![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pauraque_bkThoughts upon finishing Soul Music, the first Pratchett I've ever read:
The style took some getting used to -- not unlike Douglas Adams filtered through PG Wodehouse, is it? Very British, in any case. Pratchett has a gift for picking out one tiny detail that makes a scene come alive, though he doesn't use it often enough for my taste. Having so little sensory information tends to make me feel a bit detached from the world and the characters; too much telling, not enough showing.
I also found the style cinematic in some of the same ways JKR's writing is. It sometimes seems to come from the mind of a screenwriter, with the visual vocabulary of such. (The skeleton pulling itself together and the characters unexpectedly sitting up from under the mud stick out as examples.) Soul Music is even more cinematic than the HP books: It has an omniscient narrator. That's not necessarily bad, just an observation.
The book made me laugh, and I enjoyed the playful characterizations and allegory. I think I'll lend it to a friend of mine who's in the music industry.
So, I'm not in love, but I did like it, and would like to try more. Any suggestions for a good one to read next? Maybe something with more Vetinari? He's certainly a scene-stealer, but he's barely in this one.
- That was not at all what I expected.
- Buddy né Imp looks like Elijah Wood.
- Lord Vetinari sounds like Jason Isaacs, and I want to read much more about him.
- Wormtail/Death of Rats
- Dude. Lay off the paragraph breaks. Seriously.
- I think I shall read some more of these books.
The style took some getting used to -- not unlike Douglas Adams filtered through PG Wodehouse, is it? Very British, in any case. Pratchett has a gift for picking out one tiny detail that makes a scene come alive, though he doesn't use it often enough for my taste. Having so little sensory information tends to make me feel a bit detached from the world and the characters; too much telling, not enough showing.
I also found the style cinematic in some of the same ways JKR's writing is. It sometimes seems to come from the mind of a screenwriter, with the visual vocabulary of such. (The skeleton pulling itself together and the characters unexpectedly sitting up from under the mud stick out as examples.) Soul Music is even more cinematic than the HP books: It has an omniscient narrator. That's not necessarily bad, just an observation.
The book made me laugh, and I enjoyed the playful characterizations and allegory. I think I'll lend it to a friend of mine who's in the music industry.
So, I'm not in love, but I did like it, and would like to try more. Any suggestions for a good one to read next? Maybe something with more Vetinari? He's certainly a scene-stealer, but he's barely in this one.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:17 am (UTC)Very accurate description ^_^
I love Pratchett, but I think part of the reasons they feel so detached is that the Discworld started out as a fantasy parody. The earliest books are very clearly still parodies and it's not until a while in you get stories that, while not taking themselves seriously, at least deal with the Discworld as if it was, from the POV within the book, serious. Soul Music is still hanging a bit, it's not one of my favourites.
The Night Watch books usually have a lot of Vetinari. That series starts with "Guards, Guards" and "Men at Arms". "Jingo" has a lot of Vetinare and he does more than just sit in his office too ^_^ There's also "Night Watch" one of the more recent books, which is heavy with Vimes and Vetinari, but I think you should wait until you've read some more Discworld with that one, since it uses so many things introduced in other books.
I also love the Death series, with "Mort", "Reaper Man" and "Hogfather" and there's a lot of fun Rincewind books if you want to have more of the wizards...
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:28 am (UTC)Also, another book in which his Lordship makes a number of appearances is 'The Truth'. He's actually very central to the plot as in 'Night Watch', though again you'd probably want to read at least some of the Watch books first before reading this one.
My heart, however, still belongs to Granny Weatherwax.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:45 am (UTC)And, a small addendum, the large illustrated novel "The last hero" has some Vetinari, as well as a smattering of other well-liked character. The images in it is probably what one could call the most canon pics of him... Heh, you need to see Ponder Stibbons
Even if you don't buy that one, it's fun to peek in at the bookstore ^_~
no subject
Well, there was the bit with the "croutons of teatime", which was somewhat amusing. ;) And there's plenty of material for slash, what with Vimes continually having to lug Vetinari to bed.
Someone ought to write some Vetinari/Dumbledore slash; omgtherluvissomanipulative!!!!1!!one!no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:46 am (UTC)Did he say anything about the other characters? For instance, Vimes..?
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 02:35 am (UTC)I do know that whoever suggested Sean Bean for Greebo completely owns me... But that's a whole different story.
Sorry for the spam,
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 02:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 02:43 am (UTC)How about Hugh Jackman? He looks a lot like Eastwood. Though this one might be too young...
