Mark Reads Discworld

[=Tamar]

Well, I just read through the old "Thud" topic in Discworld Books, only to find that, contrary to the statement on the Links page, the topic is locked.
So here's my comment (which Tony will already have seen): Thirteen years after Thud was published, and having reread it many times over those years, the other day I finally caught a pun that I'd missed. This is a book about waking up. (Both physically and metaphorically - Vimes's first scene is in the morning, while he's shaving. He falls asleep and wakes up many times. It's also about people waking up to the need to perceive situations from the point of view of the apparent opponent.) The two main leaders in conflict, Rhys and Shine, are named "rise and shine".

 

[Dotsie]

Ha! Good spot.

 

[RathDarkblade]

Rhys and Shine - I love it. Mr Shine, Him Diamond. (I was always confused by Mr Shine's name - I thought it had something to do with a cleaning product ...) *L*

 

[Tonyblack]

Rhys is pronounced Reece - it's Welsh! Mark doesn't get this at all! He's just started Making Money. I have commissioned some parts in memory of Charlene. I'm not sure which parts, but it should be in this book.

 

[DaveC]

Rhys is pronounced Reece - it's Welsh! Mark doesn't get this at all! He's just started Making Money. I have commissioned some parts in memory of Charlene. I'm not sure which parts, but it should be in this book.

Hi Tony!

First time here in ages but just checking to let you know how nice it was to hear the dedication to Charlene on last week's videos. I've watched every single one so far, can't believe it's been my Sunday routine for the past five years!

(The Rhys things and Llamedos bugs me too especially as there's been reminders but apart from that I'm still enjoying it.)

Wow this place looks different....

 

[Tonyblack]

Hey Dave! Good to see you again! You can tell Mark lived in California, as he tries to pronounce Llamedos as if it were a Spanish word. I also look forward to Sundays and listening to Mark. He has really come to love the books.

 

[ThinkingFox]

Wow this place looks different....

Hi @DaveC good to see you back and yes, we’ve changed the decor somewhat. I hope you like it enough to come back a few more times

 

[RathDarkblade]

Hi Dave! Welcome back.

Tony, how does Mark pronounce "Rhys" and "Llamedos"? I didn't grow up in Britain, but I did my research on the history of the place, and I know that they are both Welsh words. I also know that "Rhys" is pronounced "Reece", and "Llamedos" is ... I guess there would be an invisible "h" at the start? As in "hLlamedos"? Please feel free to shoot me down if I'm wrong.

 

[Tonyblack]

He pronounces Rhys as "Rice". Difficult to explain his pronunciation of Llamedos, but it certainly sounds like he's using a Spanish pronunciation.

There is no equivalent to the Welsh LL sound in English. LL as well as RH are actually letters in the Welsh alphabet.

 

[Dotsie]

To an English ear, the LL of Welsh pronunciation sounds like CL, but with plenty of throat.

Terry actually refers to this in Men at Arms I think, when Carrot orders breakfast in Dwarfish and Angua offers him a throat sweet.

 

[Tonyblack]

It's actually more sibilant - like a hissing sound. I know that a lot of English people say that it sounds like a CL sound, but it really isn't. YouTube Tutorial

 

[RathDarkblade]

Hee! Well, I tried to follow along and do it, and I failed miserably. Sorry. *blushes* At least I tried. The "Ll" sound is easy to understand for a beginner, but hard to master in a sentence.

I know that when Nigel Planer reads the word "Llamedos" (e.g. when he reads "Soul Music"), he pronounces it "Ch-la-MEH-dos", with the "ch" being a bit of a throaty-but-sibilant sound.

 

[The Mad Collector]

Hi Tony!

First time here in ages ...
Wow this place looks different....

Welcome back DaveC, good to see you around

 

[=Tamar]

This week we finish Making Money. Next week, Mark will at last begin The Science of Discworld III.

 

[Tonyblack]

I'm not that keen on the Science books, but haven't read #3 at all, so I'm sort of looking forward to it. I've actually enjoyed Making Money more this time than I ever have on previous readings. Mark's enthusiasm for the book is very catching! I'm looking forward to I Shall Wear Midnight.

 

[Penfold]

I'm not that keen on the Science books, but haven't read #3 at all, so I'm sort of looking forward to it. I've actually enjoyed Making Money more this time than I ever have on previous readings. Mark's enthusiasm for the book is very catching! I'm looking forward to I Shall Wear Midnight.

I agree Tony. It's not one of my favourite books and never will be but Mark's enthusiasm and reactions do make it more enjoyable. I'm wondering how he will react to Unseen Academicals seeing as many disliked the book on their first read through (I know I did and I am a 'foot the ball' fan).

 

[=Tamar]

I enjoyed UA, and I'm not a fan of any sport. A friend of mine who is a fan of the game enjoyed it, but as he put it, it's about football but it's not really about football. It should be interesting to learn about the responses of Mark's fan base.

 

[Tonyblack]

I enjoyed UA, and I'm not a fan of any sport. A friend of mine who is a fan of the game enjoyed it, but as he put it, it's about football but it's not really about football. It should be interesting to learn about the responses of Mark's fan base.

I hate sport and I agree - although there is a good deal of football in there, it's really not about football at all. I predict that Mark is going to fall in love with Glenda

 

[RathDarkblade]

*L* Anyone who earns the praise of both Lord Vetinari and Lady Margolotta is a very special person, indeed.

I don't hate sport (I just don't have much time for it), but I agree. There are many themes in UA, but the one that struck me and stuck with me was Nutt and his redemption. "I have worth?" The poor fella works so hard - not just at redeeming himself, but also (it seems) his entire race. (I won't spoil it by mentioning what that race is!)

The theme of redemption seems to run through this book - most strongly with Nutt, of course, but also (I dare say) with Trev Likely. And, of course, there are bullies and "hard men" - at least two or three - to act as antagonists. (As for what they do to the Librarian ... but I'll say no more).

Other highlights for me included "Ho! The Megapod!", the entire fashion parade sequence, Glenda's heart-to-hearts with Juliet Stollop, and any scene that involves "Bengo Macarona". (And let's not forget Vetinari drinking with the footballers ... or does he?)

Anyway, I'd better stop before I give the whole thing away. (Sorry)

 

[The Mad Collector]

Darwin's Watch is probably my favourite of the Discworld science books because of the way it approaches Darwin's discoveries slowly and explains how it almost didn't happen and we could be instead celebrating Wallace. Actually poor old Wallace deserves more credit than the he gets generally and this book does at least go some way to redressing the balance. I suggest reading The Malay Archipelago as it's well worth finding a copy if you can