A Hat Full of Sky / Terry Pratchett

A Hat Full of Sky

Terry Pratchett

category: fantasy, humour, subadult

published 2004

read in August 2012

rated 8 out of 10, really quite good

note: Review written on a tablet PC, with limited knowledge of how to edit!

... then updated on a "real" PC !

A "young adult" book... Which means that anyone can enjoy it. And I did.

There is a very strong message running through this book: Be good, be nice. And, perhaps, Be yourself.

Can a book be "good" when the author hammers the reader with such a strong message?

Well, yes.

In Broken Angels, Richard Morgan provides a message to the reader. A warning, as much as a message. The message made me think. Which is not such a bad thing.

Pratchett's message is less subtle but more positive. Delivered with humour rather than violence. Both messages are -- in my opinion -- worth delivering. Both messages add depth to the story... something beyond the basic characters and plot. Each message targets its book's intended audience.

Okay, Pratchett does go a little over the top, occasionally. Not (necessarily) with the message. With the fairytale mysticism behind the story. All part of the fairytale story :-)

Abandon cynicism. Enjoy the book. Pratchett at his breakneck and humorous best.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting.  For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Good Omens / Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

Good Omens

category: fantasy, authors:

Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

original copyright 1990

read in March 2012 (and before, possibly...)

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

There's a hint, in this book, of Pratchett's "not so good" Discworld books. The ones where he lays it on just a bit too thick. I've read only one Gaiman book (that I can remember) and I found it to be rather stupid.

The best part of Good Omens is the series of authors' notes at the end.

Easy to see why it's a cult book, though: it makes fun of the underlying stupidity of bible stories. Create Earth, create humanity, allow free will then destroy everything in a pointless battle of Armageddon... Angels and demons are, well, angels and angels with a different point of view... Heaven and Hell are enormous, unthinking bureaucracies...

Then, after all this, there is still an ineffable god-being who -- possibly -- knows and plans all. A bit of a let down, after all the fallibility of the visible cast of natural and supernatural characters.

An enjoyable romp. Lots of good laughs, mostly of the they're-no-different-to-us variety. A rather weak, not-really-deus ex machina twist at the end. Perhaps a good book for those who believe in God, doubt the basics of religion... and see humanity as the pinnacle of creation.

The authors' notes at the end are the best bit of Good Omens.

As an insight into the authors, interesting. As an description of the approach to shared authorship, entertaining. As an explanation of the non-stop humour, the characters of the children, and an implied explanation of the somewhat haphazard approach to the climax... very good.

If you're a religious cynic, it appeals: as a cynical -- or perhaps ironic? -- view of biblical ideas. A cult book for people who wish to challenge the ideas that were accepted doctrine as they grew up. If you don't care, it has less impact: if you don't care about the ideas, you don't care about challenging the ideas.

Still, it's a very funny book.

Mostly.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Snuff / Terry Pratchett

Snuff

category: fantasy, author:

Terry Pratchett

book 39 of Discworld
original copyright 2011

read in March 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10: well worth reading

Goodness me, I must have missed a few episodes of Discworld! Commander Vimes is now almost superhuman... Certainly treated as superhuman by all who deal with him. And he converses with mysterious supernatural powers who are able to give evidence of evil-doing...

In the style of several later(?) Discworld books, Snuff also lays on the social commentary, just a bit too thick. Well, far too thick. Earlier books seemed to show, this book tells you of the less-than-perfect ways of the world.

That said, Snuff is still an enjoyable book. Not the best of the series. Not the worst, either.

If you're a Discworld fan, Snuff will continue your addiction.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

The Colour of Magic & The Light Fantastic / Terry Pratchett

The Colour of Magic & The Light Fantastic
(graphic novels)

category: fantasy, humour, author:

Terry Pratchett

illustrated by Steven Ross

book 1 & 2 of Discworld
original copyright 1991/92

read in December 2011 & January 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10: read to pass the time

This is a "graphic novel" -- a comic book -- version of two Discworld books. I've reviewed The Colour of Magic as a text novel. And I've read the text original of The Light Fantastic, before I began these reviews.

How does the graphic compare to the text?

Poorly.

The story of Colour suffers from what I shall now name as, the Rincewind effect: a loser, with the entire world out to get him. This effect detracts from the humour. It makes it hard to enjoy reading, when you know that there will not be a happy ending for the hero... That's my view... I'm a softie.

Fantastic seems to almost be going the same way... but it is not!

In my review of Magic, a reader posted a comment:

=Tamar May 25, 2011 09:03 AM
Don't ignore The Light Fantastic.
Rincewind develops significantly in that book, #2 in the series, immediately after The Colour of Magic.

And Tamar is absolutely correct ! Thank you !

For a while, in Fantastic, Rincewind looks as though he is going to finish a poor last. Yet he is able to beat the odds. Not only that -- Rincewind takes positive steps, and succeeds!

What a pleasure to read :-) And, having read the comic version, I now remember reading the text original. And having the same pang of pleasure, as the hero tries -- and wins.

