SPOILERS Raising Steam *Warning Spoilers*

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Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#1
Ok you've got your copy of Raising Steam, read it and now want to discuss it with others that have read it.

Do it here. This is a spoiler zone.

If you haven't read Raising Steam yet, then you probably don't want to go any further reading this thread.

You have been warned!


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Quatermass

Sergeant-at-Arms
Dec 7, 2010
7,736
2,950
#2
Okay, finished reading it. And here's my review from another BBS...

REVIEW: Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett

With Terry Pratchett on the wane thanks to his Alzheimers, each Discworld book may very well be his last. However, he has managed to make it to 40 books, and his 40th book is a real humdinger. Although Discworld has been slowly but surely progressing technologically, perhaps its biggest paradigm shift is on the way, in the form of steam engines...

Change is sweeping the Discworld. Dick Simnel, a talented inventor and engineer, is developing the Discworld's first steam engine under the purview of nightsoil millionaire Sir Harry King. Lord Vetinari, not sure what to make of this new development, orders former conman Moist von Lipwig to assess it, and oversee its potential. Enthusiasm for the railway builds with the steam pressure, but not everyone is happy. Deep under Uberwald, hardline dwarves are causing trouble, and they have set their sights on anyone aiding the Low King of the Dwarves. Moist and the Aknh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway may have skilled tinkering goblins, a steam engine that may very well be alive, and possibly the best engineer on the Discworld on their side, but they'll need all the help they can get when politics and murder get involved...

I think, after the very dark stories recently, particularly Snuff, which leads into this story, I feel that something lighter was needed for a change, and while there are many dark elements in Raising Steam, this is altogether a more light work. I've been awaiting the return of Moist von Lipwig since Making Money, and while this story isn't quite the best vehicle for his character, it's still a pretty bloody excellent one. It feels like Discworld is changing ever more now, and this book was intended to give a last hurrah, just in case. It's a rollicking ride through progress, with excellent themes about prejudice that, although they run through the rest of Pratchett's work, are particularly prevalent here and in some other books. It's a joyous enthusiastic work with a good ending, bringing together elements from previous Discworld books together. Great fun to read.

Are there things to complain about in Raising Steam? Many things, almost all of them very minor. Moist's behaviour, and indeed that of a few characters, seem a little inconsistent compared to previous books. Perhaps the biggest complaint I have is that this book requires one to have read many of the previous books (particularly The Fifth Elephant and Thud!) in order to have some understanding of the plot. Almost perversely and certainly conversely, some plot elements from previous books that one would expect to culminate here seem to be forgotten (like the Undertaking of previous books, which seemed to hint at an underground railway). And I could have sworn that the main villain of this book had died at the end of another.

However, these are relatively small quibbles in a book I nonetheless enjoyed immensely. If this is the last hurrah on the Discworld, then it was a damned good one.


9.5/10
More about it later...
 
Apr 29, 2009
11,929
2,525
London
#3
Just been looking at it on Amazon (contemplating buying for my Kindle), and there are some pretty bad reviews.

Mostly saying that it doesn't appear to have been written by TP.
 

pip

Sergeant-at-Arms
Sep 3, 2010
8,765
2,850
KILDARE
#4
I always find the negative reviews come very quickly on a big release. Can't you get it on the hellish kindle device and return it if you don't like it.
 

TheAnts

Lance-Constable
Nov 5, 2013
26
1,650
#6
Re the actual book ... "you can pretend like no bees' nest", says one of the goblins to Moist.

Normally goblin-speak is reasonably unravelable, but I don't get that one at all. Can any one shed any light on it? If it had been just "a bees' nest" it might have meant creating a buzz, but it isn't.

PS I know what people might mean by "not by Terry Pratchett", but only because you can see the joins more in recent books than you can in the older ones. It's clearly either written by Terry Pratchett "or someone else of the same name", as somebody once said of Homer.

I have not finished the book yet, so I will know probably after the weekend what the disappointed reviewers are having a problem with. Yes, if Lao-tse plays no further part in the story, i will know that the bits are there, but the stitching-up of the bits hasn't reached the normal cosmic Pratchett standard. I've seen it appproaching. I still feel privilaged to live in a time when his books are being published.

PS the footnote on page 169 doesn't quite deal with the fact that in Snuff, the unggue pots were not ceramic at all, they were made of stone. There are quite a few little discontinuities like this. But then, it's a book, isn't it?
 

anapoda

New Member
Apr 22, 2013
5
1,650
#7
Weird book, to say the least. Weird disworld book, weird Moist book and weird Pratchett book.

The focus of the story keeps changing to the point that after the first third of the book i found myself thinking "who's supposed to be the main character of this book ?"

And is that Moist Von Lipwig ?

Well, i can easily see why some people are saying that it feels like if Pratchett didn't write this book.
 

