Any Questions?

[Jarmara]

I'm just grateful that Terry's books haven't become inflated ego-epics! It happened to Rowling and to Ian Rankin whose Rebus novels I loved until they became overwritten doorstops determined to fit as much of his research in as possible at the expense of plot and actual story! A testament to Terry and to his editor (who is around here somewhere no?) that however successful he's become his books are always well written and exactly the right length for the subject.

The most surprising thing is that even when he was bringing out two or three books a year for a while, they didn't suffer in quality. In fact you could argue those years were a golden age, especially for those like The Mole who prefer the quick fire comedy to the slow burn satire of the human condition.

Oh and Tony, the book a month thing - what a fab idea!

 

[Tonyblack]

Oh and Tony, the book a month thing - what a fab idea!

It never ceases to amaze me how different people find different things in the books and discussing them is a really good way of getting the most from the books.

Damn it - I accuse Terry of Literature!

 

[TheMole]

Damn it - why not start such thread also on this forum?

 

[Tonyblack]

Damn it - why not start such thread also on this forum?

It's tempting - but I've been doing this since February 2006 and a lot of the people here are from that other site - the Discworld Stamp Forum.

Maybe when we have a few more members here - we'll see.

Of course if anyone else wants to do this, I certainly don't mind.

 

[RayScollen]

I'm just grateful that Terry's books haven't become inflated ego-epics

I agree there Jarmara .... it happened to another favourite author of mine whose name rhymes with Stephen King ... he got very wordy ... so much so I started to fall asleep reading his stuff.

 

[Jinx]

I think Moving Pictures suffers from the fact that it is nearly all jokes and movie references - there's not a great deal of depth to it. A joke is only funny so many times and hidden references, once you've found them, lose their attraction.

If I remember rightly, The Last Continent is also packed with the more direct jokes and Oz references. I can't quite remember if there was any more depth to it, but it's definately one I'd go back to again. Though I appreciate use of imagery in a book, parhaps that is it's saving grace.

 

[Tonyblack]

Definitely hard to see it as anything more than a bunch of stereotypical Australian references - even if Terry insists it NOT a book about Australia.

Still, no worries, the bits about evolution are quite interesting.

 

[Jinx]

All I can say is, I pity Ponder Stibbons.

 

[TheMole]

I have a question about Jingo, p. 324 (Corgi paperback)
Does anybody know the wording of Nobby´s joke ending by sentence "That´s funny, it´s never done that when I´ve tried it!" ??

 

[Tonyblack]

I have a question about Jingo, p. 324 (Corgi paperback)
Does anybody know the wording of Nobby´s joke ending by sentence "That´s funny, it´s never done that when I´ve tried it!" ??

I think this is one of those cases where there isn't a real joke attached to this punchline - it just sounds vaguely (possibly) rude and certainly like it might be the punchline to a joke.

What Terry has done is given a fairly innocent sentence to Nobby and the reader automatically assumes that there must be some really crude joke attached to it.

Of course, if anyone knows of a real joke that ends with that line, I'd also love to hear it.

 

[TheMole]

Well, I know the joke about the little pianist, the one about a man with legs and arms in bandages, and that one about king and blacksmith, so I assumed that there is also a joke which ends like that. Nevertheless, thanks

 

[Pita]

I've always found that the books have many more american references, like Blues Brothers. The only severely Brittish joke I can remember is one time where Mr. Teatime introduces himself and a character says "Like four o' clock?"
Or something like that.
Although I always felt like I missed an integral reference with Carrot. Is he just a play on the usual Mat Cauthon type character, or is there more?

 

[Tonyblack]

I've always found that the books have many more american references, like Blues Brothers. The only severely Brittish joke I can remember is one time where Mr. Teatime introduces himself and a character says "Like four o' clock?"
Or something like that.
Although I always felt like I missed an integral reference with Carrot. Is he just a play on the usual Mat Cauthon type character, or is there more?

Hi Pita, welcome to the site.

I read an interview with Terry where he explained the origins of Carrot. He had some workmen at his house doing some repairs and they had an apprentice with them who was very tall and wide shouldered and he had red hair. The other workers called him 'Carrot' and when Terry asked if that was because of his hair they said no, it was because he was shaped like a carrot. Wide at the top and thinner at the bottom.

I think I'd disagree that most of the references are American and say instead that they were popular culture references which happen to be from Hollywood in a lot of cases.

But, for example, the reference to 'pooh sticks' that was mentioned earlier is very British. The Lord of the Rings references in Witches Abroad are also British and most of the stories mentioned in that book are European from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.

Terry is, I think, something of a movie buff, so he does enjoy slipping in movie references.

 

[Pita]

Ahh, I didn't consider those to be brittish references, because it's more literary references, and I believe Terry has parodied non brittish books as well.

 

[Tonyblack]

Terry is extraordinarily well read and seems to tuck away gems of information that he later uses in his books. And that includes all sorts of books from all over.

I never cease to be amazed at the references in the books.

 

[TheMole]

Please, can I ask few questions to somebody who has "Unseen University Diary"? I have got only Czech translation of it and I want to know some names and places in English...

 

[Katariina]

Please, can I ask few questions to somebody who has "Unseen University Diary"? I have got only Czech translation of it and I want to know some names and places in English...

I have the diary. Go ahead Mole!

 

[TheMole]

I have the diary. Go ahead Mole!

Thanks very much!
Well, I want to know these things:

From archchancellor´s opening speech:
-name of the wizard who had eaten chicken alive
-name of the wizard who had been attacking his students

from the bit about not attending lectures
-name of the Egregious professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography
- name of professor in next sentence ( it goes approx. "Sir, I am not attending the lecture of professor ... (Who?)

from the bit about the Opera
-who is the stage manager?

from the bit about AM interesting places
-in which street is the Tanty?
-in which street is Jimkin Bearhugger´s distillery?

from the bit about restaurants
-on corner of which streets is Groaning Platter?
-in which street is Ron´s Pizza?

from the second octeday in february
-which street was very interesting in 1823?

from the first octeday in grune
-who is head of Campaign for Equal Heights?

from the fourth octeday in ember
-who is very important man since 1304?

I am sorry if some of my questions are unclear, I tried to recreate English script from Czech translation

 

[Katariina]

I have the diary. Go ahead Mole!

Thanks very much!
Well, I want to know these things:

From archchancellor´s opening speech:
-name of the wizard who had eaten chicken alive 'Metabolic' Stevenson
-name of the wizard who had been attacking his students 'Bendy' Twistler

from the bit about not attending lectures
-name of the Egregious professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography E. R. Clamp, D. Thau
- name of professor in next sentence ( it goes approx. "Sir, I am not attending the lecture of professor ... (Who?) Professor Didymus

from the bit about the Opera
-who is the stage manager? The musical director is Mr Plinge, no mention of the stage manager
from the bit about AM interesting places
-in which street is the Tanty? Lag Lane
-in which street is Jimkin Bearhugger´s distillery? Wet Alley

from the bit about restaurants
-on corner of which streets is Groaning Platter? Corner of Frost Alley and Flood Walk -
in which street is Ron´s Pizza? Clarty Street

from the second octeday in february
-which street was very interesting in 1823? Rumpty Street

from the first octeday in grune
-who is head of Campaign for Equal Heights? Valacia Wake

from the fourth octeday in ember
-who is very important man since 1304? Wyllys Frone, inventor of red hair

I am sorry if some of my questions are unclear, I tried to recreate English script from Czech translation

Hope these are helpful to you!

edit: a name

 

[Tonyblack]

Now translate them into Finnish!