SPOILERS Raising Steam *Warning Spoilers*
- Thread starter Tonyblack
- Start date
=tamar, that was a good review. I agree with your points on Vetinari - why should Drumknott have all the fun? That was an interesting little plot twist. The character of Drumknott was developed a little more during this book, he's usually such a minor figure and I liked the little scene at the end where Vetinari turns to him when he's shown the bicycle and says " You're going to want one of those aren't you?"
All in all I really enjoyed this book. I thought the politics around the dwarf fanaticism and it's sexual politics to be well written and interesting (liked the bit about if anyone preferred cocktails), in anyone else's hands it might have seemed too ridiculous and silly but they way it was told was actually moving. You cared about their situation and while it may allude to current events, he's not necessarily taking sides and it could be about any group of people at all.
A very fast paced book I found, in keeping with it's main subject matter. One of his better stories.
All in all I really enjoyed this book. I thought the politics around the dwarf fanaticism and it's sexual politics to be well written and interesting (liked the bit about if anyone preferred cocktails), in anyone else's hands it might have seemed too ridiculous and silly but they way it was told was actually moving. You cared about their situation and while it may allude to current events, he's not necessarily taking sides and it could be about any group of people at all.
A very fast paced book I found, in keeping with it's main subject matter. One of his better stories.
Three questions
I get the feeling that I've missed a book. In which book did Vimes acquire his "blackboard monitor" appellation and why?
What's the deal with the tattoo on his arm?
Just how *did* the train cross the bridge? What was the deal with the "solid mist"?
Apologies if these have been asked and answered already.
Tim
I get the feeling that I've missed a book. In which book did Vimes acquire his "blackboard monitor" appellation and why?
What's the deal with the tattoo on his arm?
Just how *did* the train cross the bridge? What was the deal with the "solid mist"?
Apologies if these have been asked and answered already.
Tim
I think we are trying to avoid spoilers for people that haven't read the books concerned. 
So if you haven't read Thud or Making Money, do not open the spoiler below.
So if you haven't read Thud or Making Money, do not open the spoiler below.
The Blackboard Monitor bit was a throw away remark Vimes made in response to his various titles - he said something like, I was also Blackboard Monitor when I was in school - or words to that effect. It backfired somewhat as dwarfs were horrified that someone would be proud to admit that they deliberately erased words that had been written.
In Thud, Vimes became possessed by the Summoning Dark. It controlled his body and nearly killed him in an effort to use him to seek justice when it had been summoned by the dying dwarf. It entered Vimes's body when he thought he scratched himself on a door. When Vimes had ultimately controlled the Summoning Dark and effectively threw it out, it left its mark on his arm. It isn't a tattoo, it's more like scar tissue.
In Making Money an army of golems was discovered and, somewhat like a nuclear deterrent, it was put to one side as a sort of threat to any other country that might decide to cause trouble with Ankh-Morpork. The golems were buried outside the city and were supposed to stay there by Vetinari's orders. Moist used the golems - got them to march across country and to support the weight of the tracks as the train went over the bridge that wasn't there. Hence Vetinari's comments to Moist at the end of the book.
In Thud, Vimes became possessed by the Summoning Dark. It controlled his body and nearly killed him in an effort to use him to seek justice when it had been summoned by the dying dwarf. It entered Vimes's body when he thought he scratched himself on a door. When Vimes had ultimately controlled the Summoning Dark and effectively threw it out, it left its mark on his arm. It isn't a tattoo, it's more like scar tissue.
In Making Money an army of golems was discovered and, somewhat like a nuclear deterrent, it was put to one side as a sort of threat to any other country that might decide to cause trouble with Ankh-Morpork. The golems were buried outside the city and were supposed to stay there by Vetinari's orders. Moist used the golems - got them to march across country and to support the weight of the tracks as the train went over the bridge that wasn't there. Hence Vetinari's comments to Moist at the end of the book.
Tonyblack said:
I think we are trying to avoid spoilers for people that haven't read the books concerned.
So if you haven't read Thud or Making Money, do not open the spoiler below.
So if you haven't read Thud or Making Money, do not open the spoiler below.
The Blackboard Monitor bit was a throw away remark Vimes made in response to his various titles - he said something like, I was also Blackboard Monitor when I was in school - or words to that effect. It backfired somewhat as dwarfs were horrified that someone would be proud to admit that they deliberately erased words that had been written.
In Thud, Vimes became possessed by the Summoning Dark. It controlled his body and nearly killed him in an effort to use him to seek justice when it had been summoned by the dying dwarf. It entered Vimes's body when he thought he scratched himself on a door. When Vimes had ultimately controlled the Summoning Dark and effectively threw it out, it left its mark on his arm. It isn't a tattoo, it's more like scar tissue.
