The Art of Discworld

Customer Reviews:

Simply neato!.......2007-10-06

Like every Discworld fan, I've always had in my mind a good idea of what the characters looked like. I pictured Ridcully as Brian Blessed, Vetenari as David Warner, Granny Weatherwax as either Judi Dentch or Maggie Smith, Lady Sybil as Dawn French, CMOT Dibbler as Eric Idle, and Vimes as Russell Crowe. This book doesn't present the characters exactly as I've pictured them, but it's not far off and what it shows is certainly great!

Consider the picture of A'Tuin flying through space, or the picture of Granny Weatherwax smiling broadly. Look at Greebo, oozing feline malevolence (though too bad we didn't get a look at his human form, once described as being the sort of person who can commit sexual harrasment by sitting quietly in the other room).

All your favorite characters are here, and most of them are so well-done you can look at them and just KNOW who it is, without being told. Look at the totally gormless picture of Fred Colon, for example, or Carrot, looking quite noble... almost... regal...

Basically what it boils down to is that if you enjoyed, The Last Hero: A Discworld Fable you'll like this book. There's no story, just some lovely artwork. A definate must-own for any Discworld fan!

The next best thing to a Discworld movie!.......2007-08-08

"The Art of Discworld" is a beautiful collection of images by Paul Kidby - some are pen and pencil essays, others are more advanced sketches and many form completed paintings. They are grouped by theme and portray the Discworld itself, several landscapes (Ankh-Morpork, Lancre, Überwald...) and buildings (Unseen University, several Guilds, Night Watch HQ...) and almost every named character in the Discworld universe. In addition, Terry Pratchett adds interesting, lengthy comments on characters, how they came to be and his opinion on Paul Kidby's view of them.

There are a couple of inexplicable omissions (for instance, Magrat Garlick is barely shown in the background of a picture, even though she is mentioned repeatedly in the accompanying text) and several images have already been featured elsewhere (e.g. several book covers, the Mapps,the Calendars).

Finally, the illustrations and the text correspond to the Discworld situation as it was by 2006, which means there are some serious SPOILERS in the text for those who haven't read the corresponding books.

Overall, this is an absolute MUST for any serious Discworld fan. It's gorgeous to look at, interesting to read and at times hysterically funny like only something written by Terry Pratchett can be.

Wonderful artwork!.......2007-05-15

I would say that the art depicting the various characters of Discworld looks exactly like I had imagined them. This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend if you are a Discworld fan. The only thing missing in this book is a depiction of Sybil, Vime's wife. I would liked to have seen her included in "The Art of Discworld". All in all, an excellent Discworld resource for the Discworld fan!

Visualizing Pratchett's brain.......2007-03-08

It's amazing how a well written description or the good development of a character can put an image in someone's mind.

I found Paul Kidby's illustrations to be as I expected the assorted characters to appear. And it motivated me to further pursue reading more of Pratchett's work.

An Illuminating Glimpse onto the Disc.......2005-11-02

I was introduced to the art of Discworld a bit late and The Last Hero was the first I saw. Currently I'm reading the Josh Kirby illustrated edition of Eric and I'll say up front that I prefer Paul Kidby's illustrations. From the brilliance of the Mona Ogg on the front cover to the masterful illustrations of Death I think that Kidby captures the spirit of the Disc.

Of course we don't just see Kidby's take on everybody from Lord Vetinari to Granny Weatherwax to Foul Ol' Ron, this volume also includes many notes from Terry Pratchett himself. Pratchett's notes make up the main body of the text and often Kidby's comments follow in italics. I especially enjoy seeing the evolution of different characters as when Terry reveals that Guards, Guards! wasn't intended to start a whole series of City Watch books. Rather he says that he wanted "to give them a moment in the sun, but it turned out to be a full tropical holiday."

One of my favourite illustrations is the one of Death as the Hogfather. I think the spirit of Death (and 'Pixie Albert') is perfectly captured with the grinning skull. Throughout the volume are many excellent full colour illustrations such as this as well as a number of sketches and line drawings.

I still imagine Discworld characters when I read a novel, but with this volume I can delve in a bit deeper and see them in new situations. Where else will you see apt parodies of The Scream, The Mona Lisa, or Rembrant's Night Watch?

