SPOILERS The Last Hero Discussion *Spoilers*

[pip]

No audio version of this book then

 

[DaveC]

No audio version of this book then

 

[The Mad Collector]

No audio version of this book then

There is actually. The full version read by Stephen Briggs is either 4 or 5 CDs long rather than the usual 10 to 12, I've got it somewhere

 

[pip]

post comment i went and checked as well. Crazy stuff mad.

 

[Tonyblack]

Ok - what are your favourite illustrations?

 

[Doughnut Jimmy]

Sorry Tony, although the illustrations are ok I don't remember any clearly enough to have a favourite.

The fact that it's very short isn't really a problem as it's a fable not a novel but the "motto" at the end - "No one remembers the singer. The song remains" isn't really the one I'd expected, it seems only tangentially connected to the main theme of humanity defying fate/the gods.

I also felt the whole plotline with the plan to save the world by stopping the silver horde was rather weak.

 

[Tonyblack]

Actually, I see this one as a sort of transition book in the series. We have seen Discworld and, in particular, Ankh-Morpork, develop through the series. We gone from Medieval to Regency to Industrial Revolution and Victorian. Cohen and co. are part of an outdated era on Discworld.

They don't fit into the books any more so this is Terry's way of letting them, literally, go out with a bang. I think the books have moved even further into a more modern era since this book.

Which takes me back to favourite illustrations. Mine is actually two - it's sort of the Before and After pictures of the minstrel. That picture of him in rags sitting on the rock playing his homemade lyre is excellent in my opinion.

 

[mystmoon]

I love the one of Cohen and the Horde flying off on the Valkyries horses!

 

[The Mad Collector]

That picture of him in rags sitting on the rock playing his homemade lyre is excellent in my opinion.

Yes I really like that one as well, but it is the parodies of da Vinci's sketchbooks done as Leonard of Quirms notebook that make the book for me and why I don't think it could work without the pictures.

 

[Tonyblack]

Where it really wouldn't work without the pictures is at the end when Leonard is painting the temple of Small Gods. If you took the picture away it would simply be: "He's finished it already!"

I noticed for the first time on this read that his helicopter is dragon powered - and apparently they are Moon dragons.

And I love the fryingpan stuck to Rincewind's back in that picture.

Did anyone spot the reference to The Truth in one of the pictures? I laughed out loud when I spotted it.

 

[The Mad Collector]

You have a definite advantage over me there Tony as I am doing this thread without access to any of my copies of the book as they are all packed away as part of my attempt to sell the house which means lots of books and other items are now in storage

I am therefore working from memory a lot of the time on this thread. The pictures are so significant to the story that I really would like to get hold of the US proof to see what it is like without them, as that is the only version of the book without illustations.

 

[Tonyblack]

Any other comments about this book? Anybody??

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

I only just finished it - being so short there's not really an awful lot to discuss. I thought the Patrician and Leonard as always added something to the proceedings but that Terry made a big mistake putting Carrot on the ship and, annoyingly, had to put the Librarian in there too so he (Carrot) wasn't too much of a drag factor.

And no matter what anyone says I like Rincewind!

 

[poohcarrot]

I enjoyed it. Can't think of any reason to criticise it.

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

Not even a little bit?

 

[poohcarrot]

OK.

The pictures are crap and the story's pants! :twisted:

 

[Tonyblack]

I am always surprised that some people do not 'get' what happens to Cohen and the Hoarde at the end. We've seen it on this site that people have posted to ask 'did they survive?'

I don't think it's all that ambiguous - do you?

 

[Willem]

Common sense says they died.

But this is the Discworld.

And they're heroes.


I'd say it was a million to one chance of them surviving

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

They're legend so they can never die

Besides which they p*ssed the Valkyries off so they're caught between the Disc and the afterlife. Probably some morphic resonance wossnames kicking in too I expect :twisted:

Perhaps they'll get a gig on the next walkout with the Apocralypse Boys with War or Ronnie Soak?

 

[Tonyblack]

You now have two weeks to read or reread Mort for the discussion starting on Monday 7th March.