SPOILERS Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Discussion Group

[Jan Van Quirm]

I think what stands out in this is that we really are all the story-telling apes (is that in The Globe or Darwin's Watch - maybe both ) even if it's in a passive way by being so open to fantasy almost by default. Age doesn't come into it much either - even if you don't subscribe to any faith in particular, everyone seems able to accept talking animals quite readily along with random references to magic which are almost peripheral to the story and so can be treated as unimportant to the central tale by people with little or no knowledge of Pterry's work.

We are the apes who can readily accept the wonderful in it's basic sense, because our minds are wonderful places where chemical and neural magic happens all the time

 

[Penfold]

The one theme that consistently popped up in discussion was Pratchett's use of mythology and fairy tale.

Specifically with references to The Pied Piper of Hamelin and many other nods. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM is also being invoked with this story.

May I recommend 'The Folklore of Discworld' by Terry Pratchett and Jacqueline Simpson to you. Its not a funny laugh out loud type of book (more like a reference book, really) but it does look at the real myths and legends of our world and how Terry then applies them to the Discworld. I found it all quite fascinating, particularly as it reveals where Terry got many of his ideas from.

 

[Fizz]

I have seen that in the bookstore. But I will not be picking that up until I have a number of Discworld novels under my belt. Reading Colour of Magic right now and so I'm not wanting to spoil any pleasant surprises or jokes. Cheers.

 

[Willem]

I'm not that fond of the folkore-book myself. Seemed a bit of a money-grabber to me (even worse that Where's My Cow - at least that one looked pretty) Most of the origins I already knew (probably from the L-space annotations). All the book seemed to do was point at something mythical/fantastic and say: look, Sir Terry uses this fantasy being - it's from Norse mythology. Next!
At least the Science of Discworld books are entertaining in their presentation of the facts. When reading those, I get a feeling of an enthousiastic teacher wanting to show me what a wonderful place we live in. With Folklore, it's more like: 'Here's your text, learn the facts, exam tomorrow'. No passion about the subject: dry and shallow.

But that's just my opinion

 

[Doughnut Jimmy]

I disagree Willem, I enjoyed reading it and although I often knew vaguely where ideas came from the details can be very entertaining, also much easier to read than the science books I thought, but we're all different

 

[homefoc]

Emigration

I Can see a relationship beetwen the trick of make belive that there is a rat plague in order to make them get out from the town, and the reall fact that politics first let emigrants come in to the country, because they were necessary for an economic growth, and now they said to people that emigrants are a plague and they will get them out.

 

[Tonyblack]

Re: Emigration

I Can see a relationship beetwen the trick of make belive that there is a rat plague in order to make them get out from the town, and the reall fact that politics first let emigrants come in to the country, because they were necessary for an economic growth, and now they said to people that emigrants are a plague and they will get them out.

I hadn't thought of it on that level.

Welcome to the site, homefoc!

 

[Pearwood]

Just finished reading this this morning. Very enjoyable though I think the segment with Spider was a bit of a misfire. This should have been what everything else was building up to, but it just felt like a distraction from the "Foil the Naughty Ratcatchers" plot.

As for the significance of Dangerous Beans' name I thought it was nothing more than a flatulence joke.

 

[DaveC]

I thought, despite being a kids book, it was the darkest, most destressing book next to Night Watch.

 

[pip]

I thought, despite being a kids book, it was the darkest, most destressing book next to Night Watch.

The whole trap thing does become relatively deep and Dangerous beans is an amazingly interesting character. There are a few disturbing parts but remember a lot of traditional kids stories have a dark underbelly so why not Terry's.

 

[Tonyblack]

Take no notice of this post - it's a technical issue.

 

[poohcarrot]

How can you take no notice if you have to read it first?

 

[DaveC]

Tony's throwing gorgeous chocolate at us!

 

[pip]

Turn Left

 

[=Tamar]

Re:

As for the significance of Dangerous Beans' name I thought it was nothing more than a flatulence joke.

I thought it might be a glancing comment on a Harry Potter joke: the Bertie Botts' Beans included some "dangerous" flavors.
When the commercial product first came out in the US, all the unsavory flavors were white. Later versions had a color code for the various flavors. (Similarly, in The Truth, there are multiple characters with names that are also used in Harry Potter books. I think I counted three Hermiones, for instance, and several each of characters named Harry and Ron.)

 

[poohcarrot]

Re: Re:

Similarly, in The Truth, there are multiple characters with names that are also used in Harry Potter books. I think I counted three Hermiones, for instance, and several each of characters named Harry and Ron.)

Hi = :dance:

Who are the three Hermiones in The Truth?
And who are the several characters named Harry and Ron?
(I assume you're not referring to Foul Ole Ron who first appeared in Soul Music, 3 years before HP and the Philosopher's Stone was released) :dance:

 

[pip]

Re: Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Discussion Grou

I assume Harry and Hermione is Harry King and his Daughter but can't think of any more Hermiones. Strangely HArry is one of the most popular names in the English Speaking world so does tend to pop up from time to time without having any connection to JK Rowling shockingly enough .

 

[Tonyblack]

Re: Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Discussion Grou

There are a load of Rons and variations of the name such as Hrun in the books - especially in the early ones. I think Terry considers it a funny name.

 

[=Tamar]

Re: Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Discussion Grou

One of the Hermiones is a multiple personality of a beggar. Terry has said that the Rons in his books are a quiet joke about Josh Kirby, whose official legal name was Ron. I think one of them was a livery stable man, and I do count Foul Ole Ron - they don't have to be new characters to count. I would have ignored the Harrys except for the combination of multiple Harrys, Rons, and Hermiones in the same book. Usually there's only one Ron. Terry is very clever about making certain possible connections very subtle; nothing is provable, but the hint is there. He has said on occasion that he will use a bit of folklore if he can find three separate examples of it. I believe that is partly to make it harder to claim anything is an ironclad allusion to one specific historical bit.

 

[poohcarrot]

Re: Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Discussion Grou

OK = :dance: :dance:

I'll give you Lady Hermione, Harry King and Ronald Carney.
So it does seem more than coincidental that all three names are in the book. :clap: :clap: :clap:

However, The Truth was published in 2000, before the first Harry Potter film was released in 2001.
Only the first four HP books had been published by 2000 and HP wasn't the worldwide hit it went on to become later.

If The Truth had been published in 2005 along with this "swipe" by TP at J K Rowling, I'd be more likely to believe it was intentional.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4732385.stm

PS Who are the other Hermiones, Harrys and Rons in The Truth?