If you're a long-time Discworld addict then your collection should not be without this volume. However, if you are a newcomer then beware. You're sure to enjoy the illustrations, but they and the text will spoil many of the previous books.

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A pioneer of modern warfare, almost forgotten
A Brave and Brilliant Patriot

The Josh Kirby Discworld Portfolio
Josh Kirby
Manufacturer: Paper Tiger
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1850282595

Book Description

"I'm one of the very few [writers] who wait anxiously to see what new delights the book cover will bring."--Terry Pratchett. Original artworks of rare distinction--all born from a very special partnership between an author and the painter who faithfully brings his fantastical universe to life in images. When Josh Kirby received the commission to do the cover for Terry Pratchett's first Discworld novel, he had no inkling that this would lead to something much bigger than a one-off assignment. However, since that time, their partnership has expanded beyond the series to include two earlier sci-fi and several children's books, as well as Eric, a fully-illustrated novella. Here, in richly dazzling colors and vividly energetic designs, are the wizards, witches, bizarre creatures, and (of course!) voluptuous maidens that populate this unusual world--a disc of sea and land balanced on the backs of four elephants, which themselves ride on the back of a cosmic turtle that swims through space. Plus: a selection of paintings from their other collaborations.

Customer Reviews:

A pioneer of modern warfare, almost forgotten.......2006-11-13

There was a time, 300 years ago, when Robert Holmes was as famous for his victories -- especially his brilliant raid, when most of the Dutch merchant fleet was burned at its moorings, ever after known as Holmes' Bonfire -- as Marlborough was for his. But perhaps because of his modesty, or because his line petered out, or because materials were scarce, for nearly three centuries there was no full biography of this founder of Britain's sea supremacy.

In 1969, Richard Ollard remedied most of this with 'Man of War.' Elegantly written and deeply informed, the biography disappoints only by its thinness. This, however, is not Ollard's fault.

In those more spacious days, Holmes set out to make a career as a cavalryman and ended up an admiral. Allied with Prince Rupert and the Stuarts, he participated in desperate adventures, not only in England but in Africa and the Caribbean.

The early Stuart navy was still more medieval than renaissance, and not at all modern. It was the Roundheads who began to regularize and modernize, appointing army generals to command at sea. In the dingdong battles of the Dutch wars, they, so to speak, lost the spurs they had won so hardly and won cocked hats.

Intelligent men, they quickly learned naval strategy. Holmes, as good as any of them, carried this intelligence over into peacetime, when he helped create the administration of the modern navy. Another reason he may have been relegated to obscurity is that he often tangled with Samuel Pepys, the secretary, who by both merit and his ever-interesting diary, became a more revered figure.

Holmes deserves, from the English, as much consideration. His life was full of revolutions, and near its end, one more, when the Stuarts were replaced and Holmes, as civil governor of the Isle of Wight, had to deal with the invasion of William's army. Ollard writes: 'His resilience, his stout-heartedness and his personal loyalty shine brightly in what for him must have been days of darkness and disaster. He was old and infirm; the cause of the Stuarts whom he he served without romanticism but with honour and fidelity, never more conspicuous than in ectremes of misfortune, was manifestly lost; but until the King admitted defeat Holmes would not desert him.'

This book should be read by anyone interested in naval history, especially the professionalization and modernization of the Royal Navy.

Note: The title is 'Man of War,' not 'Phoenix Man of War' as listed in Amazon's catalogue. Phoenix is the British publishing house responsible for this reprint.

A Brave and Brilliant Patriot.......2004-09-08

Robert Holmes was a brilliant and professional admiral who served the House of Stuart faithfully and well, at great personal cost to himself. He began as a dashing soldier in Charles I's Cavalier army. After power was usurped by Oliver Cromwell and his firebrand Puritans, Holmes remained loyal to King-in-Exile, serving as one of Prince Rupert's most effective lieutenants in the famous cruise of the Royalist fleet during the 1650s. When, in 1660, legitimate government returned in the form of King Charles II, Holmes became a leading supporter of the Royal Africa Company and, later, admiral in the Restoration navy. Ollard provides a brilliant account, based on contemporary sources, of Holmes's controversial raid on the Dutch fortresses in Gambia (arguably provoking the Second Anglo-Dutch war); he also explains Holmes's role in intercepting the Dutch Smyrna fleet (arguably causing the Third Anglo-Dutch war). The climax of the story is Holmes's brilliant raid on islands of Vlie and Schelling, dealing much-deserved retribution to the Dutch aggressor. Finally the author traces Holmes's virtual retirement to the position of governor of the Isle of Wight. A comprehensive biography of a much-neglected defender of English liberty.

