Page 1 of 2 Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Submitted by Colin Whorton  (Sep 18, 2005)I found this book both extremely funny and terribly funny. The relationship between the Luggage (scary) and Rincewind has reached new depths! While the ending is a bit weird but still rib splitting, you'll enjoy the opening sequences of Rincewind better :Note the diary. Overall a truly hilarious book you wont be able to put down! Submitted by Berni Armstrong  (Nov 22, 2004)Terry Pratchet is a perceptive author who appears to be able to look dispassionately at the ways of mankind as if he were from another wiser and more stable universe. The world he has created in his Discworld series is not a more sensible or just place, it is a warped reflection of our own world, whose inhabitants mirror our behaviour in all its glory and folly. Each novel has a central theme which allows Pratchett to point out the beauties and absurdities of the equivalent phenomenon on our own planet Earth. Whether focussing his satirical searchlight on the outlandish antics of tourists (“The Colour of Magic”), the absurdities of Hollywood (“Moving Pictures”) or the contradictions of belief (“Small Gods”) – to name but a few – he manages to illuminate his subject for the reader, while giving them an enjoyable and often hilarious roller coaster ride through his intricate plots.
Few fantasy authors have been able to sustain interest in their imaginative world with the ease with which Pratchet has. His hoards of loyal fans devour each new edition as soon as it rolls off the press and are seldom disappointed. Of course, in such a broad canvas, there are always details that are open to criticism. He has been accused of veering towards repetitiveness and auto-plagiarism, especially in having produced several novels in the series with DEATH as a main character. However, if Pratchett returns to a theme, it is probably because he has felt that his previous works on a subject have still not yielded all the juice that his wit can squeeze out of them, rather than due to a lack of ideas.
Pratchett is the latest in a long line of comic authors, stretching back to Aristophanes, who have the ability to examine the human race under a microscope and point out the absurdities of so much that we take for granted as normal. Few, however, have matched the breadth of his imagination or the depth of his humanity. I would have no hesitation in recommending Pratchett’s "Discworld Series" to any reader, not just the fantasy fan.
Submitted by Chris Palmertree  (Oct 19, 2003)What can I say that has not already been said about Terry Pratchett's Discworld series? All I can do is write the adjectives that describe his work. Brilliant, hilarious, interesting, swarthy, colloquial, blessed, etc. etc. etc. The first Discworld book I read was Jingo, and I was so astounded by it that I had to buy the rest. It is sublimely clever and I often find myself laughing out loud in public while reading it (receiving some very odd looks from spectators). Quite simply it is a collection of the best books I have ever read. I strongly recommend these books to anyone who is interested in intelligent and somewhat insightful reading. Submitted by Anonymous  (Aug 30, 2002)The whole series is amazing! Anyone who wants an intelligent yet fantastically funny read should buy, borrow or steal one of his books! They're all great! Submitted by exclaimation (Nov 02, 2000)Where to begin?
Discworld, complex little 'wossname', er...
Let's see, those of you who actually read Discworld will know that there is a four distinct categories or groups... of course there are more that don't fit in any group...
1. Rincewind/Wizards (failure Wizzard who can't even spell. He's a coward-and proud of it!)
2. Watch (my brother loves these. A good detective feel to most novels. Sherlock Holmes with style, sort of thing.)
3. DEATH (yup, the tall, boney fella with the scythe. Oh, and he always speaks in CAPITALS. watch out for him in every book, he's there)
4. Witches (most of these have a Shakepearean atmosphere to them. Wyrd sisters - Macbeth, Lords and Ladies - A Midsummer Night's Dream etc.)
5. other series. (this category ranges from religion-Small Gods- to the small, and unknown kingdom of Djelibeybi-Pyramids)
there... that's about it...
All together, it's a wonderful set of novels to read,, especially if you just wanna curl up and have a good chuckle at life from a different perspective.
One particular part that is so enjoyable about Discworld is the comparison between real life and disc life. ('Discworld is a world and mirror of worlds...')
Eg. the appearance of rock music in Ankh-Morpork (known as 'music with rocks in'-read Soul Music to find out why) and the hillarious reaction.
For those of you out there who have YET to read Discworld... I'm warning you... as soon as you finish reading this... to do so... you don't know what you're missing.
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