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Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#1
After seeing the recent exchanges on the Wyrd Sisters thread, it seems to me that several people here might enjoy a more formal discussion of the DW books.

I've done this on a couple of other Terry forums and the results have been pretty good provided people are prepared to join in. :)

What we would do is to choose a book in advance and set a date to begin the discussion. We would then make sure we had all read, or reread it before that date.

I would then post a brief synopsis and we could all post what we thought of the book - it's good and bad points and such things as character development and references/allusions and deeper meanings.

I'd like some feedback before though. Maybe we could decide to choose a book (Sharlene and I were thinking about Witches Abroad) to see how it goes and then we could decide where to go from there - start from the begining, have a random order or maybe read the books by series (Witches/Watch/Rincewind).

Like I say, I'd welcome some feedback - these can be very interesting. :)
 

Dotsie

Sergeant-at-Arms
Jul 28, 2008
9,068
2,850
#3
Sounds like an excellent idea to me. Random order is fine, but if you go straight from one book in a series to a much later one, it could confuse anyone who's not read the books in between yet. (So not really random then I suppose I'm saying).

Witches Abroad sounds like a good place to start, as you don't need to have read Equal Rites or Wyrd Sisters beforehand.
 
Apr 27, 2009
85
2,150
Atop a mountain in Cumbria
#4
I am totally up for that Tony

In any order , anytime , bring it on - Sounds Like Dotsie wants to be secretary of the committee!!

Gush - am so glad have found somewhere to indulge my obsession with TP and other people that want to talk about it too - up til now only had one person who knew his work, my aged aunty Margaret (note spelling) of Colchester and only see her twice a year

Witches abroad is great starting point esp as I have recently re-read it - I always "do" the witches come springtime - something to do with the sap rising I think and wanting to feel connected to nature

Perdita X
 

Dotsie

Sergeant-at-Arms
Jul 28, 2008
9,068
2,850
#5
Perdita X said:
Sounds Like Dotsie wants to be secretary of the committee!!
I'm just a bossy boots!

I've been re-reading the Witches as well, I wonder if it's got anything to do with sap then?
 
Jul 25, 2008
720
2,425
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
#11
One of the "rules" that has been imposed on other boards where there has been a discussion thread of one book at a time is the problem of spoilers.

So, if we're going to discuss The Witches books--(starting with Witches Abroad), should we limit discussion to that book. I think that the question of "spoilers" is highly over-rated, myself. Actually, I think there's only one book where a spoiler warning might be justified (Monstrous Regiment).

I'd be in favor of letting people make comparisons to anything before or after in the witch books (and the Tiffany books)--but then I've read all the books numerous times. What do some of you who haven't read everything think?
 

Dotsie

Sergeant-at-Arms
Jul 28, 2008
9,068
2,850
#12
swreader said:
I think that the question of "spoilers" is highly over-rated, myself. Actually, I think there's only one book where a spoiler warning might be justified (Monstrous Regiment).
I agree. Whilst I would never intentionally spoil the ending of a book for someone, I think that finding out the endings to Pratchett books on a Pratchett forum shouldn't really come as a surprise. But like you say, it shouldn't really spoil most of the books anyway.
 
Apr 27, 2009
85
2,150
Atop a mountain in Cumbria
#13
swreader said:
One of the "rules" that has been imposed on other boards where there has been a discussion thread of one book at a time is the problem of spoilers.
Well, they can always not read thread if we are discussing a book they havent read! - Although given human nature - it would be impossible for them not to look - think "end of the world button" analogy!
 

Jan Van Quirm

Sergeant-at-Arms
Nov 7, 2008
8,524
2,800
Dunheved, Kernow
www.janhawke.me.uk
#14
*Nods to Dotsie and Sharlene and Perdita* - with an established author like Pterry and his fanbase which is now 25 years old and counting, I think most people using this board have enough sense to do their own vetting if there's some gaps in their reading.

I still haven't looked at the young adults/younger readers books including the Tiffany ones and some of the more recent mainstream like Making Money (not a huge Moist fan either) and I sometimes post in threads on here that cover those books without worrying in the slightest about having my enjoyment spoilt when I do ever get around to reading them.

With Pterry's writing it's truly the journey itself that's important and with respect to Monstrous Regiment the crux of the feminist plot is reasonably obvious in there from the outset and perhaps, with 2 exceptions, I wasn't gobsmacked with the denouements (my gods I thought I'd never use a word like that on a fan board :laugh: ) as they were trotted out.

On my other board - which is based on the writings of another established author :p - there's also not too much problem with spoilers as it's all 'out there' (though slightly different since said author is not here anymore despite sterling efforts at producing 'new' compilations by his son and publishers from his copious 'notes') but how they do get around that with the last couple of 'new' book launches is simply to put up a prominent notice

spoilers possible

either in the thread title and/or writ large in the opening post...

That way's almost too simple and unless you're totally stupid you know to steer clear straight away (or almost) if you haven't seen the book yet and then it's entirely your own fault for reading on after being warned. ;)
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#15
OK - let's give it a go and see what happens! :laugh:

I'm going to say that we start these discussion on the first Monday of each month. Therefore the Witches Abroad discussion will start on Monday 1st June.

I'll post an introduction and brief synopsis on that date.

That means you all have a little over two weeks to read or reread Witches Abroad. ;)
 
#18
:laugh: I volunteer for the American Red Cross, and at a meeting today, I mentioned Terry Pratchett. The guy in charge of advertising started laughing and agreeing with me. Apparently he owns many TP books and just Loves em. Woot, I love to find fellow Pratchett fans and that was a very pleasant suprise.

I love doing the volunteer stuff, I do face painting a few times a year. It is a really good way to have fun and do some good at the same time.

8)
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#19
Sharlene and I go to a library discussion group when I'm here in Tucson and when I was here at Christmas we managed to get the group to read and discuss Going Postal. It was satisfying to hear all the positive comments from people who had never read (or even heard of) Pratchett before. We made a few converts that day. ;)
 

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