SPOILERS Monstrous Regiment Discussion *Spoilers*
- Thread starter Tonyblack
- Start date
In the TV series of Sharpe, there's an episode called Sharpe's Regiment where there is a recruiting sergeant named Horatio Havercamp played by Norman Rossington.
It occured to me that not only did he remind me in some ways of Jackrum, but with a bit of imagination I could imagine Rossington's character being played by a larger woman. I think a woman of that stature would find it easier to hide her gender.
It occured to me that not only did he remind me in some ways of Jackrum, but with a bit of imagination I could imagine Rossington's character being played by a larger woman. I think a woman of that stature would find it easier to hide her gender.
Finally finished reading Monstrous Regiment 2 days ago - taken me the longest of all the books so far - apart from from my year and a half on-off affair with Com and LF.
Can't address every issue raised in the discussion, I had made some notes while read but must have lost them...or thought I had made them but hadn't.
Firstly aside from Tonker, Lofty and Wazzer's background, I didn't feel it was anywhere near as dark a book as Night Watch - which had me in tears frequently with Cable Street and Vimes' knowledge...
I did think it was getting a bit tedious discovering almost every person was a woman but still gave me a smile discovering Jackrum was too. She was like a shepard and you could easily replace 'Little Lads' with 'Little Lambs'.
Enjoyed the book a lot and didn't predict it was going to end as a courtroom drama (like the Few Good Men reference
) I kept thinking of it as a strange case on Ally McBeal, in finding out the Major, their lawyer was a woman too.
I found it really weird that none of the regiment killed anyone, especially Tonker, considering how volatile she was.
Also I would've thought that even though Igorina hadn't gone into service with a vampire that she might already have had experience dispensing with them...?
I have lots more to say but can't think of it all right now..
Can't address every issue raised in the discussion, I had made some notes while read but must have lost them...or thought I had made them but hadn't.
Firstly aside from Tonker, Lofty and Wazzer's background, I didn't feel it was anywhere near as dark a book as Night Watch - which had me in tears frequently with Cable Street and Vimes' knowledge...
I did think it was getting a bit tedious discovering almost every person was a woman but still gave me a smile discovering Jackrum was too. She was like a shepard and you could easily replace 'Little Lads' with 'Little Lambs'.
Enjoyed the book a lot and didn't predict it was going to end as a courtroom drama (like the Few Good Men reference
) I kept thinking of it as a strange case on Ally McBeal, in finding out the Major, their lawyer was a woman too.I found it really weird that none of the regiment killed anyone, especially Tonker, considering how volatile she was.
Also I would've thought that even though Igorina hadn't gone into service with a vampire that she might already have had experience dispensing with them...?
I have lots more to say but can't think of it all right now..
DaveC said:
Finally finished reading Monstrous Regiment 2 days ago - taken me the longest of all the books so far - apart from from my year and a half on-off affair with Com and LF.
Can't address every issue raised in the discussion, I had made some notes while read but must have lost them...or thought I had made them but hadn't.
Firstly aside from Tonker, Lofty and Wazzer's background, I didn't feel it was anywhere near as dark a book as Night Watch - which had me in tears frequently with Cable Street and Vimes' knowledge...
I did think it was getting a bit tedious discovering almost every person was a woman but still gave me a smile discovering Jackrum was too. She was like a shepard and you could easily replace 'Little Lads' with 'Little Lambs'.
Enjoyed the book a lot and didn't predict it was going to end as a courtroom drama (like the Few Good Men reference ) I kept thinking of it as a strange case on Ally McBeal, in finding out the Major, their lawyer was a woman too.
I found it really weird that none of the regiment killed anyone, especially Tonker, considering how volatile she was.
Also I would've thought that even though Igorina hadn't gone into service with a vampire that she might already have had experience dispensing with them...?
I have lots more to say but can't think of it all right now..
Can't address every issue raised in the discussion, I had made some notes while read but must have lost them...or thought I had made them but hadn't.
Firstly aside from Tonker, Lofty and Wazzer's background, I didn't feel it was anywhere near as dark a book as Night Watch - which had me in tears frequently with Cable Street and Vimes' knowledge...
I did think it was getting a bit tedious discovering almost every person was a woman but still gave me a smile discovering Jackrum was too. She was like a shepard and you could easily replace 'Little Lads' with 'Little Lambs'.
Enjoyed the book a lot and didn't predict it was going to end as a courtroom drama (like the Few Good Men reference
) I kept thinking of it as a strange case on Ally McBeal, in finding out the Major, their lawyer was a woman too.I found it really weird that none of the regiment killed anyone, especially Tonker, considering how volatile she was.
