Unseen Academicals
Mr. Pratchett's latest, and was I happy to see the kid carrying it in Peet's the other day! Ran right over to Border's to get my copy.
No strong reaction, really. It's not a dud - it has a new look at Unseen University and its faculty and staff, interesting new characters and new takes on old characters. But it's kind of slow, and there's not much action. I like action. Maybe it's that it uses football and football fans as a metaphor for life, and not only am I not into football, but I know so little about British football fans that his carefully crafted analogies are kinda lost on me. Anyway, I was happy to read it. Good on you, sir. But next time some theme more Austenian in nature?
Actually, Pratchett has to be one of THE few authors I'd be willing to let have a go at an Austen/monster mash(up). Because he loves to rethink monsters. One of his fundamental truths is "everyone is people" (or is that "everyone are people"?) or maybe "don't believe what you're told." It's what makes his world work. In his version of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Mr. Darcy would probably be a zombie - a nice, romantic zombie looking for love and afraid to ask Lizzie for a dance because his hand might fall off. Or no, actually I think Mr. Collins would be the zombie - he does kind of remind me of Reg Shoe in the Discworld books: earnest, socially climbing, intent on pleasing. Yes, that would work much better - that distaste everyone feels around Mr. Collins would be explained so well by his being a zombie! It would be all metty-for-ical and shit. Poor Mr. Collins. Now I'm wondering what kind of monster everyone would be. . . What is your inner monster? Remember, monsters are people too.
No strong reaction, really. It's not a dud - it has a new look at Unseen University and its faculty and staff, interesting new characters and new takes on old characters. But it's kind of slow, and there's not much action. I like action. Maybe it's that it uses football and football fans as a metaphor for life, and not only am I not into football, but I know so little about British football fans that his carefully crafted analogies are kinda lost on me. Anyway, I was happy to read it. Good on you, sir. But next time some theme more Austenian in nature?
Actually, Pratchett has to be one of THE few authors I'd be willing to let have a go at an Austen/monster mash(up). Because he loves to rethink monsters. One of his fundamental truths is "everyone is people" (or is that "everyone are people"?) or maybe "don't believe what you're told." It's what makes his world work. In his version of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Mr. Darcy would probably be a zombie - a nice, romantic zombie looking for love and afraid to ask Lizzie for a dance because his hand might fall off. Or no, actually I think Mr. Collins would be the zombie - he does kind of remind me of Reg Shoe in the Discworld books: earnest, socially climbing, intent on pleasing. Yes, that would work much better - that distaste everyone feels around Mr. Collins would be explained so well by his being a zombie! It would be all metty-for-ical and shit. Poor Mr. Collins. Now I'm wondering what kind of monster everyone would be. . . What is your inner monster? Remember, monsters are people too.