In Making Money an army of golems was discovered and, somewhat like a nuclear deterrent, it was put to one side as a sort of threat to any other country that might decide to cause trouble with Ankh-Morpork. The golems were buried outside the city and were supposed to stay there by Vetinari's orders. Moist used the golems - got them to march across country and to support the weight of the tracks as the train went over the bridge that wasn't there. Hence Vetinari's comments to Moist at the end of the book.
In Thud, Vimes became possessed by the Summoning Dark. It controlled his body and nearly killed him in an effort to use him to seek justice when it had been summoned by the dying dwarf. It entered Vimes's body when he thought he scratched himself on a door. When Vimes had ultimately controlled the Summoning Dark and effectively threw it out, it left its mark on his arm. It isn't a tattoo, it's more like scar tissue.
In Making Money an army of golems was discovered and, somewhat like a nuclear deterrent, it was put to one side as a sort of threat to any other country that might decide to cause trouble with Ankh-Morpork. The golems were buried outside the city and were supposed to stay there by Vetinari's orders. Moist used the golems - got them to march across country and to support the weight of the tracks as the train went over the bridge that wasn't there. Hence Vetinari's comments to Moist at the end of the book.
Tim
I saw the violence in this book as a kind of musing/warning on the theme of "what does it take". How much can a good man bear before he ceases to me a "good" (non violent) man (or woman of course). I thought it was interesting that the book was written more or less contemporaneously with the Dr Who story arc on the theme "When a good man goes to war", but maybe that's just me and it was co-incidental.
As someone who reached 60 this year, I also understood a lot of the character changes, including Vetinari's desire for a last hurrah. Some (most?) people do become different people as they get older but the core of the person of their youth is still there and its a great pleasure to let that person out occasionally.
I just really enjoyed this book... For me there was the sense of gathering speed like the train, with many small vignettes as though we were looking in carriage windows as the train flashed by. The more vintage style (to me at least) of writing suited the subject. I think its not the least of TP's skills to be able to moderate his writing style to suit the theme of the book.
TP himself uses the words "last hurrah" and I did sense that in the book, but as TP also has written "I atn't dead"
As someone who reached 60 this year, I also understood a lot of the character changes, including Vetinari's desire for a last hurrah. Some (most?) people do become different people as they get older but the core of the person of their youth is still there and its a great pleasure to let that person out occasionally.
I just really enjoyed this book... For me there was the sense of gathering speed like the train, with many small vignettes as though we were looking in carriage windows as the train flashed by. The more vintage style (to me at least) of writing suited the subject. I think its not the least of TP's skills to be able to moderate his writing style to suit the theme of the book.
TP himself uses the words "last hurrah" and I did sense that in the book, but as TP also has written "I atn't dead"
I really don't get this notion that using violence means a person isn't good, if they use violence they are no longer good... i understand the "good" is a metaphor or whatever but i still don't undertsand why... since when does protecting yourself or doing what you can to protect what needs protecting using force a bad thing?
just me ranting, don't pay too much attention
just me ranting, don't pay too much attention
Okay I'm a little late to the party, due to avoiding spoilers and losing my password here..
I think this is my favourite Pratchett book for quite some time, which may add to the 'co-written by Pratchett' theory? As there has been a definite slide in recent years. In fact, it's my favourite since the last Moist novel.
It is a little jarring that it is as much about Simnel as it is Moist. I think I would have preferred either one to have been a supporting character to the other, rather than have them both as a kind of co-lead setup. It also felt like a book of transition, is it still the plan for Rihanna to take over?
Also, man, you guys get DEEP into this stuff. As much as I like someone, there will always be someone more dedicated than I
I think this is my favourite Pratchett book for quite some time, which may add to the 'co-written by Pratchett' theory? As there has been a definite slide in recent years. In fact, it's my favourite since the last Moist novel.
It is a little jarring that it is as much about Simnel as it is Moist. I think I would have preferred either one to have been a supporting character to the other, rather than have them both as a kind of co-lead setup. It also felt like a book of transition, is it still the plan for Rihanna to take over?
Also, man, you guys get DEEP into this stuff. As much as I like someone, there will always be someone more dedicated than I
There are no plans for Rhianna to take over writing Discworld novels. That was misinterpreted by over enthusiastic journalists. What Terry & Rhianna meant in that interview is that she will take over being responsible for licensing and spin-offs of Discworld material after Terry's death, not that she would be writing more novels. She's come out and said that explicitly after the original misleading article was published.
Yes, that she will protect and represent the legacy is what I understood as well. She would write Discworld storylines for dramatic purposes not that she would write Discworld novels. So Narrativia (if anything ever happens there) would be largely Rhianna would not be a surprise but a new book would be Terry (mainly at least)
