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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting Times is the 17th entry in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series and a long-awaited return to one of its most chaotically lovable protagonists: Rincewind the Wizzard (yes, with two Zs). Summoned unwillingly to the distant Counterweight Continent, Rincewind is once again dropped into the middle of political upheaval, revolution, and war. There, he reunites with Cohen the Barbarian, now leading the “Silver Horde,” a gang of elderly but still wildly dangerous barbarians.
Interesting Times unseats Eric as my favorite Rincewind novel so far, and perhaps my favorite of the whole series. I just love Rincewind. He’s not your typical hero; he runs from danger, complains constantly, and seems to survive purely by accident (or possibly cosmic spite). But there’s something comforting about the sheer absurdity and chaos that follows him, and no other subseries captures that brand of manic adventure quite like his.
Cohen the Barbarian’s return was another highlight. Seeing him again, this time with his band of equally geriatric warriors, adds both hilarity and unexpected emotion. The Silver Horde is a mix of bloodshed, laughter, and surprisingly sharp insights about aging, purpose, and legacy.
The worldbuilding expands nicely with our first real journey to the Counterweight Continent. We get a whole new cultural and political system to mock, and as usual, Pratchett uses satire to explore real-world issues under a thin (but very funny) fantasy veneer.
Reading through the series in publishing order, I’ve come to appreciate the unique tones of each subseries and their respective styles of humor. The witches books are sharp, clever and often parodies of literature; the Watch books are full of strong character development and equally strong social commentary; the Death books are philosophical and poetic. But Rincewind? He’s chaos incarnate, and I love it. His stories are adventures in the purest sense ... unhinged, unpredictable, and often just barely held together... which, for me, makes them a total joy. After 17 books, I feel pretty confident saying that these books are my current favorites, popular opinion be damned! I think they are often underrated by readers due to the first four books being in the early years of Pratchett's writing. But by this book, we’re in prime Discworld years. The humor hits harder, the satire is sharper, and the plot (while still chaotic in the Pratchett way) feels deliberate and purposeful. The City Watch is another strong contender for a favorite subseries, but it's a little soon to say for sure.
Oh, and once again, I must say this audiobook narrator is one of the best I've ever heard, definitely in my top 3. His narration of the Silver Horde is burned in my brain.
All in all, this was a fantastic entry in the series, full of exactly the kind of delightful nonsense I’ve come to crave. I can’t wait to see if the next one manages to top it.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Back to the Great Wizzard! I had to take a bit of a break as I was trying to read other books with timelines and it can get difficult for me to hold up physical copies to read. Enjoyable, lighthearted read that brings back old friends and weaves a tale as the Gods play their games… Pratchett goes a bit lax with the parallels of the Agateans and real world East Asian culture on this one and doesn’t hold up as parody. I think Cohen and the Horde saves the routine Rincewind situational humor by adding at least some character complexity.
4.15 as a more true rating.
4.15 as a more true rating.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
L’Aurient est troublé, et un étrange message arrive à Ankh-Morpork, demandant un Grand Maje tout de suite. Rincewind est dépêché, parce que les autres mages n’ont pas envie de se déplacer, et qu’il parle la langue. Sur place, il se rend compte qu’une guerre se prépare entre 5 seigneurs, un groupe d’activiste fomente une révolution prolétaire en suivant un petit livre rouge, nommé « ce que j’ai fait pendant mes vacances », et qu’une horde de barbares préparent un casse.
Vous le savez, je le sais, on le sait tous – Pratchett c’est drôle, c’est subtil, c’est intelligent, et celui-ci ne déroge pas à la règle, si vous voulez rire un bon coup, foncez.
Vous le savez, je le sais, on le sait tous – Pratchett c’est drôle, c’est subtil, c’est intelligent, et celui-ci ne déroge pas à la règle, si vous voulez rire un bon coup, foncez.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes