The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please.

[MrsWizzard]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown **Spoilers Allowed**

I didn't notice that. You have the UK version, right?. If so, it's just more evidence of the editorial train wreck the book is.

I was actually pointing it out because I really enjoyed it. Something that's been a minor niggle for me about the series is what do the inhabitants of the Disc call their planet? I haven't had the chance to read the Science of the Discworld books yet, but don't they all call Earth the Roundworld? I don't know if they also refer to theirs as the Discworld in the books, because I haven't read them yet, but if they call Earth the Roundworld, then what's wrong with them calling their planet the Discworld in-novel? Terry's never really stated (as far as I can recall, correct me if I'm wrong) if "Discworld" is the name by which the characters think of it or if it is simply "the Disc."

Back to my original point, I really enjoyed that they actively referred to it as "Discworld" because it answered this question for me. Whether or not people think the book was poorly edited (I agree to some extent, but at least the book was finished and we weren't left totally without an author-written closure like Hitchiker's Guide) The Shepherd's Crown is canonical to the series, and it answered a question that's bugged me for more than a while. I don't think that just because it's the first time it adds to the idea that the book's an "editorial train wreck." It's a little thing that gave me a lot of satisfaction and my own kind of closure to the fact that this is the last novel..

 

[Tonyblack]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown **Spoilers Allowed**

I'm going to start reading it again as, I realise, I've already forgotten a lot of it.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown **Spoilers Allowed**

I've read it, but I also have the Audible download to listen to which I will do when I'm out and about tomorrow them it will refresh my memory.

 

[raisindot]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown **Spoilers Allowed**

I didn't notice that. You have the UK version, right?. If so, it's just more evidence of the editorial train wreck the book is.

I was actually pointing it out because I really enjoyed it. Something that's been a minor niggle for me about the series is what do the inhabitants of the Disc call their planet? I haven't had the chance to read the Science of the Discworld books yet, but don't they all call Earth the Roundworld? I don't know if they also refer to theirs as the Discworld in the books, because I haven't read them yet, but if they call Earth the Roundworld, then what's wrong with them calling their planet the Discworld in-novel? Terry's never really stated (as far as I can recall, correct me if I'm wrong) if "Discworld" is the name by which the characters think of it or if it is simply "the Disc."

Back to my original point, I really enjoyed that they actively referred to it as "Discworld" because it answered this question for me. Whether or not people think the book was poorly edited (I agree to some extent, but at least the book was finished and we weren't left totally without an author-written closure like Hitchiker's Guide) The Shepherd's Crown is canonical to the series, and it answered a question that's bugged me for more than a while. I don't think that just because it's the first time it adds to the idea that the book's an "editorial train wreck." It's a little thing that gave me a lot of satisfaction and my own kind of closure to the fact that this is the last novel..

I'd have to go back and re-read all the books, but I think, at most, people refer to the world as "The Disc" if they even mention the "planet" itself.

I liked the fact that in the books the people of the Disc didn't call it "Discworld" because it demonstrated that (at least in the main fiction books--I haven't read all of the "Science of" books but I don't think most people consider them to be part of the DW fictional canon) they never considered that there were other worlds. Even in Small Gods, where the debate over whether the world was an orb or a Disc was one of the central philosophical debates, none of the characters advocating the latter said, "We live on a Discworld."

The same way that throughout most of human history humans never called our planet "Roundworld" or "Rockyworld" "Biggerthanmoonworld" "Blueworld" to differentiate it shape and sizewise from gas giants of potato shaped planets or even "Flatword" before its true shape was recognized. To me, "DIscworld" always represented the point of view of the observer of the Disc--i.e., us the reader, who, metaphorically, could compare it the thousands of other "worlds" and other series written about XXX worlds (i.e., Ringworld, Thieves World, and so on) portrayed in science fiction. A billion ameoba may live in a drop of water, but even if they were someone sentient, they would probably never refer to where they live as "Dropofwaterworld."

 

[simmonds91]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown **Spoilers Allowed**

I imagine its the same as "planet". "we live on earth" - "we live on the disc" and "we live on the/a discworld" - "we live on the/a planet" is how I have always seen it (Im not saying its right or worng, just how ive always seen it). I have to ask though, what does it matter that a character said "discworld"? bad editting or not it is one word, it makes next to zero difference whether it was said or not...

Can't really take your criticizm serious raisindot, no offence intended of course, but i mean terry pratchett passed away before he could finish the book... of course it's going to have plotholes and whatnot, you are criticizing the taste of an uncooked cake missing half it's ingredients... whats the point?

 

[Tonyblack]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please

By the way - as I was starting to reread The Shepherd's Crown on my Kindle, I noticed there was an extra bit at the end called The Witches of Discworld by Jacqueline Simpson. It's not in the hardback copy that I have. . .

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please

I think it's in the slipcase edition, Tony.

 

[Mixa]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please

Hi everyone! I’m so glad to be finally reading my way through the “The Shepherd’s Crown”. I must say so far it has been an emotional roller coaster, but I’m enjoying it a lot!

Wish me luck! ^.^

Mx

 

[Tonyblack]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please

I hope you enjoy it - I did.

 

[Mixa]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please

Good morning everyone!

Here's a very special book review I wanted to share with you...

The Shepherd's Crown Book Review - Paraula de Mixa

#GNUTerryPratchett #Speakhisname

Mx

 

[Tonyblack]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please

Excellent review, Mixa. It astounds me that Terry was still writing and was able to achieve the standard of this story in spite of his medical issues. It would be too easy to pick holes in parts of the story that didn't get that final polish, but I am oh so glad that we got this book. There is a certain amount of closure in this book. I do not know whether Terry knew or suspected this might be his last Discworld book, but it's a good one to close on. What happens next in Discworld is up to the imagination of the individual reader. The adventure of Discworld is one that I am eternally grateful to have been included in. Terry has left a legacy to the world and I will never forget him.

 

[louisedeal]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please

Hey, an odd question but this is the last active thread and for some reason I can't start my own. Do any of you have any ideas about the concepts of pragmatism and idealism in the Discworld? I'm doing it for my dissertation and would love to hear your ideas and (with your permission of course) get some quotes to use.

 

[raisindot]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please

Hey, an odd question but this is the last active thread and for some reason I can't start my own. Do any of you have any ideas about the concepts of pragmatism and idealism in the Discworld? I'm doing it for my dissertation and would love to hear your ideas and (with your permission of course) get some quotes to use.

This should probably be moved to its own thread in the "Discworld novels" section, but if you're looking for books that illustrate pragmatism and idealism, I'd think The Truth is just about the best one, since the mission of its protagonist starts off in a rather naive idealism, which at the end becomes compromised in a very pragmatic form of reputational survival. There's also a running "battle" between idealism and pragmatism between the protagonist's ideal views of the press as an instrument of change and his assistant's view of it as a business.

Going Postal is almost the reverse. The protagonist has always been pragmatic and spends much of the early story doing things that seem idealistic but are really done for the pragmatic purpose of achieving his own ends. By the end of the story, he is firmly on the side of "what's right" although he uses devious means to achieve his ends.

 

[Tonyblack]

Re: The Shepherd's Crown - No Spoilers in this thread please

Hey, an odd question but this is the last active thread and for some reason I can't start my own. Do any of you have any ideas about the concepts of pragmatism and idealism in the Discworld? I'm doing it for my dissertation and would love to hear your ideas and (with your permission of course) get some quotes to use.

The reason you were unable to start a topic is because we have a minimum post requirement before a new member is able to do so. This is in an effort to stop spammers. Probably one more post here should then allow you to start a topic. Welcome to the site!