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Terry Pratchett does it again
Funny as always
Shades of Watergate
THIS IS A PLAY
Discworld

The Truth (Methuen Drama)
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: Methuen Publishing, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0413771164

Amazon.com

The Truth, Pratchett's 25th Discworld novel, skewers the newspaper business. When printing comes to Ankh-Morpork, it "drag(s) the city kicking and screaming into the Century of the Fruitbat." Well, actually, out of the Century of the Fruitbat. As the Bursar remarks, if the era's almost over, it's high time they embraced its challenges.

William de Worde, well-meaning younger son of reactionary nobility, has been providing a monthly newsletter to the elite using engraving. Then he is struck (and seriously bruised) by the power of the press. The dwarves responsible convince William to expand his letter and the Ankh-Morpork Times is born. Soon William has a staff, including Sacharissa Cripslock, a genteel young lady with a knack for headline writing, and photographer Otto Chriek. Otto's vampirism causes difficulties: flash pictures cause him to crumble to dust and need reconstitution, and he must battle his desire for blood, particularly Sacharissa's. When Lord Vetinari is accused of attempted murder, the City Watch investigates the peculiar circumstances, but William wants to know what really happened. The odds for his survival drop as his questions multiply.

The Truth is satirical, British, and full of sly jokes. Although this cake doesn't rise quite as high as it did in previous volumes, even ordinary Pratchett is pretty darn good, and those who haven't read a Discworld novel before can start here and go on to that incredible backlist. --Nona Vero

Book Description

While filling his pages with reports of local club meetings and pictures of humorously shaped vegetables, William accidentally discovers dark forces plotting to overthrow the city's ruler.

Customer Reviews:

Terry Pratchett does it again.......2007-09-04

I love Terry Pratchett books. This one was read in one night...laughing my head off.

Funny as always.......2007-07-24

This book was very funny, and as usual when I read a Pratchett book, I find myself laughing aloud as I read it.

This particular book is about the creation of the newspaper industry in the fictional Discworld. It reminded me a lot of "Going Postal" (the first book in this series I read) which traced the beginning of the Postal service in Discworld.

Also thrown in is a parody of the Watergate/ Deep Throat story, and some light parodies of Nixon era conservatism and conservative values:
"Apparently he says he's looking forward to a new era in our history and will put Ankh-Morpork back on the path of responsible citizenship, sir....Apparently he wants a return to the values and traditions that made this city great."
"Does he know what those values and traditions were?" said Vimes, aghast.

The photographer for the newspaper is a vampire with a fascination for flash photography. And if you think a vampire is the last person who should be playing with bright lights, perhaps you can see where some of the humor is going.

Also like the other books in the discworld series, Pratchett does a clever job of explaining away potential anachronisms in his sword and sorcery era fantasy world. For example, there are cameras and tape recorders in this novel, but they are all powered by magical imps. (It is kind of similar to the old Flinstones gag of having all the modern appliances performed by dinosaurs.) Some of it boarders on corny, but mostly its good fun.

Shades of Watergate.......2007-06-16

"The Truth" details the forming of the Discworld's first newspaper. It also features two Tarantino-style bad-guys in the forms of Mr Wint and Mr Kidd... er... rather... Mr Pin and Mr Tulip, a major political scandal, the excitement of editing and "Deep Bone".

William de Worde, scion of the de Worde family and general lay-about, has a good thing going. He writes up an informational letter which he sends to the nobles of the Disc. They pay him in money, or, occasionally, figs.

One day he gets the brilliant notion of publishing this sheet for the consumption of the general population. And so we have the birth of "The Ankh-Morpork Items", or rather, due to a printer's error, the "Times". The "New York Inquirer" it's not. Before long our hero is embroiled in a massive scandal involving the Patrician and a lot of money.

