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Cacto posted:Which Anghammarad plot? The one where he's created entirely to be the cause for a "And you think you're a postman" one-liner, or is there another plotline? He's in the prologue, I think, as having been waiting around for thousands of years because he's a golem. Then he shows up in Ankh, and promptly explodes. It all just seemed a bit pointless.
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Apr 14, 2010 13:12
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Doesn't he do the trial of the postman, proving to the secret order that they have no right to protest golem postmen because Anghammarad has been a postman for 6000 years and is completely unstoppable at it?
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Apr 14, 2010 13:15
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I think he was written in for two reasons, one was that after establishing the prejudice of the average Ankh Morpork citizen against Golems Terry Pratchett needed a way to convince the postal workers to join forces with them, while the second was a little less obvious, to show that Golems are individuals and have a soul. Think of the fate of Myra LeJean in Thief of Time for moment, and it is significant that Death shows up for our old golem postie. Still feels as though he was shoehorned in though.
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Apr 14, 2010 13:21
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I thought he fitted pretty well. I don't think Mr Pump was enough to carry the golem side alone, and he couldn't pick one that was particularly self-aware (eg Dorfl). An ancient golem with an ancient message who proves 1) that golems make great postmen and 2) that golems have souls fits all the criteria for a useful Pratchett character. Most of the Unseen Academicals characters are vastly more tangential than that.
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Apr 14, 2010 13:26
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On further reflection I think it was actually the way he was mentioned in the opening that causes the problems, usually that suggests the figure or event will be one of the driving forces of the book, or resonate strongly with the themes, and in my opinion that didn't happen with him. Had that been cut and his first appearance was at the postman test I doubt anyone would be thinking that his plot was a bit of a waste.
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Apr 14, 2010 16:44
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Something just occurred to me about Making Money. Where did Moist get the idea of how to control the ancient golems? Perhaps it was his experiences with Anghammarad?
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Apr 17, 2010 03:05
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Started reading The Truth again for the first time in years, one of my personal favourites  .
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Apr 17, 2010 03:57
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Mister Roboto posted:Something just occurred to me about Making Money. It was from when Flead talked about the golden golem legend, he said the Umnians worked gold and dressed their priests in it.
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Apr 17, 2010 11:42
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Cacto posted:Sourcery was pretty terrible. I actually quite liked Sourcery. His earlier discworld books might not be technically brilliant but they have a certain quality about them I like. They're just finding their footing and nothing was really set in stone etc. Incidentally Sourcery remains the one and only book I've ever had signed by pTerry. I think even he found it slightly odd that I chose that one in particular.
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Apr 17, 2010 16:03
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I'm more than halfway through Moving Pictures and it's not a bad book like I was lead to believe. No insightful satire or anything, but a decent read.
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Apr 18, 2010 00:39
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I like anything with Gaspode in it.
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Apr 18, 2010 01:03
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Does anyone know if there's an ETA for Going Postal? It'll be nice to see a non-Death related show.
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Apr 18, 2010 02:26
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End of May.
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Apr 18, 2010 03:56
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Froggeryz posted:It was from when Flead talked about the golden golem legend, he said the Umnians worked gold and dressed their priests in it. Hmm, pity, I was hoping for more of a connection there.
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Apr 18, 2010 08:28
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Right now I'm reading Wyrd Sisters and Soul Music simultaneously. I do my reading during my commute. After that I'm thinking of hitting either Mort or Witches Abroad. What does this thread think of Night Watch. I believe it's the only book with Vimes as the lead that I haven't read. I just finished Thud! and I thought it was brilliant. SirPhoebos fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Apr 21, 2010 |
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Apr 21, 2010 02:03
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Night Watch is loving glorious.
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Apr 21, 2010 04:52
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Night Watch is one of Pratchett's bests. Possibly the best, though it has some minor contrivances that detract. Small Gods is probably the other contender for the throne. I may be alone in this, but I'd almost say Jingo is the other challenger, as it's very clever on multiple levels. One of those three is probably the best-written.
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Apr 21, 2010 05:01
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Mister Roboto posted:One of those three is probably the best-written. I dunno, that's my top three of his books right there. Not that I've ever actually outright hated any of them. The worst thought I've had of any of the books was, "This is sort of pointless." I remember thinking that during The Last Continent. But to be fair a lot of the Australian jokes flew over my head, and since half othe british humor flies over my head ANYWAY...
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Apr 21, 2010 05:24
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Echoing the love for Night Watch. It's up there with Small Gods as one of my favourite Pratchett books and it actually works a lot better as a statement on the futility and tragedy of conflict than Monstrous Regiment does. Ironically.
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Apr 21, 2010 10:19
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I really must read Night Watch again, I read it off and on over the course of a year while traveling and didn't get much out of it. Especially since I've only got Unseen Academicals to go and I've read everything. So sad!
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Apr 21, 2010 11:28
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Well next month is the time to do it! Remember the Glorious Revolution of the Twenty-Fifth of May!
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Apr 21, 2010 12:36
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Something just reminded me of Discworld today, most of which I read in my early teens, and I realised that this series (along with Calvin & Hobbes) influenced my outlook on human nature more than anything else I've ever encountered.
