Least favourite Discworld book
- Thread starter bikkit
- Start date
A
Unseen Academicals. Hands down.
MR and the Tiffany books never interessted me, so I doubt i'll ever read them, but UA was a huge disappointment.
The summary and cover promised an awesome story, but what it gave was 7 pretty lifeless plots sometimes with solutions you'd expect from Novels Discworld once (used to) parody.
I could rant about this book in particular for hours, but just so much:
It's the first discworld book at which I skipped parts upon the first reading as they downright bored me.
It's the first discworld book which I threw into a corner (thrice)
I have a reason to have joined a small group of people that say -It's actually not a real story, it's just in-fiction-fiction someone wrote for a contest of the AM-Times-
MR and the Tiffany books never interessted me, so I doubt i'll ever read them, but UA was a huge disappointment.
The summary and cover promised an awesome story, but what it gave was 7 pretty lifeless plots sometimes with solutions you'd expect from Novels Discworld once (used to) parody.
I could rant about this book in particular for hours, but just so much:
It's the first discworld book at which I skipped parts upon the first reading as they downright bored me.
It's the first discworld book which I threw into a corner (thrice)
I have a reason to have joined a small group of people that say -It's actually not a real story, it's just in-fiction-fiction someone wrote for a contest of the AM-Times-
^ Have to agree with you about Unseen Academicals. I disliked all the main characters and really couldn't care less about the plot. It was nice to see Rincewind again though and I loved Dr. Hix and Bengo Macarona.
I also don't really like Night Watch (which I think is generally regarded as one of Terry's best). It was devoid of humour, the serial killer villain was just too nasty and the setting was just grim and depressing.
I think most of Terry's recent output hasn't been quite of the same level as his older stuff (although I admit I haven't read Wintersmith or I Shall Wear Midnight yet). Thief of Time was the last great one in my eyes though some of the ones after that have been solid enough. I'm not sure what to expect of Snuff. The plot sounds like an episode of Midsomer Murders!
I also don't really like Night Watch (which I think is generally regarded as one of Terry's best). It was devoid of humour, the serial killer villain was just too nasty and the setting was just grim and depressing.
I think most of Terry's recent output hasn't been quite of the same level as his older stuff (although I admit I haven't read Wintersmith or I Shall Wear Midnight yet). Thief of Time was the last great one in my eyes though some of the ones after that have been solid enough. I'm not sure what to expect of Snuff. The plot sounds like an episode of Midsomer Murders!
A
I think the main problem with UA (at least to me) was that it consisted ONLY of chekov's guns. Micromail? Just introduced to save the protagonists familyjewels if you take it precisely.
The orc? Just there so someone would get the idea of 'the beautiful game'.
The whole affair with Braseneck (it's a pretty russian sounding name IMHO Oo /weird sidenote) was pointless in the terms of football itself as the whole treachery idea went nowhere AND contradicted continuity in a way that can NOT be explained with the history monks (seriously, not this time)
Not to mention, if you look closely we past the point of -the magic goes away- at least the unique discworld magic. We still have clichéd fantasy magic but aside from that... *sighs*
Heavens, as said, I could rant on for hours about this book.
The orc? Just there so someone would get the idea of 'the beautiful game'.
The whole affair with Braseneck (it's a pretty russian sounding name IMHO Oo /weird sidenote) was pointless in the terms of football itself as the whole treachery idea went nowhere AND contradicted continuity in a way that can NOT be explained with the history monks (seriously, not this time)
Not to mention, if you look closely we past the point of -the magic goes away- at least the unique discworld magic. We still have clichéd fantasy magic but aside from that... *sighs*
Heavens, as said, I could rant on for hours about this book.
I suspect that Brassneck is a reference to Brasenose College in Oxford. 
As I think I stated somewhere else - I can really do without the humour, it's the depth that I like in Terry's books. I hated UA when it first came out, but liked it a lot more on subsequent readings. It's not one of Terry's best (in my opinion), it's too disjointed and there are too many threads in the story, but the message about bettering yourself and not falling into the trap of letting life drag you down, is well made and observed.
As I think I stated somewhere else - I can really do without the humour, it's the depth that I like in Terry's books. I hated UA when it first came out, but liked it a lot more on subsequent readings. It's not one of Terry's best (in my opinion), it's too disjointed and there are too many threads in the story, but the message about bettering yourself and not falling into the trap of letting life drag you down, is well made and observed.
Tonyblack said:
I suspect that Brassneck is a reference to Brasenose College in Oxford.
As I think I stated somewhere else - I can really do without the humour, it's the depth that I like in Terry's books. I hated UA when it first came out, but liked it a lot more on subsequent readings. It's not one of Terry's best (in my opinion), it's too disjointed and there are too many threads in the story, but the message about bettering yourself and not falling into the trap of letting life drag you down, is well made and observed.