The book, like all the Discworld novels, is set on the Disc, but takes place in our world. Pratchett makes his usual wry observations on the state of humanity (especially when the Patrician comments that what people think they want is news, but what they really crave is olds), and throws in some amusing slapstick ("Spit or swallow? The eternal question").

Really, this is quite a well-rounded novel. It works both as a crime novel and a slight history of the early days of the newspaper industry. You'll also, as is often the case with a Discworld book, learn quite a bit. Where else will you find out what a tosheroon is?

Though newcomers to the series might find some of the references to other characters (the Patrician, Vimes, etc), a little confusing at first, don't worry. You'll figure them out soon enough.

And remember: the truth shall make ye fret!

THIS IS A PLAY.......2006-10-14

Just wanted to note that this is the stage adaptation, not the novel. The reviews coming up on this page seem to be reviews of the original book, not the play. I'd hate for anyone to buy the wrong version.

Discworld.......2006-08-27

I've decided he's too good and too prolific for me to write a brand new review every single time I read one of his books. Discworld currently has 34 titles and every one of them will probably knock your socks off. His mind bubbles and flashes like a boiling pot of electric eels, and I simply can't get enough of his writing.

A reviewer has compared him to Geoffrey Chaucer. He reminds me more of Douglas Adams, or perhaps S Morgenstern. Great company, isn't it? He's an extremely skillful and imaginative writer, damn funny, clever and observant to boot. He's also very easy to read. A master of characterization, and if there's anything else you like about reading that I didn't mention here, assume I simply forgot. He's awesome.

Another reviewer mentioned Jonathan Swift and PG Wodehouse. Why such hallowed company? Because Pratchett belongs there! Truly, I'm enjoying my quest to read every book in the series. You should do the same, and begin your quest at the library because he's got to be there. He's awesome!

Yet another reviewer said Jerome K Jerome meets Lord of the Rings. Yeah, that works too.

Why do we, as reviewers, compare authors to other authors? Because it's easier than thinking. In the case of Terry Pratchett, it's probably because we'd otherwise wind up quoting the guy. He's so unique that we just don't know how else to cope with his greatness. Even this paragraph sounds like foamy drool raving, doesn't it? That's how all readers react to Pratchett. Reviewers simply don't have the good sense to keep it to themselves.

I could call his writing fantasy, but I could likewise call what Douglas Adams wrote science fiction. In both cases, I wouldn't be wrong, but I'd be neglecting so much and just totally missing the point. A rare few authors transcend a genre to such a degree that you know they're shouting out, loud and proud, a big fat "Bite me!"

I love Terry Pratchett's writing, and I completely understand why some folks refer to him as their favorite author. Or favourite, I should say, since we're being British. He's one of those authors that makes you want to grab whoever's in hearing range and start reading passages aloud. I'm simply thrilled that there's such an extremely talented and prolific author who's been working for years without me being aware of him. Now I have much catching up to do, and I will love it.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld: The Official Strategy Guide (Secrets of the Games Series.)

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Terry Pratchett's Discworld: The Official Strategy Guide (Secrets of the Games Series.)
Glen Edridge
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0761502181
Release Date: 1995-07-19

Average customer rating:

inspiring
Best cover ilustration ever

The Josh Kirby Discworld Portfolio
Josh Kirby
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1855858959

Customer Reviews:

inspiring.......2007-08-14

I do the same thing as the presious review when reading discworld books with his illistrations i always look forward to the moment in the book that is illistrated on the cover, and as the previous reviewer also find new things all the time, his work is beautifuly styled.

Best cover ilustration ever.......2007-01-05

I never seen such a good (perfect?) match between a writer and a cover illustrator. Josh Kirby illustrated the atmosphere and inhabitants of the Discworld with such an amazing accuracy. I was usually disappointed by graphic interpretations of fantasy novels, it was never really what I have imagined. With Josh Kiby illustrations, I enjoyed going back and forth to the cover while reading the book, there is so many details in these drawings that you always find new things you didn't notice at the first look. Truly inspiring.

