Pratchettariana: Thud!
Sep. 17th, 2005 10:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
winterI saw mother off to the airport, proceeded to freak out in my usual "grr I keel u" way, and to my surprise, managed to get Terry Pratchett's Thud! on my way home. I'm not sure it's even supposed to be in the UK yet O_o
Non-spoilery: Very nice, very Watch-y, somewhat suffering from the "bigger bang" syndrome (ie. every following novel has to have a larger-scale conflict than the previous one). I had several moments where I was laughing so hard, I had to put the book down for a minute; that hasn't happened in a while. (Though come on, God of Over-Acting?) On the downside, the plot didn't grip me as hard as Night Watch did, or even Going Postal. Part of this is because this book could use about two hundred more pages to flesh out all the motifs.
So now for the more detailed remarks:
- At first I thought Vetinari was OOC when he does the plot exposition at Vimes - it's a bit too impassioned for my Havelock. But now I'm inclined to treat it as another tactic in getting Vimes to do his dirty work for him; in a way, Vetinari's letting Vimes into a closer partnership, and not playing his cards so close to the chest anymore. This was also evident in the post-riot scene, where you can see Havelock rolling his eyes indulgently. They're turning into something from a very twisted buddy movie.
- Deeper-than-deep dwarves: for me it was something of a cop-out after The Fifth Elephant, another example of escalating the weirdness Vimes has to face. I wish Pterry had touched deeper on the word-destroying thing; that seems like an interesting motif he didn't have time for.
- Ardent and Bashfullsson: apart from the motivation, I had trouble telling them apart at times. And the sudden ninjutsu didn't help - I get where it came from, but that's another thing Pterry didn't have time for. As a result, it was something of a deus-ex-machina.
- The whole game concept: it says something about me that I immediately went "Hikaru no go"! I like the idea, and Mr Shine's cavern.
- Which brings me to Mr Shine himself. Props to Pterry - it was high time we got an insight into troll culture. Between Mr Shine and Chrysoprase (OMG Chrys 4eva!!!), not to mention poor junkie Brick and further Detritus character development, they're getting as much character depth as the dwarves. I wouldn't mind dropping some of the dwarf plot to get more troll stuff, because damn.
- Methodia Rascal: lovely concept, could use fleshing out. I'd love more of those little snippets, more character insight. If we are getting things first-hand, let us have it.
- Sally: Angua's bitching got on my nerves, frankly - she's becoming almost as annoying as Susan. Sally herself didn't have much of a personality apart from "classy vamp", which didn't help. I loved John Smith's brief appearance, though, and Doreen!
- Koom Valley: Okay, I'll stop bitching now. This? Was beautiful. The concept, the story, the cave. Tragic beauty.
Shutting up now. I think I'll have to re-read Thud! soon :)
Non-spoilery: Very nice, very Watch-y, somewhat suffering from the "bigger bang" syndrome (ie. every following novel has to have a larger-scale conflict than the previous one). I had several moments where I was laughing so hard, I had to put the book down for a minute; that hasn't happened in a while. (Though come on, God of Over-Acting?) On the downside, the plot didn't grip me as hard as Night Watch did, or even Going Postal. Part of this is because this book could use about two hundred more pages to flesh out all the motifs.
So now for the more detailed remarks:
- At first I thought Vetinari was OOC when he does the plot exposition at Vimes - it's a bit too impassioned for my Havelock. But now I'm inclined to treat it as another tactic in getting Vimes to do his dirty work for him; in a way, Vetinari's letting Vimes into a closer partnership, and not playing his cards so close to the chest anymore. This was also evident in the post-riot scene, where you can see Havelock rolling his eyes indulgently. They're turning into something from a very twisted buddy movie.
- Deeper-than-deep dwarves: for me it was something of a cop-out after The Fifth Elephant, another example of escalating the weirdness Vimes has to face. I wish Pterry had touched deeper on the word-destroying thing; that seems like an interesting motif he didn't have time for.
- Ardent and Bashfullsson: apart from the motivation, I had trouble telling them apart at times. And the sudden ninjutsu didn't help - I get where it came from, but that's another thing Pterry didn't have time for. As a result, it was something of a deus-ex-machina.
- The whole game concept: it says something about me that I immediately went "Hikaru no go"! I like the idea, and Mr Shine's cavern.
- Which brings me to Mr Shine himself. Props to Pterry - it was high time we got an insight into troll culture. Between Mr Shine and Chrysoprase (OMG Chrys 4eva!!!), not to mention poor junkie Brick and further Detritus character development, they're getting as much character depth as the dwarves. I wouldn't mind dropping some of the dwarf plot to get more troll stuff, because damn.
- Methodia Rascal: lovely concept, could use fleshing out. I'd love more of those little snippets, more character insight. If we are getting things first-hand, let us have it.
- Sally: Angua's bitching got on my nerves, frankly - she's becoming almost as annoying as Susan. Sally herself didn't have much of a personality apart from "classy vamp", which didn't help. I loved John Smith's brief appearance, though, and Doreen!
- Koom Valley: Okay, I'll stop bitching now. This? Was beautiful. The concept, the story, the cave. Tragic beauty.
Shutting up now. I think I'll have to re-read Thud! soon :)
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-17 02:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-17 02:05 pm (UTC)(Still no sign of the children's-book tie-in though.)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-17 02:11 pm (UTC)*grinning at your icon*
(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-17 02:21 pm (UTC)To be honest, I wouldn't expect the plot to live up to Nightwatch. I mean...how can you top Nightwatch? That book literally had me in tears in parts. *sigh* I love Vimes so much.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-17 03:10 pm (UTC)I loved the motif of Vimes being uncomfortable with magic, and with his own legendary status. He's firmly convinced he succeeds because of luck and being a good copper, while in truth he is enough of a legend to bend narrativium by now...
(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-18 08:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-18 09:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-19 08:21 am (UTC)And too bad you can't go. ;_;
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-03 11:53 am (UTC)But regarding this book, I did like the girlie bonding moments, especially Cheery being taken along on the girls night. Cheery is simply adorable and definitely deserves more book time. As for Detritus, bringing up his marriage made me go 'awwww', because I had frequently wondered about him and Ruby. Not to mention the little Vimes family - the way Sam and young Sam were written in their scenes together were just perfect. Vimes was as Vimesy as ever :)
As for Vetinari - one can't help thinking he trusts Vimes more than anyone else, save perhaps Drumknott. He certainly knows him better than he knows himself and the only reason I refuse to see the slash there is because it would be totally one sided - Vetinari having the vague inclination of interest but doing nothing about it, while Sam stormed around being Sam. Havelock loves to wind him up so much :D
And lastly, hee! Vimes, possessed by an evil spirit and nicking it? So much love :D
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-03 12:40 pm (UTC)Vimes doesn't know his own strength :D
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-03 12:43 pm (UTC)Alas, I don't care s much for Carrot and Angua. Give me a Cheery romance or a Vimes family outing any day :D
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-04 05:11 am (UTC)I got bored with Carrot and Angua after Men at Arms - there's only so much inner conflict I can take, especially if it's so repetitive, and Carrot's a one-trick pony. Meh. I can't stand Tiffany Aching either.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-04 11:11 am (UTC)As for Tiffany Aching, she got irritating within one book - a kid standing up to Granny Weatherwax? HA! The best part of those books would be the Feegles :)