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 03:10 am (UTC)I've no idea who Jackman is, sorry. Vimes is supposed to be in his fifties and look rather worn, so I just hope it's not someone too young =)
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 06:27 am (UTC)I doubt we'll see a Discworld film. And the animated series wasn't very good unfortunately
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 01:49 am (UTC)For hot Vetinari action, try either Jingo or Night Watch. However, to really understand them, the best order in which to progress is:
Guards! Guards!->Men At Arms->Feet of Clay->Jingo (Slashy McSlash! And the largest amount of Vetinari seen yet)->The Fifth Elephant (oh, dear god, the Vimes/Vetinari UST just sings in this one - almost as much as in Jingo)->Night Watch.
Next year's adult book, Going Postal (as opposed to the young adult one, A Hatful of Sky), is allegedly going to feature copious quantities of Vetinari. There has been a Vetinari romance hinted at, so I'm eager to see how Sam reacts (either to Vetinari and a lady friend or to the rampany buggery they're so obviously longing for).
Anyway.
Great. Now I want to write Wormtail/DoR, whether it's slashy or not.
Odd you should think Imp looks like Elijah. I always pictured Vetinari with Lij-like big, blue, fathomless eyes. *grin*
no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 03:36 pm (UTC)Yes, I wasn't necessarily thinking of slashing them, but they do seem made to be in a story together. You should write it; I'd read. :)
Thanks for the info. I picked up Guards! Guards! this morning.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 05:45 am (UTC)I would tend to avoid the first half dozen or so novels initially, particularly if you found Soul Music lacking in places. It took Pratchett a while to warm up, and the very early ones are more fantasy parody and less about leaping on a sudden inspired idea, giving it a twist, and seeing where it will go. I read the first book "The Colour of Magic" when it came out, and was underwhelmed enough not to try Pratchett again for several years. When I did try again, it was one of the run of books in the middle of his output which I found considerably more satisfying.
If you find that you need to dive in deep to the Discworld, uh, world, here's a reading order so that you can start at the right end of any of the mini series within a series:
http://www.ie.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-guide-colour-v1-1.gif
I will confess here and now though that my two absolute favourites are the more-or-less standalone novels "Moving Pictures" (Discworld does Hollywood) and "Pyramids" (the Guild of Assassins). But that may just be me being individualistic.
If you've not read it you should also look out for the book Pratchett co-wrote with Neil Gaiman, "Good Omens".[1]
1. The apocalypse was never so much fun.[2]
2. As we're talking Pratchett, we need footnotes.[3]
3. And even the footnotes should have footnotes.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 06:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 07:10 am (UTC)It's a comedy about the apocalypse, and it made me laugh harder, and think harder than any other book I can name.
Plus it's simply slashariffic in more than a few places. *Aziraphale and Crowley...mmmmmm*
Go. Read. You won't be sorry.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 10:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 04:10 pm (UTC)I like _Soul Music_, and it's probably an easy one to start with, but I don't think it's his best. Great fun, certainly. The next Susan book is _Hogfather_, with Pratchett sending up Christmas and also getting some fairly serious stuff in. I'm not convinced all the plot threads work equally well, but it's worth reading.
The ones I *really* recommend are: _Small Gods_, which is a standalone and has some fantastic thoughts about how we view religion and spirituality. All the Witches/Lancre books, starting with _Wyrd Sisters_ (technically starts with _Equal Rites_, but..enh) and continuing through _Witches Abroad_, _Lords and Ladies_ (this one is fantastic), _Maskarade_ (not as good, but with some cute digs at opera and musical theatre), and _Carpe Jugulum_. Also highly recommended, and great for Vetinari-watching, are the Watch/Vimes books: _Guards! Guards!_, _Men at Arms_, _Feet of Clay_, _Jingo_, _The Fifth Elephant_ (a personal favorite of mine), and _Night Watch_ (which is grimmer than the others but absolutely marvellous). _The Truth_ has Vimes as a cameo and is also excellent. My most recent favorite is _Monstrous Regiment_, a standalone with Vimes cameo, and I LOVE this book.
*pants for breath* There! Hope that helps. (And _Reaper Man_! Some of the plot elements don't entirely gel, but there is a *moment* that when you get to it will take your breath away. Incredible.)
no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 03:38 pm (UTC)Yes, I got that, though I still couldn't stop him looking like Elijah Wood in my head. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 07:17 pm (UTC)