Average customer rating:

As the novel wore on, its novelty wore off
Discworld
Captain Vimes goes into diplomacy
another enjoyable read
The Fifth Elephant

Fifth Elephant (Methuen Drama)
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: Methuen Publishing, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0413771156

Amazon.com

Terry Pratchett has a seemingly endless capacity for generating inventively comic novels about the Discworld and its inhabitants, but there is in the hearts of most of his admirers a particular place for those novels that feature the hard-bitten captain of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, Samuel Vimes. Sent as ambassador to the Northern principality of Uberwald where they mine gold, iron, and fat--but never silver--he is caught up in an uneasy truce between dwarfs, werewolves, and vampires in the theft of the Scone of Stone (a particularly important piece of dwarf bread) and in the old werewolf custom of giving humans a short start in the hunt and then cheating.

Pratchett is always at his best when the comedy is combined with a real sense of jeopardy that even favorite characters might be hurt if there was a good joke in it. As always, the most unlikely things crop up as the subjects of gags--Chekhov, grand opera, the Caine Mutiny--and as always there are remorselessly funny gags about the inevitability of story:

They say that the fifth elephant came screaming and trumpeting through the atmosphere of the young world all those years ago and landed hard enough to split continents and raise mountains.
No one actually saw it land, which raised the interesting philosophical question: when millions of tons of angry elephant come spinning through the sky, and there is no one to hear it, does it--philosophically speaking--make a noise?
As for the dwarfs, whose legend it is, and who mine a lot deeper than other people, they say that there is a grain of truth in it.

All this, the usual guest appearances, and Gaspode the Wonder Dog. --Roz Kaveney, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Commander Vimes arrives as Ankh-Morpork's ambassador but he soon finds he's an escaped prisoner--out in the icy woods, wearing only the gloomy trousers of Uncle Vanya and being chased by a pack of fascist werewolves who don't play by the rules.

Customer Reviews:

As the novel wore on, its novelty wore off.......2007-09-02

Although I love the Discworld series as a whole, I'm noticing a pattern that the ones I like the least all have Sam Vimes as the central character. I have nothing against Vimes as a character per se, but I'm beginning to suspect that some sort of "Vimes curse" exists: if Pratchett's using him, the book's ultimately going to be a disappointment.

Such was the case with The Fifth Elephant. The book started off promising, but about a third to half way through it seemed to be losing steam. Ironically, the ending seemed to drag on about 20 pages longer than it should have. In between, we have a number of tantalizing ideas that are ultimately left as unexplored red herrings. (I'm reading the series out of order, so I don't know if Pratchett was laying groundwork for future books, or if he just lost interest in them while writing.)

Another big problem I had with this book is that it had a heavy helping of overly-contrived plot convenience. Pratchett's proven that he's creative enough that he could certainly have come up with something better than the Deus Ex Machina that shows up ***a couple of times*** here.

Last gripe: in the beginning, it seems that we are going to have 3 interconnected subplots, but as the story shifts more and more to the Vimes angle, 1 of them (the Carrot/Angua arc) ultimately just becomes an unsatisfying Deus Ex Machina to get Vimes out of trouble at a critical moment, and the other (the Captain Colon arc) ultimately becomes weak comic relief -- which Pratchett (wisely) all but forgets about anyway.

Despite this, Fifth Elephant had a few amusing moments, and helped flesh out the Discworld Milieu. If you're a completionist, by all means give it a go, but remember to keep your expectations reasonable. Pratchett certainly has done better.

Discworld.......2006-08-27

Captain Vimes goes into diplomacy.......2006-08-14

Once upon a time in the Multiverse there was indeed a Fifth Elephant floating around aimlessly. He could not help it, but he crashed violently screaming and kicking into the Discworld, at the same time splitting continents and raising mountains. An eternity later his remains are still buried deep in the planes of Uberwalt, the home of vampires, werewolves and most importanly dwarves. Dwarves who are not only mining diamonds and gold, but lately also elephant fat. It is exactly that valuable asset that brings Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, to the conclusion that keeping good diplomatic relations with Uberwalt is maybe not such a bad idea. On the other side, sending Captain Vimes on such a diplomatic mission might not belong to that same pool of bright ideas.

It is always a great joy to meet the old folks of the City Watch again for another crazy voyage. This time it is not different: it all starts with Sergeant Colon's experiences with the Discworld version of a speed camera, but soon the complete City Watch proves that silliness is their strongest weapon. This time not many new characters are introduced, but this only means that known characters, such as the Igors and that cute little doggie Gaspode, get more attention.