So my rating for The Light Fantastic would be, 08: really quite good.

Except that this is the graphic version.

The graphic novel has captured a lot of the original humour and excitement. A lot has also been lost. If you have trouble following a Pratchett novel -- the graphic version is even more confusing.

Discworld books tend to have a lot of threads of action. Apparently unrelated. Finally, in the last few pages, they all come together.

These graphic versions have a more unified plot. But with holes. Holes due largely to the constraints of space and the graphic format. Within these constraints, the adaptation works well.

As a coherent story, I prefer the text novels.

And the illustrations are disappointing...

Complex, fun, detailed... Just too realistic.

The human characters are human. Okay, that sounds fine. But I somehow expect them to be more than human. I can't explain it better than that. And I certainly could not draw it myself! But I find that the realism of the characters somehow does not fit with the fuzzy images in my own mind.

And then there's Twoflower, the tourist.

Look, in the books he's clearly Chinese. Or, at least, the Discworld equivalent.

Big glasses do not make Chinese.

Is the illustrator trying to be politically correct? Or am I missing something...

Twoflower-the-standard-Caucasian-but-with-glasses-and-a-big-hat... just does not work. It's more of the too-real-to-be-true illustration in the book.

Ah well.

It was worth seeing how Discworld translates to a graphic novel. Last week I enjoyed Going Postal translated to a tv movie. (Sorry, the link is to a review of the book, not the movie.)

The movie worked. The graphic novel... well... read the book.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Unseen Academicals / Terry Pratchett

Unseen Academicals

category: fantasy, humour, author:

Terry Pratchett

book 37 of Discworld
original copyright 2009

read in December 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10: really quite good

Yet another Discworld book... Many of the same old characters... Still a lot of fun!

Actually, there are more new characters than old. At least, more story built around the new characters. Which is good. For a while, Discworld seemed to be in a bit of a slump, with familiar characters -- admittedly in new adventures -- but acting largely as expected.

Going Postal was an earlier return to form... Well, a return to a new start, with many new characters... Anyway... Going Postal has been made into a movie. Perhaps (I think to myself) because Going Postal has a story which can stand alone.

Unseen Academicals can also stand alone.

Yes, there are several well known wizards of Unseen University. Ridcully's character has become somewhat more realistic, Ponder Stibbons has developed his career and the Dean has changed jobs. Rincewind has a cameo role -- in his usual put-upon style -- but he is now accepted as a regular staff member of UU. The wizards have more depth to their characters.

The non-academic staff of UU has also made an appearance. Many of these characters are new. (To me, anyway. Perhaps they did appear in books that I have not yet read?) These newly-revealed people -- plus a few from outside UU -- play the key roles in Academicals.

The writing style has also changed.

I complained about the hopeless loser role of Rincewind in The Colour of Magic. Now the characters are strong... almost super strong. Nutt the dribbler (see below) is -- to not give too much away -- more than he seems. As he develops his self-confidence, he becomes almost unstoppable... Perhaps even unstoppable, forget the "almost".

Other characters also assert themselves. Which adds up to a totally unbelievable story which is all, perfectly... believable. Believable, that is, given the inherent magic of a world which rides on the backs of elephants which stand on a rather large turtle.

So the characters assert themselves. Far more than in earlier books. The magic is more visible. Even if it is restricted in order to avoid full-on magic wars. And the social commentary is more direct.

The social commentary is hard and direct. Which is fine because it does not in any way detract from the entertainment. In Monstrous Regiment (from memory; I read it long before I began these reviews) the satire is slathered on with a trowel. Hammered home with a sledge hammer. This is not a problem with Academicals.

The satire is strong but not intrusive. The message that everyone deserves to be treated fairly is... well... perhaps slathered on a bit thickly. Yet it does not detract from the fun of the story.

And the societal activity which is the target of this book? It's football... Or soccer, to some.

Which brings me back to Nutt the dribbler.

How do you get those wax candles with the spooky shapes of dribbled wax down the side? You hire a candle dribbler, of course! Which links nicely -- perhaps subtly -- I almost missed it :-) -- to the theme of the book. Which is soccer.

An excellent book in an excellent series. With no-one cast as a hopeless loser. Unless he really deserves it...

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Carpe Jugulum / Terry Pratchett

Carpe Jugulum

category: fantasy, author:

Terry Pratchett

book 23 of Discworld
original copyright 1998,
read in May 2011 (and before, a couple of years ago)

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

Witches versus vampires... It's either another Discworld story... or the missing volume of the Twilight series...

Okay, it's Discworld number 23. And if it's Discworld, why is it not fantasy and humour? Because this book is far too serious to be classified as "humour".

The Colour of Magic [and] Sourcery / Terry Pratchett

The Colour of Magic

and

Sourcery

category: fantasy, author:

Terry Pratchett

books 1 and 5 of Discworld
original copyright 1983 & 1988,
read in April 2011 (and before, in about 2009)

Agamedes' opinion: 6 and 8 out of 10

What can you say about The Colour of Magic? This is the first ever Discworld book: funny, clever, imaginative... And yet...

