Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Although I love Discworld, I couldn't muster the will to finish this before my loan was due back at the library! Perhaps I could have gotten through it as an audiobook.
This is really a 3.5, but I'm rounding up. If you have read the Discworld novels and have a good working knowledge of folk and fairy tales much of this book isn't anything new. Undoubtably, you made the connections yourself. There are some interesting tidbits, like the ballad about the dragon who was killed by a kick up the rump (must track that down); however, most of the information isn't really new. It isn't presented dully. It is an interesting book to read because of Pratchett's style (yes, there are footnotes) as well as the bibliography at the back. You also get an idea of how Pratchett's mind works. I did wonder, however, why in the discussion of chests used as murder weapons (a.k.a. the Luggage) why the Grimms’ "The Juniper Tree" and the Italian version "Cat Cinderella" were left out.
This was a great amount fun -- while parts of it were a bit repetitive, the exploration of the lore and stories behind the tales and myths in the Discworld novels is nicely written and provides a glimpse in the mind of Pratchett.
As someone who loves both Terry Pratchett and folklore, this was fantastic! The book is basically a walkthrough of the Discworld's folklore, divided into several sections, dealing with beasts, ghosts, witches, death (and Death), important holidays etc.
Pratchett did not write the book alone, but rather together with Jacqueline Simpson, a renowned expert on folklore, and it shows. In every chapter, Simpson is able to draw from her real world expertise to discuss not only how the various Discworld customs might have come about and what they would mean, but also tie them in with real world folklore on the same topics.
It really is fascinating and informative. Even if you know a fair bit about folklore, Pratchett frequently drew from such specific and localized stories and legends that unless you've happened to live a very similar life -- or are an expert on British folklore -- chances are you'll still learn a lot of new stuff. And even if you somehow do happen to tick all those boxes, it's still a lot of fun to kind of get both sides of the picture and learn how Pratchett took those local legends and changed them up for his Discworld books.
Pratchett did not write the book alone, but rather together with Jacqueline Simpson, a renowned expert on folklore, and it shows. In every chapter, Simpson is able to draw from her real world expertise to discuss not only how the various Discworld customs might have come about and what they would mean, but also tie them in with real world folklore on the same topics.
It really is fascinating and informative. Even if you know a fair bit about folklore, Pratchett frequently drew from such specific and localized stories and legends that unless you've happened to live a very similar life -- or are an expert on British folklore -- chances are you'll still learn a lot of new stuff. And even if you somehow do happen to tick all those boxes, it's still a lot of fun to kind of get both sides of the picture and learn how Pratchett took those local legends and changed them up for his Discworld books.
Since I already love the Discworld and share that love with some friends, winning this earned me a bit of cred with them. That I shared it after I read it, made them even happier. I love reading the machinations of a world as imaginative and creative as Pratchett's. I enjoyed the Folklore book as much if not more than some of the actual books themselves.
*I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads!*
*I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads!*
funny
informative
slow-paced
It's interesting. It referenced the books some but I wish it references the books more. I enjoyed reading it but it's not something I will read again. I did appreciate how it tied the folk of this world to the folklore of Discworld. That showed a little insight into the process of how the author came up with the folklore of Discworld.
funny
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It's earthly folklore, though the lens of Discworld. What's not to like?