Also I would've thought that even though Igorina hadn't gone into service with a vampire that she might already have had experience dispensing with them...?
I have lots more to say but can't think of it all right now..
I enjoyed this book, the only part I didn't really get was the whole Wazzer/Duchess thing, I think it would have been better and more appropriate if the Duchess had remained a phnatom figurehead. Jackrum and Blouse are great characters, they should have nicknamed Blouse "Smasher".
One of my favourite parts was the conversation between de Worde and Blouse, when Blouse tells de Worde that to an outsider the way to improve the clacks are obvious, and de Worde says maybe the same applies to countries. He smiled, Lieutenant Blouse did not, lol.
Was Jackrum right to deal with the captured sergeant the way he did?
One of my favourite parts was the conversation between de Worde and Blouse, when Blouse tells de Worde that to an outsider the way to improve the clacks are obvious, and de Worde says maybe the same applies to countries. He smiled, Lieutenant Blouse did not, lol.
Was Jackrum right to deal with the captured sergeant the way he did?
As you can probably guess, this is my favorite Discworld book.
Funny, though, it is not the first Monstrous Regiment I've read. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Monstrous_Regiment_of_Women <- a detective novel by Laurie R. King, featuring Sherlock Holmes. Note the 't' used there also.
I've always felt that Borogravia and Zlobenia have much in common with Finland and other Scandinavian countries. Sweden used to be a military empire, and Finnish people are very proud of their warlike heritage, which sometimes means 'fighting for our groophar stupidity because it's our own groophar stupidity.' From childhood we are taught, by jokes and stories and history teachers, that our nation is better than other nations. We have jokes about the stupid Swede or the evil Russian, grandparents tell stories about badly behaving German tourists, and anyone who looks or sounds exotic is a prime suspect for any unsolved crimes you happen to have around. It is always big news here when some study announces that Finland is the richest, safest, healthiest, or otherwise best nation in the world. Pride in such things is not bad as such, but often it leads to racism and extreme nationalism.
Funny, though, it is not the first Monstrous Regiment I've read. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Monstrous_Regiment_of_Women <- a detective novel by Laurie R. King, featuring Sherlock Holmes. Note the 't' used there also.
I've always felt that Borogravia and Zlobenia have much in common with Finland and other Scandinavian countries. Sweden used to be a military empire, and Finnish people are very proud of their warlike heritage, which sometimes means 'fighting for our groophar stupidity because it's our own groophar stupidity.' From childhood we are taught, by jokes and stories and history teachers, that our nation is better than other nations. We have jokes about the stupid Swede or the evil Russian, grandparents tell stories about badly behaving German tourists, and anyone who looks or sounds exotic is a prime suspect for any unsolved crimes you happen to have around. It is always big news here when some study announces that Finland is the richest, safest, healthiest, or otherwise best nation in the world. Pride in such things is not bad as such, but often it leads to racism and extreme nationalism.
To joemcf:
In my opinion, finding out that they were all women was a lot of fun. I didn't expect it at first, and I thought it was hilarious to see all of the different ways they were pretending to be men.
I can see how you didn't like it, though, as it is rather predictable.
To me, that line showed a lot about how there wasn't gender equality. It wasn't okay for Jackrum to go back as a girl, because he was so manly. But it was okay for him to go back as a man, because that's how society thought he should be.
I think that going back to his son as a father is the best way Jackrum's story could have ended; he gets to be himself and live with his family. But I also think that it says a lot about both their society and ours that it's not socially acceptable for a woman to behave like him. Personally, I would be just as happy with a grandmother that could hit a fly with spit as I would be with a grandfather.
Also, in case anyone's interested, I run a website with more of my opinions at www.pratchettopinions.weebly.com. I would be delighted if you visited.
Thanks!
-MaxB
In my opinion, finding out that they were all women was a lot of fun. I didn't expect it at first, and I thought it was hilarious to see all of the different ways they were pretending to be men.
I can see how you didn't like it, though, as it is rather predictable.
To me, that line showed a lot about how there wasn't gender equality. It wasn't okay for Jackrum to go back as a girl, because he was so manly. But it was okay for him to go back as a man, because that's how society thought he should be.
I think that going back to his son as a father is the best way Jackrum's story could have ended; he gets to be himself and live with his family. But I also think that it says a lot about both their society and ours that it's not socially acceptable for a woman to behave like him. Personally, I would be just as happy with a grandmother that could hit a fly with spit as I would be with a grandfather.
Also, in case anyone's interested, I run a website with more of my opinions at www.pratchettopinions.weebly.com. I would be delighted if you visited.
Thanks!
-MaxB
