Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, An Adventure

It has been very hard for me, sitting down and starting to write about my Discworld adventures. And like any other hard task, I have been procrastinating. I finished sixteen of Discworld books the first two weeks or so of the January and am officially done with my Terry Pratchett 2010 Challenge with the honor ob becoming a “Death's Apprentice”.
But writing about them is a whole other kettle of fish and I was not comfortable. What should I write? Introduce the important characters? You can all read about them in his website, under Discworld: “The Gangs are all here”. Neither am I comfortable telling you the stories. I love these books more than anything and giving you the high points is not going to do justice about the stories. I can keep gushing about Pratchett’s genius and his great sense of humor. But hey, you already know that, right?
What I can say is a little about structure of the series. The twenty something books of the series are divided into miniseries about Nightwatch and Capitan Wimes, about strange invention, Discworld in general and city of Ankh-Morpork life, about Witches of Ramtop, about Death and his family affairs and finally about Rincewind the wizzard and Unseen university.

- Nightwatch and Capitan Wimes: these books start with “Guards, Guards!” when city watch has meager personnel of three and some strange crimes happening in the city. Also a shiny bugling with muscle young man (named Carrot) enters the city of Ankh-Morpork. And Sam Wimes meets Lady Sibyl. At “Men at arms” Sam Wimes is deciding to marry Lady Sibyl and retiring form the Watch. “Feet of Clay” is looking at murders and the start of racial diversity in the Watch. In “Jingo” Captain Wimes is becoming a diplomat and solving the biggest crime of all time: the War. “The Fifth Elephant” tells us about further diplomatic activities of Wimes and the Watch. “Night Watch” is a historical remembrance and tells the start of Night Watch and of governess of Lord Vetinari. In “Thud!”, Watch solves a thousand years old historical feud.

- Strange invention, Discworld in general and city of Ankh-Morpork life: this miniseries includes “Pyramids”, “Moving Pictures”, “Small Gods”, “The Truth”, “Monstrous Regiment”, “Going Postal” and “Making Money” so far. If the stories happen in the city of ankh-Morpork, Lord Vetinari, City Watch and Unseen University people make appearances and push the story along but in some books like “Pyramids” and “Small Gods” the characters are completely new.
"Going Postal" and "Making Money" can be the start of a new miniseries featuring Moist Van Lipwig, his fiance and his gang of post office employees.

- Witches of Ramtop: “Wyrd Sisters”, “Witches Abroad”, “”Lords and Ladies”, “Maskerade”, “Carpe Jugulum” are exclusively about a coven of four witches in little Kingdome of Lancre and how they deal with (and certainly not dabble in) their local politics and problems. Ramtop is a highly magical place and Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Magrat (recently upgraded to: Queen Magrat) and Agnes (with help from her inner thin girl) have their hand full.
“Equal Rites” introduces Granny Weatherwax but continues to Unseen University territory.

- Death and his family affairs: Although Death makes at least one appearance in every book and sometimes walks with certain characters, the following books are especially about hem. He is one of my very favorite characters.
Death of Discworld is an old fashion character. I’m not talking about his black robe and his white horse (named Binky by the way) or his scythe but about his work ethic. He is taking pride in his good work, pays special attention to his customers and is always on-time. He is the perfect picture of a decent older guy in middle management position doing a boring job. He adopted a little girl once upon a time and then hired an apprentice and the girl and boy fell in love against his wishes and went out and got married (all happening in “Mort”), had a baby girl named Susan and unfortunately died in an accident.
At “Reaper Man” death is depressed, retired and looking for a new life. In “Soul music” Susan his granddaughter is forced to take the mantel because Death is trying to forget. “Hogfather” and Hogwatch (like Christmas) are threatened and Susan is called into action again. In “Thief of time”, the same enemies are threatening the very existence of life on Discworld and again Death and his granddaughter are the only forces who can do anything to save the life and order of their world.

Oooh and finally,
- Rincewind the wizzard and Unseen university people: the very first book of the whole series and the introduction of the Discworld, starts with “The Color of Magic” and continues with “The Light Fantastic”, when the most inept wizard of Discworld Rincewind meets Discworld’s first tourist Twoflower (a happy simple and optimistic guy; out to see the world and learn new things) and becomes his guide. In “Sourcery” the power of unseen university people and again the fate of the world are in balance and Rincewind happens to be in vicinity of the culprit. “Eric” is a Faust wannabe who summons a demon and ends up with… yeah, Rincewind! In “Interesting Times” Rincewind is forced to travel to counterbalance continent, the home of his old friend Twoflower and play a significant historical role. “Last Continent” is shown on maps by XXXX and usually is called “Four Ex” because the whole continent is still shaping. There Rincewind and UU people meet some very interesting characters and adventures. Hint: There is a mischievous Kangaroo involved.
The latest book of Discworld also involves UU people; “Unseen Academicals” is about starting the first Discworld College football team.

Every time I read the Discworld books, I find a new favorite character, a new favorite phrase and a new outlook. This time I fell in love with the attitude of rich and influential dragon-breeder ladies. That whole they are so rich, they don’t need to dress up and pretend. The whole everything in the attic is going to be used one day. Really loved it.
I had seen people who always want to show they have new shiny stuff, pretending to that “just bought it” feeling. I don’t say wear dirty damaged clothes. But what is wrong with tweed or some other vintage looking finish on clothes or leather? Not everything should be shiny and new looking.
Really, that “Oh, it’s new! How do you like it?” has always sounded like very Nouveau rich and pretentious to me.
My very favorite characters are Lord Vetinari, Death and Susan, Commander Sam Wimes and Lady Sibyl, Granny Weatherwax, Mustrum Ridcully, Moist Van Lipwig, and the Librarian.
This time I read:
The Light Fantastic, Interesting Times, Soul music, Hogfather, Thief of Time, Wyrd sisters, Carpe Jugulum, The Truth, Monstrous Regiment, Going Postal, Making Money, Guards Gaurds!, Feet of Clay, Jingo, The fifthe Elephant, and Thud!

Wow, what a long post! No wonder I didn’t want to start it!
OK, done now! Go be happy!

A quick update on LK Hamilton’s latest

Long time, no post! Although it doesn’t mean I wasn’t reading. I was super busy with reading 16 of Terry Pratchett books and taking a virtual vacation in Discworld.
I also managed to finish the latest book in Meredith Gentry (Book 8) by Laurell K. Hamilton, the “Divine Misdemeanors”. It was seriously lacking in plot and adventure. I think if it wasn’t for Merry’s lengthy lovemakings and her guards and boyfriends constant arguments the book would have ended up as a short novella. Were these scenes really necessary: Merry sending the Coach to save soldiers, all the arguments with that old sea god, love making and the whole jealousy thing with Brie and the other guy and that screaming and scared female guards incident, the whole Julian character, the Fear-Dreage thing asking for favors and…?
The story included so many unnecessary and extra characters (like that Fear-dreage creature) that you were forced to count words along with the author and breath a sigh of relief when she meeted her quota! If we factor out all the extra scenes and characters and useless arguments, I think we end up with a pretty good short mystery about a bitter and jealous character stealing magic and life out of others.
Also been reading “Death's Mistress” (Dorina Basarab, Book 2) by Karen Chance but gave up on the whole series one quart into the book. I really liked the first book but this one starts very confusing and there are just so many strange things happening, all those time change and elemental fae and trolls in the basement and that monkey baby Dorian is raising and Clair’s coming… Sheesh! Count me out! I am fed up!

Now I know I have to start writing a long post on my Terry Pratchett challenge and a good review of all my Discworld adventures but hey, I am lazy and not in the mood! So taa daa till later!