Do you ever get downright giddy over a new book?

[Random Panther]

That's the one,the orc dribbler. The cult of celebrity a religion in itself.

[Tofu DeBeast]

Apr 14, 2012 17:53:54 GMT -5 BadBeast said:

Apr 14, 2012 16:28:47 GMT -5 Random Panther said:

Cool man.

I recently read "Thud" and "Snuff". Pratchett's writing in these two is sharper than ever. I think Sam Vimes has shaped up to be the most solid and detailed character Discworld has given us. The incorruptible man, constantly doubting himself. Descended from the man who killed the last King, then getting landed with Corporal Carrot, the same King's heir.

Everybody likes Carrot. Everybody does what Carrot wants them to do. By default. Vimes knows Carrot would be the King if his ancestor hadn't chopped off the old King's head. . . .Vimes can see Carrot's Kingly charisma, and his easy way with people, and he doesn't trust it very much.

But that's ok, because Sam Vimes trusts Carrot. Carrot is the most honest and honourable man there is. Thinking about it, Vimes and Carrot have a bit of a Gaspode/Laddie thing going on.

Pratchett's peerless talent for building peripheral characters up over three of four volumes has given us priceless characters, like Ponder Stibbons, Nanny Ogg, and Lord Vetinari. In Snuff, Willikins is given his head, and it works perfectly.

Thud takes a good look at the topically close to home theme of Religious Intolerance and Fundamentalism. And it looks in some deep, dark places. But also gives us Mr Shine.

Snuff is a thinly veiled analogy of how Nazism infected 30's Europe. With Concentration camps, ethnic cleansing, collaboration, racism, and genocide. Sound a bit . . . .grim? Yeah, it is in places. But Sam Vimes and Willikins make a right pair of double hard bastards, who will not give One. Fucking. Inch.

Snuff is far and away the best Terry Pratchett book since . . . .the other 25 or so best Terry Pratchett books. And so is Thud.

Great assessment, BB. I noticed that Pratchett's books of around 2000 and later just seem that much more refined and socially relevant, beginning perhaps with "The Fifth Elephant" and peaking with such classics as "Going Postal," "Night Watch" and "Thud".

[Sister Mary Meds]

Damn, of the twenty or so people who have logged on in the past six hours, almost half are Pratchett fans.

Hats off to the administrators. Ya done picked 'em good!

[StormInateacup]

Apr 14, 2012 16:28:05 GMT -5 Sister Mary Meds said:

Apr 14, 2012 15:50:39 GMT -5 StormInateacup said:

And no Meds - not at all mate. I can't imagine anything more worthy of getting giddy over apart from the prospect of good sex.

And Pratchett is far more reliable as the giver of pleasure than most men I've known lately, quite frankly.

Not true. My sexual prowess has been known to make women laugh every bit as much as a Pratchett novel. So there!

Demented cackling whilst pursuing a man with a knife to seek vengeance for one's frustrated libido is not the same kind of satisfaction as a deep seated guffaw inspired by the heady experience of superb literary comic genius.

Just clarifying matters.

[kelly]

Actually, not since the last Pendergast book, which I bought the week it came out, read it a a day or two, and now I sit, twiddling my thumbs awaiting the next one. It's tough being jaded!

[Sister Mary Meds]

Apr 18, 2012 14:27:40 GMT -5 kelly said:

Actually, not since the last Pendergast book, which I bought the week it came out, read it a a day or two, and now I sit, twiddling my thumbs awaiting the next one. It's tough being jaded!

I think I mentioned to you that their second Gideon novel was an improvement over the first. Once you get past the cliches and chainsaw fight (not kidding).

On the plus side, Lincoln Child is releasing a solo book in June:
www.amazon.com/The-Third-Gate-A-Novel/dp/0385531389/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334777452&sr=1-1