The attentive reader certainly will notice the undertone that links certain forces in Uberwalt to a Nazi regime. Indeed references to sub-humans and other Nazi slogans are generously spread throughout the story. In this respect The Fifth Elephant is unique -at least for the Discworld series- in the way that it portraits a strong political message against extreme nationalism. In the end it is not only a funny, but also an extremely smart book.

another enjoyable read.......2006-04-21

Terry Pratchett's Fifth Elephant was yet another enjoyable and exciting read. I have not read many of Pratchett's books but so far I can't read much else! He draws you away from this world and into another, filled with werewolves, sexist dwarves and Igors gleefully trading body parts.

Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork city Watch is reluctantly sent to the city of Uberwald to attend the coronation of the Low King. Then the Scone of Stone is stolen (without this there could be no King) and Vimes takes it upon himself to find the stone and the culprit.

Meanwhile Sergeant Angua (who is a Werewolf) sets off on her own journey to Uberwald to sort out her family problems with Carrot and Gaspode (a talking dog) following closely on her tail, leaving Ankh-Morporks Watch in complete dissaray.

This was a very funny and exhilarating book and I just can't wait to read more of the Discworld series but I did feel that too much was happening at once and on several occasions I was slightly confused. Maybe Pratchett should keep his characters to a smaller number in future.

The Fifth Elephant.......2006-04-05

The Fifth Elephant is a City Watch novel of Discworld, where the newly proclaimed Duke of Ankh-Morpork, His Grace Commander Samuel Vimes, goes to Überwald as an ambassador, looking for fat deposits caused by the legendary crash of the Fifth Elephant into the regions of Überwald. However, problems in Ankh-Morpork arise, and Captain Carrot is left in charge of the watch. Mr. Sonky is found dead in his vat for making rubber thingys, and the replica of the Scone of Stone, the crowning seat of the dwarves made of the famous dwarf bread, has been stolen.Vimes leaves with Lady Sybil, Sergeant Detritus, Corporal Littlebottom, and a helpful "clerk", Inigo Skimmer. At Überwald, the actual Scone is stolen, and all the dwarves look shifty. There's also some werewolf trouble, and Sergeant Angua of the Watch comes along too. Captain Carrot follows, leaving Sergeant Fred Colon to lead the watch. Needless to say, with all that power, he goes around throwing his excessive weight around. The sugar lumps keep disappearing...

A great Night Watch book, the suspense is all right, but there are some surprises and such to keep any reader happy. A good book to be read, just not over and over again.

Average customer rating:

Hey!! this is Terry pratchett. What can I say.
There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvish
Discworld
Buddy and the Deathtones
The Music that actually leaped from the book and in to my head.

Soul Music (Discworld Novels)
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: ISIS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 075315157X

Amazon.com

Soul Music is the 16th book in the bestselling Discworld series, with close ties to the fourth book, Mort. Susan Sto Helit is rather bored at her boarding school in the city of Ankh-Morpork, which is just as well, since it seems that her family business--she is the granddaughter of Death--suddenly needs a new caretaker. --Blaise Selby

Book Description

When her dear old Granddad -- the Grim Reaper himself -- goes missing, Susan takes over the family business. The progeny of Death's adopted daughter and his apprentice, she shows real talent for the trade. That is until a little string in her heart goes "twang."

With a head full of dreams and a pocketful of lint, Imp the Bard lands in Ankh-Morpork, yearning to become a rock star. Determined to devote his life to music, the unlucky fellow soon finds that all his dreams are coming true. Well almost.

In this finger-snapping, toe-tapping tale of youth, Death, and rocks that roll, Terry Pratchett once again demonstrates the wit and genius that have propelled him to the highest echelons of parody next to Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen.

Customer Reviews:

Hey!! this is Terry pratchett. What can I say........2007-01-09

What a story teller. I really enjoy all the disc world books.

There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvish.......2006-09-19

"Soul Music" is the sixteenth book in Terry Pratchett's hugely popular Discworld series and was first published in 1994. He has gone on to win the Carnegie Medal for "The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents" and was awarded the OBE in 1998.