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Apr 21, 2010 12:58
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Night Watch is quite revolutionary! See what I did there? Seriously. It is a great 'What did the non Ankh-Morpork Rincewind characters do when they were younger?' book. And Vimes is always angry and just.
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Apr 21, 2010 16:51
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Entropic posted:Well next month is the time to do it! Remember the Glorious Revolution of the Twenty-Fifth of May!
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Apr 21, 2010 20:29
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SeanBeansShako posted:Night Watch is quite revolutionary! As well as giving us a little taste of pre-Vetinari Ankh Morpork, but honestly it's a fantastic read for any Guards fan just for getting Vimes back to his roots as a copper, separating him from his usual support, and seeing how he handles things.
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Apr 21, 2010 21:46
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Vengeance of Pandas posted:As well as giving us a little taste of pre-Vetinari Ankh Morpork, but honestly it's a fantastic read for any Guards fan just for getting Vimes back to his roots as a copper, separating him from his usual support, and seeing how he handles things. The answer, as it turns out, is "like a motherfucker."
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Apr 21, 2010 22:03
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Nilbop posted:The answer, as it turns out, is "like a motherfucker." No, you're thinking of one of many stories by Robert Heinlein. When Vimes goes back in time, he takes care not to visit his mother.
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Apr 21, 2010 22:58
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DontMockMySmock posted:No, you're thinking of one of many stories by Robert Heinlein. When Vimes goes back in time, he takes care not to visit his mother.  How long have you been waiting to make that joke because it is loving hilarious
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Apr 22, 2010 07:15
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I'm actually rereading Night Watch for the millionth time. Seriously one of my favorite books. Might reread Men at Arms next I think. I need new books 
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Apr 23, 2010 04:47
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For a long time I avoided the books about the witches, mostly because I really didn't like Equal Rites. Not at all. But After having read both Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad and Lords And Ladies... I must admit it was a bad decision. They are hilarious and I had to stuff my fist into my mouth in order not to burst out laughing at the train, which would probably have earned me many a weird glance. Now, on to Maskerade!
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Apr 23, 2010 08:13
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Entropic posted:Well next month is the time to do it! Remember the Glorious Revolution of the Twenty-Fifth of May! Indeed! I'm somewhat embarrassed to say; it'll be the first Discworld book I've actually re-read.
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Apr 23, 2010 09:09
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Iacen posted:For a long time I avoided the books about the witches, mostly because I really didn't like Equal Rites. Not at all. I think I'm the only person that liked Equal Rites. Wyrd Sisters was good, but Lords and Ladies is one of my least favorite discworlds.
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Apr 23, 2010 10:16
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Lords and Ladies, Masquerade and Carpe Jugulum are all basically the same book. Carpe Jugulum is the best of the three.
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Apr 23, 2010 13:10
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appropriatemetaphor posted:Indeed! I'm somewhat embarrassed to say; it'll be the first Discworld book I've actually re-read. I hope that isn't a bad thing, I've reread half of Pratchetts early stuff at least two or three times. Almost done with The Truth, I love how Pin and Tulip are two Anglo-American organised crime stereotypes with their own slight unique touches.
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Apr 23, 2010 14:09
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SeanBeansShako posted:Almost done with The Truth, I love how Pin and Tulip are two Anglo-American organised crime stereotypes with their own slight unique touches. I love Mr Tulip. In my family, "-ing" is now a recognised swearword, to the point where my mum shouts "Don't say bad words!" at us when we say it, much to the puzzlement of strangers.
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Apr 23, 2010 15:44
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Do you just say "ing", or do you make a little grunting sound in front of it like you just got cut off? I find myself switching between the two :>
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Apr 23, 2010 15:56
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Night Watch ties with Thud! for my favorite Pratchett book. It has Vimes and Lu Tze in it, what's not to like? Also, Carcer was a brilliant foil for Vimes. Also echoing the like of Equal Rites. I thought Esk was a great character and I hope to at least see her make a cameo in an upcoming book.
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Apr 23, 2010 16:47
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SeanBeansShako posted:I hope that isn't a bad thing, I've reread half of Pratchetts early stuff at least two or three times. No I just feel like a bad fan.
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Apr 23, 2010 18:42
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I've reread every Discworld book at least 10 times except for Eric, Moving Pictures, and Unseen Academicals. But I'm sort of a psychotic reader who rereads things a lot so... I think my most read are probably Small Gods, Thief of Time, Jingo, Night Watch, and Going Postal. In that order, they're also my favorites. Thief of Time doesn't seem to head a lot of people's lists but it's actually the only book he's ever written that's made me tear up at the end as well as laugh. It's all just so well-paced and actually quite romantic. Edit: I don't really like Sourcery but I have a bit of a soft spot because of the opening scene with Death and Ipslore in which he's going on and on about the need for love and children which leads to "And what would humans be without love?" "RARE." Sort of lowbrow but one of my favorite things Death has ever said. Sophia fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Apr 23, 2010 |
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Apr 23, 2010 19:02
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Nilbop posted:Do you just say "ing", or do you make a little grunting sound in front of it like you just got cut off? There's definitely a sort of plosive noise before the "ing", but its hard to explain, and I don't think it can be done in anything but a Glaswegian accent. It's a very good swearword though.
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Apr 23, 2010 23:34
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