dodger

[chris.ph]

i read it in hospital and really enjoyed it

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Penners for the bit you missed from the begining.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00yks5w

 

[ArthurR]

Like others, read the book and enjoyed it.Read all in one session, all night Sunday. Can't wait for next.

 

[Tonyblack]

Welcome to the site, ArthurR!

I've been having fun looking up some of the real-life characters in the book, such as the Punch cartoonist - although Terry and Wikipedia seem to disagree about which eye he had a problem with.

And Angela Burdett-Coutts is a fascinating person.

 

[Penfold]

Penners for the bit you missed from the begining.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00yks5w

Thank you Dug.

 

[ArthurR]

Thanks for the wellcome Tony, must admit I've looked up some of caracters aswell.....Onan especially

 

[Quatermass]

I got the thing about Onan straight away (partly because I remembered a scene from The League of Gentlemen where Harvey Denton gives a lecture about 'onanism' to his nephew Benjamin). For anyone else unclear, well, here's the scene from The League of Gentlemen in the spoilers area, but be aware that the subject matter may be offensive.

Spoiler

Even so, I'm not sure why Solomon gave such a name for the poor dog. Seems like a rather cruel name, actually.

 

[Tonyblack]

I didn't know that about Onan. I've just had an interesting read about him (the biblical character, not the Dodger one) on Wikipedia.

 

[high eight]

I got the thing about Onan straight away (partly because I remembered a scene from The League of Gentlemen where Harvey Denton gives a lecture about 'onanism' to his nephew Benjamin). For anyone else unclear, well, here's the scene from The League of Gentlemen in the spoilers area, but be aware that the subject matter may be offensive.

Spoiler

Even so, I'm not sure why Solomon gave such a name for the poor dog. Seems like a rather cruel name, actually.

I'm not sure about dogs, but there is an old joke about a clergyman with a pet budgie (or canary, depending on who you hear it from) named Onan "because he spills his seed upon the ground".

 

[Quatermass]

That's a good 'un!

 

[Turtles4Ever]

I wasn't at all impressed I'm afraid, but I haven't been impressed with most of Terry's books since (and including) Unseen Academicals. His writing style now seems too 'mannered' and 'forced', and his plot and character development is poor (although I Shall Wear Midnight was fairly enjoyable, despite the poor writing style).

Thankfully I can still fall back on Terry's superb earlier books, so it's not the end of the world.

I'm pleased that others have enjoyed Dodger, it just wasn't for me.

 

[Bouncy Castle]

Anne Hoppe ‏@AHedit

Sir Terry Pratchett's DODGER is a New York Times Bestseller! Pratchett fans of America: I salute you!!! @terryandrob


Terry Pratchett ‏@terryandrob

Many thanks to the lovely @AHedit for letting us know that #DODGER is a NYTimes Bestseller! It weighs in at #3 on the Children's list.

 

[CJDobs]

Just a few chapters in so far and enjoying it.

Interested to know what our overseas readers make of it though? It's written very colloquially and whether that's a homage to Dickens or not, Dickens only used the 'Baker Street Irregulars' style when the characters spoke whereas Terry uses it widely in this book as the narrative. I understand it (being English!) but wondered how it translates overseas?

Genuine query....stone the crows, lawks a live Guvnor, 'ave an 'art for a poor old cove down on 'is luck etc etc

 

[pip]

Works for us Oirish but we're used to cockney accents on tv

 

[Bouncy Castle]

EastEnders is really set in Dublin!

 

[Tonyblack]

Just a few chapters in so far and enjoying it.

Interested to know what our overseas readers make of it though? It's written very colloquially and whether that's a homage to Dickens or not, Dickens only used the 'Baker Street Irregulars' style when the characters spoke whereas Terry uses it widely in this book as the narrative. I understand it (being English!) but wondered how it translates overseas?

Genuine query....stone the crows, lawks a live Guvnor, 'ave an 'art for a poor old cove down on 'is luck etc etc

Sharlene in America is enjoying it with no problem.

 

[CJDobs]

I suppose phrases such as 'kick seven types of shite out of him' are quite universal in their translation

I have to say (again) Dan Simmons take on Charlie Dickens in Drood is a belter for anyone interested. Very very different book to Dodger but well worth the investment of reading energy!

 

[whybrew]

Just finished Dodger. It was a great read, as good as anything Discworld. Terry at his best yet again. Would love to read the sequel that it is set up for. By the way it has taken me just a couple of days because I luckily have got a cold which has kept me in bed.

 

[Tonyblack]

Just finished Dodger. It was a great read, as good as anything Discworld. Terry at his best yet again. Would love to read the sequel that it is set up for. By the way it has taken me just a couple of days because I luckily have got a cold which has kept me in bed.

Who'd have thought you'd be glad of a cold?

Welcome to the site, whybrew!

 

[BenBubb]

I finished this on saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has got me back into Terry as I drifted away from him for about a year, I have only read a few of his books but have just started Guards Guards and have realised how much I have missed his quirky style of writing! So glad Dodger got me back into Pratchett!