Discworld mini-reviews:
Pyramids--sort of a throwaway book for me. I liked the description of the Assassins' Guild's survive-or-fail final exam, and Death was rather fun, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me.
Small Gods--Now, this was a book to chew over. Someone at TV Tropes called it an "anti-religion tract," but I think that's inaccurate. Brutha was a sympathetic character whose true faith carried the day. Furthermore, I think the very strong connection between this book and Carpe Jugulum makes it far too simple to say, "PTerry is saying churches are bad." More on that in a few reviews.
The Last Continent--This was pretty much a hoot and a holler for me. The UU wizards are just so darn endearing in all their squabbling glory. Ponder Stibbons is a woobie, too. I enjoyed the main plot with Rincewind, too; it's fun to see a story told from the perspective of someone who'd like very much to be running in the opposite direction. I do wonder what Australians think of the book. Judging by what I know of the Aussie sense of humor, I'll bet they love it. Especially the platypus as duck-designed-by-committee.
Carpe Jugulum--Nac Mac Feegle wha hae! Gotta love the Pictsies. They scare Greebo! Nothing scares Greebo. Very interesting plot. The Agnes/Vlad subplot was as marvelous a deconstruction of the girl-meets-vampire trope as I've ever seen. The fact that he's sexy and even, to a degree, sympathetic, doesn't make him any less a monster. And it's actually worse because of the way his father has turned people into cattle. They may live, but they're enslaved.
Granny and Mightily Oats, though, were really my favorite part of the book. I so identify with his struggle to grasp what faith is all about. Granny has no creed but what she makes for herself, but she still manages to help him lay a finger on what will make him a better man and cleric. The book also brings up the interesting idea that perhaps all the fragmenting Christianity has undergone has ultimately saved it. A monolithic Church, as we've seen, wields too much power, and that power will corrupt it. Faith, after all, is the substance; religion is the show. Sometimes, religion has to change, even if faith doesn't, and the Church must change with it. A monolith just doesn't have that kind of flexibility. I enjoyed the read, and the questions it raised, greatly.
Thief of Time--Most definitely a good one! I suppose I should've picked up earlier on Jeremy and Lobsang being twins/two halves of a whole; it was obvious, in retrospect. Still, I enjoyed the reveal. The History Monks = Time Lords, yes? Also, death by chocolate. Yeah! Susan continues to be kick-ass. I like her. Nothing like being Death's granddaughter for having a normal life yanked out from under you, though--things start going wrong, and suddenly, there's a little rat skeleton bothering you into helping out Granddad. How can Death of Rats be so cute? He's a rat skeleton! In a black robe! With a tiny scythe! But he's adorable, and I think Susan likes him better than she'll ever let on.
I went and re-read Night Watch after ToT and understood a couple little things better. Still a damn fine read, that book.
Am currently nearing the end of Unseen Academicals. Glenda Sugarbean--who's played by Helena Bonham Carter in my head (seriously, who else?)--rocks. I mean, she faces down not only Ridcully, but Vetinari! What's next, she'll walk up to Sam Vimes and give him a piece of her mind? Discworld breeds some tough women, that's for certain. Also, I totally want Vetinari/Margalotta fic now.
Small Gods--Now, this was a book to chew over. Someone at TV Tropes called it an "anti-religion tract," but I think that's inaccurate. Brutha was a sympathetic character whose true faith carried the day. Furthermore, I think the very strong connection between this book and Carpe Jugulum makes it far too simple to say, "PTerry is saying churches are bad." More on that in a few reviews.
The Last Continent--This was pretty much a hoot and a holler for me. The UU wizards are just so darn endearing in all their squabbling glory. Ponder Stibbons is a woobie, too. I enjoyed the main plot with Rincewind, too; it's fun to see a story told from the perspective of someone who'd like very much to be running in the opposite direction. I do wonder what Australians think of the book. Judging by what I know of the Aussie sense of humor, I'll bet they love it. Especially the platypus as duck-designed-by-committee.
Carpe Jugulum--Nac Mac Feegle wha hae! Gotta love the Pictsies. They scare Greebo! Nothing scares Greebo. Very interesting plot. The Agnes/Vlad subplot was as marvelous a deconstruction of the girl-meets-vampire trope as I've ever seen. The fact that he's sexy and even, to a degree, sympathetic, doesn't make him any less a monster. And it's actually worse because of the way his father has turned people into cattle. They may live, but they're enslaved.
Granny and Mightily Oats, though, were really my favorite part of the book. I so identify with his struggle to grasp what faith is all about. Granny has no creed but what she makes for herself, but she still manages to help him lay a finger on what will make him a better man and cleric. The book also brings up the interesting idea that perhaps all the fragmenting Christianity has undergone has ultimately saved it. A monolithic Church, as we've seen, wields too much power, and that power will corrupt it. Faith, after all, is the substance; religion is the show. Sometimes, religion has to change, even if faith doesn't, and the Church must change with it. A monolith just doesn't have that kind of flexibility. I enjoyed the read, and the questions it raised, greatly.
Thief of Time--Most definitely a good one! I suppose I should've picked up earlier on Jeremy and Lobsang being twins/two halves of a whole; it was obvious, in retrospect. Still, I enjoyed the reveal. The History Monks = Time Lords, yes? Also, death by chocolate. Yeah! Susan continues to be kick-ass. I like her. Nothing like being Death's granddaughter for having a normal life yanked out from under you, though--things start going wrong, and suddenly, there's a little rat skeleton bothering you into helping out Granddad. How can Death of Rats be so cute? He's a rat skeleton! In a black robe! With a tiny scythe! But he's adorable, and I think Susan likes him better than she'll ever let on.
I went and re-read Night Watch after ToT and understood a couple little things better. Still a damn fine read, that book.
Am currently nearing the end of Unseen Academicals. Glenda Sugarbean--who's played by Helena Bonham Carter in my head (seriously, who else?)--rocks. I mean, she faces down not only Ridcully, but Vetinari! What's next, she'll walk up to Sam Vimes and give him a piece of her mind? Discworld breeds some tough women, that's for certain. Also, I totally want Vetinari/Margalotta fic now.