Death - tall guy, a little thin, carries a scythe, likes the colour black - appears in more of the Discworld books than any other character. By and large, he makes only a very brief appearance and - while the role he plays in "Soul Music" is still a supporting role - he has a huge influence on what happens in the book. Back in "Mort", he took an apprentice who eventually went on to marry Ysabell - Death's adopted daughter. In time, the pair had a daughter called Susan, who makes her first appearance here. As the book opens. Susan is a pupil at the Quirm College for Young Ladies. She can't quite remember her maternal grandfather, let alone what he does for a living...however, she has inherited some of his abilities. Unfortunately, Death is feeling a little depressed, and it seems there are certain things he'd rather forget. (The problem is that he's not quite sure how to go about forgetting). It's all causing Albert, Death's butler, and the Death of Rats quite some concern. When Death takes soe time off in order to try and forget, it also causes Susan a great deal of bother...you see, somebody's got to do Death's job...

Imp y Celyn, meanwhile, is a promising young harp-playing bard from Llamedos (a country with Welsh tendencies). After a blazing row with his father, he sets off to become the greatest musician in the world, and eventually arrives in Ankh-Morpork. While trying to join the Guild of Musicians, he meets Glod Glodsson (a horn-playing dwarf) and Lias (a troll who specialises in percussion). The trio, however, are a little short on funds and can't quite meet the subscription fee. This means they're barred from playing music professionally in the city...which is unfortunate, as the on ly way they can raise the money for the fee is by playing music professionally. Things get even worse when Lias accidentally breaks Imp's harp - though they soon make the mistake of replacing it with a guitar from a magical music shop. Inspired by the guitar, the trio invent a new style of music the becomes known as "Music With Rocks In" - something that leads them hurtling towards disaster. By the way, a rough translation for "Imp y Celyn" is "Bud y Holly"...

A big plus for the book is the return of Death of Rats and the introduction of his sidekick, Quoth the Raven. Quoth, named by a wizard who thought he was also a comedian, is partial to an eyeball and - like the skull he roosts on - can talk. However, he absolutely refuses to say "nevermore". A very funny book, with a plenty of nods to famous songs, bands and movies, it's highly recommended. It may be a slight advantage to have read "Mort" - though as the book begins with a brief introduction, you'll not really miss out if you haven't.

Discworld.......2006-08-27

Buddy and the Deathtones.......2006-05-18

Terry Pratchett is the funniest writer in the universe...well, not this universe...there is no one as funny as Pratchett here. He's from a universe in which the world is a disc that rests on the backs of four elephants that are standing on the back of a turtle and in which Death really does ride a pale horse and occasionally stops in at the local pub for a pint. Soul Music is Pratchett's 16th book about this cosmos.

It is the story of a young musician who finds an enchanted guitar, changes his name to Buddy Holly, and introduces "music with rocks in" to Discworld. Buddy is destined to become famous and die young unless he can be saved by Death's teenage granddaughter, who has taken over Death's job collecting souls because Death himself has a bad case of angst, which I suspect he got from the food down at the Mended Drum pub.

I'm not a laugh-out-loud kind of person. I greatly prefer to hold my laughter in and let it rot and fester until it spontaneously boils out in socially unacceptable behavior. But with Soul Music I couldn't help myself. This may be Pratchett's most hilarious novel ever.

If you don't love this book, you just don't have a sense of humor.( I don't mean to be harsh, but I thought you needed to know.)

The Music that actually leaped from the book and in to my head........2006-01-17

When Buddy decides to enter Ankh-Morpork and become a musicion he meets Clif and Glodd. Other musicions. Buddy finds a guitar with strange music and an even stranger power. Soon the trio are playing Music with Rocks In. Later all of Ankh-Morpork is in a music franchise.
In another place, Susan a girl of reason finds out that she is the grandoughter of Death. She realizes that she must take over the family business because Death wants to forget the future by, drinking, going into a pitt, and joining a bunch of beggars.
A story full of music with rocks in, Bone Motorcycles, musical guitars, a lot of money and neverending spirits.
I loved this book so much. It was hillariouse and was just plane great. The big thing about this book was that when ever Terry Pratchett would dscribe the music with rocks in, I would go into a trance. So if you want to relax with a book that is also funny Soul Music is your book.
I took one star away because the book sometimes dragged on.

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Terry Pratchett the Art of Discworld
Paul Kidby
Manufacturer: Harper Prism
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OTJO4A

Average customer rating:

Art of Discworld Dumpbin
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: Gollancz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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