SPOILERS Snuff *Warning Spoilers*

[anapoda]

I haven't really enjoyed a book written by Pratchett since Making Money. (2007)

And man, it sure is not going to change with this one. Snuff is definitely the weakest Watch book.

In fact the book bored me so much that it took me like a whole damn week to reach the final page.

How low the mighty have fallen...time sure is taking its toll on Pratchett.

 

[Tonyblack]

I find myself in almost total disagreement with you there, anapoda. I thought Making Money was the worse DW book I have ever read and have really enjoyed the ones written since then. But it wouldn't do if we were all the same.

Welcome to the site.

 

[raisindot]

Hi, Anapoda!

I'm in complete agreement with you there. With the exception of "I Shall Wear Midnight," all of Pterry's post Making Money novels have seen a huge decline in his skills.

 

[Margi]

Well that just goes to prove how different we all are.

I love classical music, my son loves heavy metal. I hate ketchup and my hubby loves it! I love Marmite and he hates it.

I love the Watch books - all of them - and some of you prefer the Witches or the Industrial Revolution ones, or many others. Sir Terry brings different styles to each series. Always himself, but with different attitudes. I don't think I would say that his skill has diminished, but his style has changed - matured maybe. His books have become darker. But hey! I like dark. So they suit me. For me the comedy is just a fun addition to some rollicking good stories set in an intricately complete, fantastic world.

I do sometimes notice the odd continuity error, or some repetitions of things said before, but then that happens in any long series of books by even the very best authors - and that includes Sir Terry, who still writes amazingly well despite his mind doing its best to wander off on its own sometimes.

Ok, I've sucked up enough, I'm going to shutup now.

 

[Loopyc]

I love all the Discworld books but is anyone else struggling with 'judgement day?

 

[=Tamar]

I love all the Discworld books but is anyone else struggling with 'judgement day?

Not yet. *sigh*

 

[Loopyc]

Sorry - are we not supposed to discuss it yet?

 

[Loopyc]

Do you have the book yet Tamar?

 

[Tonyblack]

Sorry - are we not supposed to discuss it yet?

No, you can go ahead and discuss it. Just be aware that some people may not have read it yet, so watch out for spoilers.

Better still, I'll post a thread with spoiler warnings where you can post spoilers to your heart's content.

 

[=Tamar]

Do you have the book yet Tamar?

No. The delivery should happen this week sometime.

 

[Loopyc]

Nice - look forward to your comments when your done

 

[Slantaholic]

What with the gorgon in the Watch and so much made of how many species there are there, I always thought the Summoning Dark may show up as Constable Summoning Dark in the next book. I wouldn't be surprised if Carrot hired it if he hired gargoyles.

 

[Tonyblack]

Oh I like that idea. How about Constable Cunning Man too?

 

[simmonds91]

Ghosts, I reckon TPratchett could add the ghost of a fallen constable to the force.

 

[=Tamar]

Ghosts, I reckon TPratchett could add the ghost of a fallen constable to the force.

No fallen constable would keep working. How would they get paid? Where would they patrol, the cemetery at Small Gods? Besides, ghosts on the Disc generally have to stay where they die.

 

[raisindot]

In Wyrd Sisters, didn't Nanny bring all of the ghosts in the castle to her house by bringing the pieces of castle (rocks, etc.) from rooms they were haunting? And let's not forget how the ghost of the randy professor of necromancy was 'exorcised' to a honored seat at the Pinky Pussycat Club. No reason why Vimes couldn't grab a piece of floorboard from a room where a tanner was murdered and drop it in an alley in the shades. The ghosts would work wonders as crime deterrents....

 

[=Tamar]

In Wyrd Sisters, didn't Nanny bring all of the ghosts in the castle to her house by bringing the pieces of castle (rocks, etc.) from rooms they were haunting? And let's not forget how the ghost of the randy professor of necromancy was 'exorcised' to an honored seat at the Pink Pussycat Club. No reason why Vimes couldn't grab a piece of floorboard from a room where a tanner was murdered and drop it in an alley in the shades. The ghosts would work wonders as crime deterrents....

It depends on the ghost. In WS, they can only be seen by family members, the psychically sensitive, children, and animals. In the case of the posthumous Prof. of Post-Mortem Communications, he was able to annoy the disrespectful punters, so there's some variation, but on the whole, the ghost of a dead policeman would probably become just a laughing stock or tourist attraction for the ruder sort of criminal. It would take someone with the abilities of Mrs. Cake to get its witness statement of crimes it had observed, and with the Guild licensing, that's futile except for the occasional freelancer.
On the other hand, a police ghost might work as a way to lower the unlicensed crime rate in one particular location; it's harder to damage a ghost than a gargoyle.

 

[UnseenAcademical88]

I find myself in almost total disagreement with you there, anapoda. I thought Making Money was the worse DW book I have ever read and have really enjoyed the ones written since then. But it wouldn't do if we were all the same.

Welcome to the site.

I have to agree Tony with Making Money. I only made it up to Chapter 4 and I lost interest to read any further. I also had the same situation with Snuff. Having said that I wouldn't mind giving both books another chance and I will probably re-read them, with the intention of finishing them, at some point.

 

[=Tamar]

Sir Terry takes his times laying the groundwork, and sometimes he's extremely subtle. He just hides the subtle bits with the obvious stuff. That's absolutely standard technique for mysteries and the Watch books are mystery novels, so you need to look for the hidden elements. It's also true that Sir Terry is always working on three books at once - one in full swing, one having the finishing touches worked over, and one just getting started. Often there's a kind of leakage and style elements from one novel will affect those before and after; this is more noticeable if you read them in chronological order. So the techniques used in Watch novels are sometimes used in non-Watch novels. Making Money is one of those so affected, more so since it appears to be the middle book in a trilogy.

 

[tristanbowl]

Sir Terry takes his times laying the groundwork, and sometimes he's extremely subtle. He just hides the subtle bits with the obvious stuff. That's absolutely standard technique for mysteries and the Watch books are mystery novels, so you need to look for the hidden elements. It's also true that Sir Terry is always working on three books at once - one in full swing, one having the finishing touches worked over, and one just getting started. Often there's a kind of leakage and style elements from one novel will affect those before and after; this is more noticeable if you read them in chronological order. So the techniques used in Watch novels are sometimes used in non-Watch novels. Making Money is one of those so affected, more so since it appears to be the middle book in a trilogy.

The hidden elements make it more exciting. It takes you to a side of your imagination which most writers cannot do.