Marmite books

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Aug 29, 2008
559
2,425
Bridgwater Somerset
#1
Why is it I love some of Terry's book and yet others I find tedious...... the last books I found readable were Going Postal and Making Money but Nation and I shall wear midnight are terrible... and unseen academicals not very good either even though it had a few interesting parts.

I think it is because I prefer books with less mysticism in them.

The watch series had more action adventure and sleuthing in them.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
#2
1. are you certain this posting wasn't meant to be a response to something :|

2. I think being able to say that there are things from one's favourite author/actor/etc makes one a 'good fan'. Too often you have too many people who say -if it is from/with (Name here) it has to be good-
Nobody's perfect.
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
31,012
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#3
I'd almost completely disagree with you mspanners. Going Postal was quite good, and Unseen Academicals got better in later readings, but I Shall Wear Midnight and Nation were excellent.

Making Money is awful. I have read it three times now and have decided that I will never read it again. I've had experiences with Terry's books where I didn't like the book on the first reading, but then that book has gone on to be a favourite - Small Gods for example. But Making Money was awful the first time and has got worse since.

I hope to hell that Terry never bothers writing Raising Taxes - if it's anything like MM at least.
 

meerkat

Sergeant-at-Arms
Jan 16, 2010
9,413
2,800
68
Pocklington East Riding Yorkshire
#5
I loved all the ones except MM but it won;t stop me from reading it again.

UA grew on me, as I think Tony suggested many moons ago that it would. Not all the books and Terry has written many can be as good as others. He must get an off book occasionaly.

But his stories always entertain so, give them a rest,and read the ones you haven't read for a long time or haven't read yet,then go back to them.

Working for the GPO and having a family connection to the Post Office I found GP funny and very like Mount Pleasant Sorting office in London!
MM I can take or leave.
 

Tiffany

Sergeant
Oct 13, 2008
2,118
2,650
Devon
#6
I didn't like Pyramids or Small Gods or Unseen Academicals, can't stand football anyway. I've only read those once, perhaps they improve if read again. All the others I like.
 
Dec 15, 2008
659
1,925
Norway
#7
I didn't really enjoy UA, Making money or Going postal. But I've only read them once so I'll give them all another go before I decide on like vs. dislike.
 
Aug 29, 2008
559
2,425
Bridgwater Somerset
#8
I suppose he has to write books to appeal to a wide range of readers, but I hope he turns his hand back to the adventure and action side and away from the mystical. I just like to watch style books and think they are written better.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
#9
I wouldn't mind an actual return to the mystical. UA was anything but enchanting. On the contrary, each time I try to read it it makes me sad and angry. Mainly because I don't want to accept that a discworld book reads like a book made from examples from 'how not to write a novel'.

GP was neat to me, MM was blah, MR was a big wtf from what i managed to read of it and thud is not interesting me.
Don't know if I'll even read snuff... I mean, if i understood it correctly Vimes will be searching for the holy chamberpot....what?!
 
Jul 25, 2008
720
2,425
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
#10
mspanners said:
Why is it I love some of Terry's book and yet others I find tedious...... the last books I found readable were Going Postal and Making Money but Nation and I shall wear midnight are terrible... and unseen academicals not very good either even though it had a few interesting parts.

I think it is because I prefer books with less mysticism in them.

The watch series had more action adventure and sleuthing in them.
De gustibus non disputandum est
That said, I think you are missing what Terry considers his best work--though I must admit I don't always agree with him. If you want mysteries and police procedurals, Terry is not your author. But if you want thought provoking, comic satire (some of it quite biting) most of Terry's books provide that. You are, I think, the only person I know who likes Making Money. The best I can say is that there are a couple of not too bad scenes in it. On the other hand, as I have said elsewhere, I think that I Shall Wear Midnight is the best thing, at least stylistically, and perhaps overall, that he's ever written. Terry is at his best, usually, when he deals with the more serious subjects. See the Gaiman interview for his comments about this.
 

Teppic

Lance-Corporal
Jan 29, 2011
240
2,325
40
Outskirts of Londinium
#11
Tonyblack said:
I'd almost completely disagree with you mspanners. Going Postal was quite good, and Unseen Academicals got better in later readings, but I Shall Wear Midnight and Nation were excellent.

Making Money is awful. I have read it three times now and have decided that I will never read it again. I've had experiences with Terry's books where I didn't like the book on the first reading, but then that book has gone on to be a favourite - Small Gods for example. But Making Money was awful the first time and has got worse since.

I hope to hell that Terry never bothers writing Raising Taxes - if it's anything like MM at least.
Saw this on terryandrob Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/#!/terryandrob) this morning:

http://twitter.com/#!/terryandrob/statu ... 4976053248
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
31,012
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#12
Teppic said:
Tonyblack said:
I'd almost completely disagree with you mspanners. Going Postal was quite good, and Unseen Academicals got better in later readings, but I Shall Wear Midnight and Nation were excellent.

Making Money is awful. I have read it three times now and have decided that I will never read it again. I've had experiences with Terry's books where I didn't like the book on the first reading, but then that book has gone on to be a favourite - Small Gods for example. But Making Money was awful the first time and has got worse since.

I hope to hell that Terry never bothers writing Raising Taxes - if it's anything like MM at least.
Saw this on terryandrob Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/#!/terryandrob) this morning:

http://twitter.com/#!/terryandrob/statu ... 4976053248

Terry and Rob on Twitter said:
A third Moist von Lipwig novel...?
I'm not sure what that means. o_O
 

Turtles4Ever

Lance-Constable
Jun 6, 2010
46
1,650
#13
The only two which I really dislike are Moving Pictures and Soul Music. They are REALLY hard going for me for some strange, obscure reason.
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
31,012
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#14
Turtles4Ever said:
The only two which I really dislike are Moving Pictures and Soul Music. They are REALLY hard going for me for some strange, obscure reason.
Well they rely a bit on you 'getting' the film and music references. But there's a good deal more to Soul Music than Moving Pictures in my opinion. :)
 
Jul 27, 2008
19,892
3,400
Stirlingshire, Scotland
#15
Tonyblack said:
Teppic said:
Tonyblack said:
I'd almost completely disagree with you mspanners. Going Postal was quite good, and Unseen Academicals got better in later readings, but I Shall Wear Midnight and Nation were excellent.

Making Money is awful. I have read it three times now and have decided that I will never read it again. I've had experiences with Terry's books where I didn't like the book on the first reading, but then that book has gone on to be a favourite - Small Gods for example. But Making Money was awful the first time and has got worse since.

I hope to hell that Terry never bothers writing Raising Taxes - if it's anything like MM at least.
Saw this on terryandrob Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/#!/terryandrob) this morning:

http://twitter.com/#!/terryandrob/statu ... 4976053248

Terry and Rob on Twitter said:
A third Moist von Lipwig novel...?
I'm not sure what that means. o_O
The Raising Taxes book to complete the trilogy. o_O:
 

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