Terry Pratchet's Discworld

[PkmnTrainerJ]

After finishing Wintersmith yesterday, and the coming of The Hogfather on Sky One on the 17th and 18th (which will in my opinion, be brilliant), I decided to start this topic and discuss the Discworld with Kaney (and maybe others).

Opinions on Wintersmith:

It's a new book, so spoilers:

I like Tiffanny Aching though this is my first book that I have read that has her as the main character and it is odd getting used to the 'witchy words' even with the translations at the start, but now I feel familarised and look forward to her next book, though she still doesn't yet rank up there with Vimes and Moist.

[stokeriño]

I was told I wrote like Pratchett before I'd even read any of his books. Now I have to date read precisely 1.5 Discworld books (The Colour of Magic and 1/2 of The Light Fantastic) and...well, they're good and all, but I can never make myself bothered to read them. If you know what I mean.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I've read Mort, Mort was great. Read quarter of The Light Fantastic and got bored. Read less of Reaper Man and got bored.

Summary: Mort was great fun. The others not so, leading me to have little desire to read more.

I will however be watching Sky's adaptation of The Hogfather. Death and David Jason = greatness.

[DFF]

I've read Mort, Mort was great. Read quarter of The Light Fantastic and got bored. Read less of Reaper Man and got bored.

Summary: Mort was great fun. The others not so, leading me to have little desire to read more.

I will however be watching Sky's adaptation of The Hogfather. Death and David Jason = greatness.

That's ironic, considering that (according to some fansite reading order thing) Reaper Man is the book to read after Mort if you want to follow the Death character.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

That's ironic, because death is barely in it, mostly my reason for getting bored.

Edited December 15, 2006 by timmayy rave

[Skummy]

I was told I wrote like Pratchett before I'd even read any of his books. Now I have to date read precisely 1.5 Discworld books (The Colour of Magic and 1/2 of The Light Fantastic) and...well, they're good and all, but I can never make myself bothered to read them. If you know what I mean.

Despite being the first books, I wouldn't recommend those two as a starting point at all. They're of a very different style and feel to latter-day Discworld, in fact, you can see the shift just between those two, but it's more drastic later on. Colour Of Magic was essentially written as a parody of Tolkein and the myriad cheap fantasy writers that popped up styling themselves after him, and Light Fantastic was just a continuation of that, although in a much more Discworld-y feel. Most of what CoM tells you about Discworld, magic, and most of the characters isn't even worth remembering, because it barely ever comes up again.

Read Mort or Guards! Guards!, they're much better starting points in my opinion. Or Sourcery, if you want to read something else with the Rincewind character.

As for The Hogfather, I had huge doubts when I first heard about it. I couldn't imagine David Jason as Albert (I've always imagined David Jason as Vimes, though, so that's why), and I just didn't think they'd be able to do a good job of it at all, not to mention they'd have to tone down on the inherent Discworld-ness of it in favour of mass appeal. After seeing some of the photos from set, though, it looks incredible, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

[MDK]

Read Mort or Guards! Guards!, they're much better starting points in my opinion. Or Sourcery, if you want to read something else with the Rincewind character.

Good call, I read Guards! Guards! first and I was utterly hooked, its a great place to start. And my favourite person is in it, Vimes

[Kaney]

I've read Mort, Mort was great. Read quarter of The Light Fantastic and got bored. Read less of Reaper Man and got bored.

Summary: Mort was great fun. The others not so, leading me to have little desire to read more.

I will however be watching Sky's adaptation of The Hogfather. Death and David Jason = greatness.

Like the other guy said, Reaper Man is part two of the 'Death Trilogy' of books, with Mort as part one. I personally thought Reaper Man was the best of the Death books. He has a much bigger role in Reaper Man once you get into the story.

As for The Hogfather, I had huge doubts when I first heard about it. I couldn't imagine David Jason as Albert (I've always imagined David Jason as Vimes, though, so that's why), and I just didn't think they'd be able to do a good job of it at all, not to mention they'd have to tone down on the inherent Discworld-ness of it in favour of mass appeal. After seeing some of the photos from set, though, it looks incredible, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

Ugh, I could never picture Jason as Vimes. To me Vimes has never been any one real person, but the closest I can imagine would probably be an older Keifer Sutherland. I am looking forward to the series though, it'll be interesting at the very least. Hogfather was never one of my favourite books, but I hope the tv series isn't toned down too much.

[Skummy]

It was only from The Fifth Elephant that I started imagining Vimes as David Jason, Touch Of Frost stylie, before that I never really saw him as anyone. I don't know who I'd picture young (well, as young as he was in Guards! Guards! at least Vimes as, but the aging copper wanting to stick to the old ways and not quite ready to settle down yet was always David Jason to me.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I just got really bored with Reaper Man. I brought if FOR Death, and the first quarter to a third of the book is just about some wizzard I can't give two shits about walking around and being undead. Hence, my getting bored and giving up.