Quatermass

Sergeant-at-Arms
Dec 7, 2010
7,736
2,950
#8
I know why some people can see the joins, and are wondering about Moist, but I still enjoyed it.

Most of the things that bothered me about Raising Steam were relatively small ones. But one thing that keeps bothering me, and spoiler alert, is that I thought Ardent the Grag was killed at the end of Thud! by Bashfull Bashfullsson.
 

Ogg

Lance-Corporal
Jan 23, 2009
107
2,275
Cornwall, UK
#9
I believe Ardent was merely incapacitated after enduring a karate chop to the throat, voice-less but very much alive.
I enjoyed the read and and am reading it again because I have a tendency to devour the man's words. The narrative has a certain feel that much is certain but all things considering we can do nothing but appreciate the fortieth DW opus. I hope to elaborate further but in the mean time it's a thumbs up from me.
 

simmonds91

Lance-Corporal
Oct 29, 2012
248
1,825
#11
I thought the book was amazing, though as with anything there will always be the odd flaw or two (literally "or two"), those little imperfections you'll get in any book but honestly they really arent a big deal in this. I think it was great the patrician had a bigger role/script this time and i liked how we got to see more interaction between the various protagonists (e.g vimes + slightly wet). I love how the fictional world is more detailed now too, the map that came with my copy filled in the gaps a bit (i cant really map out the various places so the maps that come with the various books really help) I know where the chalk is now at last for example :)
 

=Tamar

Lieutenant
May 20, 2012
11,961
2,900
#12
TheAnts said:
Re the actual book ... "you can pretend like no bees' nest", says one of the goblins to Moist.

Normally goblin-speak is reasonably unravelable, but I don't get that one at all. Can any one shed any light on it? If it had been just "a bees' nest" it might have meant creating a buzz, but it isn't.
Back in the 1920s or so, "the bees knees" was funny-Frenchish-speak for "the business" - something that was the best, the most professional. There was an associated phrase, doing something "like nobody's business" meaning "very well". I assume that either the goblin was complimenting somebody's ability to pretend, or possibly suggesting that someone pretend there was no business going on.
 
Nov 15, 2011
3,310
2,650
Aust.
#13
Who's Wee Dug said:
Like it so far I did not recognise Briggs narration at first as he sounded totally different, but as soon he was voicing a older Disworld character all was well. :mrgreen:
So you're listening to the audio version? I'm really sorry to say I haven't really liked any DW audio book I've listened to. I don't like the voices Tony or Nigel do, especially Nanny or Granny. I wish they'd just read it & not worry about the silly voices.

I haven't heard Stephen Briggs at all.

I regularly tell people they're the bee's knees.

Raising Steam is on my Christmas list. I usually can't wait but I will this year.
 

TheAnts

Lance-Constable
Nov 5, 2013
26
1,650
#14
=Tamar said:
TheAnts said:
Re the actual book ... "you can pretend like no bees' nest", says one of the goblins to Moist.

Normally goblin-speak is reasonably unravelable, but I don't get that one at all. Can any one shed any light on it? If it had been just "a bees' nest" it might have meant creating a buzz, but it isn't.
Back in the 1920s or so, "the bees knees" was funny-Frenchish-speak for "the business" - something that was the best, the most professional. There was an associated phrase, doing something "like nobody's business" meaning "very well". I assume that either the goblin was complimenting somebody's ability to pretend, or possibly suggesting that someone pretend there was no business going on.
Thank you Tamar I think that just about nails it.

i am not QUITE that old but both those phrases are in regular use around here, however I never twigged that "bees knees" was funny-speak for "business". Now how about dogs' .......... no maybe not :laugh:
 
Nov 12, 2013
10
1,650
#15
TheAnts said:
Re the actual book ... "you can pretend like no bees' nest", says one of the goblins to Moist.

Normally goblin-speak is reasonably unravelable, but I don't get that one at all. Can any one shed any light on it? If it had been just "a bees' nest" it might have meant creating a buzz, but it isn't.
Business

Can anyone explain the kitten torture method? I would not recommend googling it.
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#16
I'm about half way through and therefore have not read the other comments. This is a really, really good book. I thought I might hate another Moist book, but I was wrong.
 

anapoda

New Member
Apr 22, 2013
5
1,650
#19
Shame that Pratchett seems totally incapable to write a book without putting Vimes in it.

It's like force feeding at this point for the reader.
 

=Tamar

Lieutenant
May 20, 2012
11,961
2,900
#20
anapoda said:
Shame that Pratchett seems totally incapable to write a book without putting Vimes in it.
It's like force feeding at this point for the reader.
It's set in Ankh-Morpork. If he didn't put Vimes in it, he'd have people asking where Vimes is. Sending him off to the countryside again wouldn't work.
 

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