The Colour of Magic has the strengths of later Discworld books -- and the weaknesses. More particularly, one weakness: Rincewind the loser.

It is very difficult to enjoy a book about a loser. What is there to enjoy -- other than the suffering of the "hero"?! It may be funny. It is also uncomfortably painful.

On the other hand, there are the puns, the outrageous characters, the ridiculous rip-offs of stereotypical situations... Pure Discworld though still learning.

Read it to enjoy it. More importantly, read Colour for its place in Discworld history.

Then read Sourcery for pure enjoyment...

Why is Sourcery better that Colour?

Hogfather / Terry Pratchett

Hogfather

category: fantasy, humour, author:

Terry Pratchett

book 20 of Discworld
original copyright 1996,
read in April 2011 (and before, several times)

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

Interesting. A book about childhood and children's beliefs. With a vicious killer and more death than the average novel. Unexpected?

Not really. Pratchett is writing about children. And pointing out that blood and violence are a natural part of childhood. Though death itself is never seen, by the children.

Death with a capital D is, however, a key character in this book. In Discworld books Death is a regular character. He does his essential work and he does it well. So who better than Death to stand in for the jolly fat man who says Ho, Ho, Ho as he distributes presents to all the little children?

Yet another very twisted tale of the Discworld. Overdrawn characters, complex plot and pointed social satire. Enough familiar themes to satisfy fans, plus new themes to keep the story fresh. Laced with enormous amounts of humour and puns.

If you like Discworld books -- or enjoy reading humour -- this is a good book. What more can I say? Other than a short discourse on Death...

Reaper Man / Terry Pratchett

Reaper Man

category: fantasy, humour, author:

Terry Pratchett

book 11 of Discworld
original copyright 1991,
read in October 2010 (and before, years ago)

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

A very enjoyable Discworld book!

This is a story of Death losing his job and learning a bit more about being human... An enjoyable plot with likable characters. Especially the confused but always wanting to understand, Death himself.

There are a few -- quite a few -- of the standard Discworld characters. Thankfully, they are not yet fixed in their roles... Okay, Sergeant Colon of the Watch is predictable -- but he only plays a small part. In this eleventh Discworld book, we are still meeting new people. And the miserable Rincewind does not make an appearance...

There are nice characters and foolish characters and strange characters and reeeeaallly strange characters. Yet they all get our sympathy and they all add their bit to the story. There is nothing cruel, there is nothing nasty. There is just a lot of good fun and a lot of excellent humour.

Reaper Man is Pratchett at his best. And that, is very good.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Interesting Times / Terry Pratchett

Interesting Times

(category: fantasy)
book 17? of Discworld by

Terry Pratchett

published by Corgi in 1994,
read in October 2009 (and before, years ago)

Agamedes' rating: 7 out of 10

Agamedes' opinion:

Poor Rincewind. I don't really like the Rincewind books -- being sorry for the perpetual loser makes me uncomfortable with some of the humour. Still, the humour is good! In this book, the barbarian "Silver Horde" takes over the oriental empire. Lots of humour, lots of puns, plenty of likeable characters, some soul-searching and -- unfortunately -- Rincewind getting the karma kicked out of him. Oh, yes: this is the umpteenth time that I have read the book. It's still very good.

..o0o..

This blog is supported by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your own documents, email nick leth at gmail dot com.

Going Postal / Terry Pratchett

Going Postal

by

Terry Pratchett

published by Doubleday in 2004
read in July 2009
fantasy (humour)
book 33 of Discworld

Thank goodness – a Discworld book with all new characters! Sure, some of the old favourites turn up, with their well-worn roles to play. But this story of the postal system is stocked with plenty of new characters. And yes, some of the “satire” is a bit blunt and a bit heavy -- the crooked capitalist lives in Tump Tower -- but the humour and adventure are both excellent. It’s a good, self-contained story in the best sort of Discworld tradition. Interesting notes: (1) It’s in chapters; (2) Copyright Terry and Lyn Pratchett !?

Agamedes' rating: 7 out of 10

The Last Hero / Terry Pratchett

The Last Hero

by

Terry Pratchett

published by Victor Gollancz in 2001
read by Agamedes in June 2009
fantasy
book ? of Discworld

Typical Discworld book with all the standard characters. This book is illustrated – the pictures are good, they show characters as I would imagine them, plus extra (visual) humour. Cohen the Barbarian decides to go out with a bang – a bang in Dunmanifestin, where the gods live. Miserable Rincewind is part of the rescue team; he is just a character rather than the one who will suffer – a much more enjoyable read, for me. No surprises from the other characters, who perform much as they are expected to perform. (Except for Ponder Stibbons, who is admitted to be the one intelligent wizard.) Plenty of implausible coincidences; the characters often expect and depend on them (unfortunately, for the strength of the plot). A light and enjoyable read.

Agamedes' rating: 7 out of 10

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