If ya'll recommending Mort and Guards! Guards! and I enjoyed Mort, I may give Guards! Guards! a bash, Death or no Death.

And come to mention it, I vaguely remember reading Sourcery many many many years ago, when the world was black and white, and you could not lock your front door when you left the house, and kids could play in the road in safety. That long ago.

[DFF]

I've read Mort, Mort was great. Read quarter of The Light Fantastic and got bored. Read less of Reaper Man and got bored.

Summary: Mort was great fun. The others not so, leading me to have little desire to read more.

I will however be watching Sky's adaptation of The Hogfather. Death and David Jason = greatness.

Like the other guy said, Reaper Man is part two of the 'Death Trilogy' of books, with Mort as part one. I personally thought Reaper Man was the best of the Death books. He has a much bigger role in Reaper Man once you get into the story.

I think I know what my next display name is going to be...

I just got really bored with Reaper Man. I brought if FOR Death, and the first quarter to a third of the book is just about some wizzard I can't give two shits about walking around and being undead. Hence, my getting bored and giving up.

If ya'll recommending Mort and Guards! Guards! and I enjoyed Mort, I may give Guards! Guards! a bash, Death or no Death.

And come to mention it, I vaguely remember reading Sourcery many many many years ago, when the world was black and white, and you could not lock your front door when you left the house, and kids could play in the road in safety. That long ago.

So, Canada pre-2002 then?

*Waits for someone to get the reference*

Anyways, yeah, is The Hogfather 2 episodes then?

Edited December 15, 2006 by Dragon-F'n-Force!

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I read the one where Death went on holiday.

Thought it was amusing enough.

Not read any more since though, not my kinda book.

[Kaney]

I just got really bored with Reaper Man. I brought if FOR Death, and the first quarter to a third of the book is just about some wizzard I can't give two shits about walking around and being undead. Hence, my getting bored and giving up.

Hey now. Windle Poons is the second best wizard in the series, second only to Rincewind.

I think I know what my next display name is going to be...

Sorry, I just didn't know whether you were the other Dragsy or not

[Farmer Reil]

My former roomate has every Discworld book, and is completely insane when it comes to Discworld love (he plays the Discworld MUD, too). So some of it rubbed off on me, and I bought the Rincewind trilogy to start off with.

It's brilliant so far. I saw an interview with Pratchett on BBC4(?) a few weeks ago too and he was awesome. So yeah, I'm not a Discworld fan yet, but getting there.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Yeah I saw that interview, it spurred me into buying Reaper Man.

Pratchett's stories of working in PR for the British Nuclear power industry were hilarious.

[Kaney]

Surprised no one's already talking about this yet, but the first half of The Hogfather just finished.

I liked it. I wasn't blown away, but I enjoyed it for what it was. I'm surprised at exactly how faithful it was to the book, with silly things like Bergholt Stuttley, Death of Rats, Nobby Nobbs and so on all making an appearance (or being mentioned). I thought a few of the characters were a little wooden, and Death's voice reminded me a hell of a lot of Darth Vader, but it was still fun.

Except for Teatime.

Oh God, poor Teatime.

I could put aside the pronunciation of Teatime being slightly different to my own interpretation, if it weren't for the fact that the actor himself seemed to pronounce it three or four different ways each time he said it. And his voice was just not on.

[Farmer Reil]

I thought Marc Warren (Teatime) was fucking awesome...

Admittedly I haven't read the book yet, so I don't know how faithful it was to the 'real' character, but meh.

You can't really interpret something correctly, though Unless it's blatantly stated in the book that his name is pronounced like that, and he looked like this, you can't really correct them

Especially as "them" includes the fucking author of the damn book.

Besides, you're Scottish. You probably pronounce Teatime with six G's and an F.

Edited December 17, 2006 by Farmer Reil

[Kaney]

I thought Marc Warren (Teatime) was fucking awesome...

Admittedly I haven't read the book yet, so I don't know how faithful it was to the 'real' character, but meh.

You can't really interpret something incorrectly, though Unless it's blatantly stated in the book that his name is pronounced like that, and he looked like this, you can't really correct them

Especially as "them" includes the fucking author of the damn book.

Of course you can. My way is right. Always

It's nothing against the way he portrayed the character, since it's been forever since I read the book myself, I just can't stand his voice.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I have't read the book, but I wasn't too thrilled with that (I got bored and stopped watching about half nine), it was just a bit slow and boring, but Teatime and Death were great. Death, as expected got all the funny bits, and Ridcully got all the pointless boring bits.

The girl playing Susan is surprisingly do-able too, so thats a bonus I suppose.

Edited December 17, 2006 by timmayy rave

[Hutch2004]

The girl playing Susan is surprisingly do-able too, so thats a bonus I suppose.