like Granny, to have to ask Magrat (or Nanny, or anyone else) if perhaps there's been a mishap with her invitation, is unthinkable.
Not knowing what has happened (magpies stole the invitation) there would be two possible scenarios:
A: Granny was invited but something happened to the invitation. By asking Magrat if she was invited she'd be showing a weakness - insecurity.
B: Granny wasn't invited. Why wouldn't she be? Granny fears going bad most, meaning she'd attribute a non-vite to Magrat thinking Granny's gone to the bad side. And asking if she was invited then being told she was not would be a humiliating experience.
Granny's pride couldn't handle either outcome. She can't ask anyone if she's invited or not.

So what is a proud witch to do? She can either go anyway, or not go. We know the story of Sleeping Beauty where an evil sorceress crashes the princesses's baptism. Discworld runs on stories, I'll assume they've got this one too. If Granny would go uninvited, she'd automatically be the evil witch.

Asking if she's invited would take away some of her power since she'd be showing a weakness. Going to the party uninvited would lead to the dark side. So she takes the only option that's left to her: she leaves.


Wise people can be stupid too

 

[Tonyblack]

There are shades of such things as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings in WA as far as Granny is concerned. All her life she's been tempted to the (for want of a better description) Dark Side of magic. She knows she would be really good at it and that it could get her great power and riches. She be so good that she could probably rule the Disc if she turned that way.

But she also knows that to embrace that side of her would be to allow all the bad stuff to take over. Granny is a not a nice person - but she is a good person. She knows that the real power of magic is NOT using it.

Terry uses her sister to show us that Granny is fighting an internal battle between the Light and the Dark. That Granny could have taken the path that Lilith took, but chose not to.

She comes out victorious in this book, but at a price. Her battle with her sister shook her confidence and that is part of the reason that she has trouble in later books. Being such a powerful witch means being alone. Yes she has Nanny Ogg, but even she doesn't get all that close to Granny. The events in CJ are as a result of the events in WA. She's the successful gunslinger having to stay ahead of her game for fear of one day being challenged and failing.

 

[Quatermass]

I think that, at heart, Weatherwax seems like a character who doesn't seem right at times. I remember reading Carpe Jugulum for the first (and, to date, only) time, and thinking, isn't she a stupidly paranoid woman to think that she was deliberately not invited to the christening? I might have missed something on that readthrough, though. But you'd think someone as old and wise as her would be able to think of a reason. Did I miss something, or forget something?

It's not paranoia, it's pride.
For a woman like Granny, to have to ask Magrat (or Nanny, or anyone else) if perhaps there's been a mishap with her invitation, is unthinkable.
Not knowing what has happened (magpies stole the invitation) there would be two possible scenarios:
A: Granny was invited but something happened to the invitation. By asking Magrat if she was invited she'd be showing a weakness - insecurity.
B: Granny wasn't invited. Why wouldn't she be? Granny fears going bad most, meaning she'd attribute a non-vite to Magrat thinking Granny's gone to the bad side. And asking if she was invited then being told she was not would be a humiliating experience.
Granny's pride couldn't handle either outcome. She can't ask anyone if she's invited or not.

So what is a proud witch to do? She can either go anyway, or not go. We know the story of Sleeping Beauty were an evil sorceress crashes the princesses's baptism. Discworld runs on stories, I'll assume they've got this one too. If Granny would go uninvited, she'd automatically be the evil witch.

Asking if she's invited would take away some of her power since she'd be showing a weakness. Going to the party uninvited would lead to the dark side. So she takes the only option that's left to her: she leaves.


Wise people can be stupid too

Ahhh. Sorry. I must have missed that. It's been a few years since I read it anyway. Thanks, Willem.

.......

I had a quick re-read of Granny Weatherwax's scenes in Carpe Jugulum, and while I didn't get that 'uninvited evil sorceress' subtext as strongly, I do agree about the pride thing, to a degree. I also get the feeling that Weatherwax enjoys being needed, and that she didn't seem to be needed at such an important occasion seemed to hurt as much, if not more. I'll have to wait until I actually re-read it properly, though, before I draw any real conclusions, but thanks for the heads up and pointing me in the right direction, Willem. Much appreciated.

 

[Tonyblack]

Let's not forget that the vampires were playing with head even at that stage. She may not have realised it at the time, and when she did, she needed to go away and think somewhere where she could protect her mind.