As I think I stated somewhere else - I can really do without the humour, it's the depth that I like in Terry's books. I hated UA when it first came out, but liked it a lot more on subsequent readings. It's not one of Terry's best (in my opinion), it's too disjointed and there are too many threads in the story, but the message about bettering yourself and not falling into the trap of letting life drag you down, is well made and observed.
personally, I enjoyed UA. It's a much darker book than some, as is Night Watch .. but then again, I enjoyed NW too. I also enjoyed Reaper Man very much.
I'd take the view that the best writing can span various moods. Dad's Army is silly slapstick on one level but very well rounded; Mainwaring is a blustering incompetent and a petty snob, but he is genuinely brave ( if misguided ) when threatened, for example.
There are some very good running jokes, such as the question of Frank Pike's paternity, and the Jones and Mrs Fox wedding is a good aaawwww........... ending, especially with the revelation of Wilson's past as a decorated combat officer in the Great War. The episode involving Wilson't abortive promotion is a slice of straight drama, really quite poignant and with virtually no other characters involved.
My benchmark for this kind of writing is Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour trilogy, combining the farcical slapstick of Apthorpe's thunderbox or Tommy Blackhouse and Guy Crouchback's dinner with the Laird of Mugg, with the bleak decline and fall of Ritchie-Hook, Trimmer's absurd infatuation with the ruthless and self-centred Virginia, the surreal machinations at HOOHQ and the subtly interwoven plots by which Guy Crouchback sails through life by no real effort or design on his own part.
Waugh also does sex, which TP doesn't; but in a very discreet way. The scene of Guy's failed attempt to seduce Virginia at Claridge's is a masterpiece of sexual tension leading to a quite abrupt disaster, when both say things which cannot be unsaid.
my personal view would be that TP is on a par with P G Wodehouse but has the same limitations, of willingness to sacrifice the plot for a joke and undue reliance at times on deus ex machina plots.
I do hope he doesn't develop Niven's Syndrome, by which once-brilliant ideas are compromised beyond repair by endless attempts to connect things which were originally quite unrelated, or explore endless variations of a basic idea which make no useful contribution to the plot.
I'd take the view that the best writing can span various moods. Dad's Army is silly slapstick on one level but very well rounded; Mainwaring is a blustering incompetent and a petty snob, but he is genuinely brave ( if misguided ) when threatened, for example.
There are some very good running jokes, such as the question of Frank Pike's paternity, and the Jones and Mrs Fox wedding is a good aaawwww........... ending, especially with the revelation of Wilson's past as a decorated combat officer in the Great War. The episode involving Wilson't abortive promotion is a slice of straight drama, really quite poignant and with virtually no other characters involved.
My benchmark for this kind of writing is Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour trilogy, combining the farcical slapstick of Apthorpe's thunderbox or Tommy Blackhouse and Guy Crouchback's dinner with the Laird of Mugg, with the bleak decline and fall of Ritchie-Hook, Trimmer's absurd infatuation with the ruthless and self-centred Virginia, the surreal machinations at HOOHQ and the subtly interwoven plots by which Guy Crouchback sails through life by no real effort or design on his own part.
Waugh also does sex, which TP doesn't; but in a very discreet way. The scene of Guy's failed attempt to seduce Virginia at Claridge's is a masterpiece of sexual tension leading to a quite abrupt disaster, when both say things which cannot be unsaid.
my personal view would be that TP is on a par with P G Wodehouse but has the same limitations, of willingness to sacrifice the plot for a joke and undue reliance at times on deus ex machina plots.
I do hope he doesn't develop Niven's Syndrome, by which once-brilliant ideas are compromised beyond repair by endless attempts to connect things which were originally quite unrelated, or explore endless variations of a basic idea which make no useful contribution to the plot.
A
Here I have to ask:
Name me ONE Discworld novel were hinted or discret sex during the course of the story would have contributed to it.
Sorry if I got you wrong, but you made it sound like a 'good' story needs sex in it. Actual sex, not just references to it (which there are a plenty in Discworld actually)
Name me ONE Discworld novel were hinted or discret sex during the course of the story would have contributed to it.
Sorry if I got you wrong, but you made it sound like a 'good' story needs sex in it. Actual sex, not just references to it (which there are a plenty in Discworld actually)
It took me several attempts to read Small Gods. The beginning seems very slow, it does pick up after leaving Omnia but I'd get bored before then. The funny thing is overall, while not one of the best, I do like it. I think it's mainly to do with already being interested in the theme of the differences between actual belief and organised religion.
I wasn't that impressed with UA either. I only read it once so can't remember what bothered me about it, I think mainly because it felt a bit disjointed but maybe I should read it again.
I wasn't that impressed with UA either. I only read it once so can't remember what bothered me about it, I think mainly because it felt a bit disjointed but maybe I should read it again.
