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beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
3.0
NB: Review originally written in 2020.
I’ll begin this review by admitting a hard truth – that maybe Terry Pratchett is not my cup of tea.
*ducks flying tomatoes*
The Discworld series was recommended to me by a couple of friends of mine who couldn’t believe I had never read them. They were very passionate about it and their enthusiasm was infectious, so I thought I’d give it a go.
In fact, I said on this very blog that one of my reading goals would be the two subseries that are supposedly the best for newbies to Pratchett, entitled City Watch and The Witches.
Now I’m not too sure I want to.
I can see why he’s attracted such a huge following – Guards, Guards is very humorous and clever – but maybe it was just a little too clever for me.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book immensely – it was very funny, and I admired the way Pratchett deconstructed common (and occasionally not-so-common) fairy tale and storytelling tropes, and the worldbuilding was done beautifully.
But – and this is a big but - it took me nearly two weeks to finish this book and for someone like me who normally takes a week or less, that’s really saying something. I think the reason it took me so long was for two reasons – one, that I could only read it in small doses, and two, that I had to be in the right mood to read it.
The writing style is very self-aware and knowing, and often goes off on tangents – taking a concept that the character is speaking or feeling about, and then expanding on that concept into philosophical musings that (at least to me) were odd, often difficult to understand and did not advance the plot at all.
And the characters? I liked them, and laughed at their various antics, but I couldn’t connect with them. Being able to connect emotionally with characters is something I’m finding more and more often is a dealbreaker for me when it comes to reading fiction.
I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did, because my friends had hyped it up so much – and because I wanted to read more of this series too. But in the end – despite its many good qualities - it was a little too quirky, a little too clever, and a little too knowing for my liking.
I’m curious to know what others think, because I know the Pratchett fandom on Tumblr must be quite large. Do you enjoy this style of writing? Why/why not? And would you recommend that I persist with the Discworld series?
Drop me a line to let me know your thoughts – but please don’t put me in the stocks!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Murder and Violence
Vimes (the main character) is an alcoholic. Several people are killed by dragons (described in a humorous, non-graphic way).grem_ler's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, and Animal death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death of parent
cluelessjr's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
lavnde's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Police brutality, and Violence
reikahreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
amandagray825's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Alcoholism
gaemon's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, War, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gaslighting and Cursing
puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Death, Violence, and Alcoholism
heathengray's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I must have read this 10 years ago. I loved it then. I love it still.
But while, during the first reading I felt this was the literary equivalent of a fast paced 80's US cop caper (think Dirty Harry, Lethal Weapon), it might be my age, but on the second reading I got a lot more of a noir feel, even brushing very close to the movie Blade Runner. Wait! Hear me out!
I always picture Ankh-Morpork as dingy, dirty, but always in daylight, in fine weather. But for much of the book it's raining non-stop (like Blade Runner), set at night (like Blade Runner), only becoming sunny and daylight towards the end (Like...), dealing with issues of fate, destiny, creations run amok, and ends pretty much paraphrasing Gaff's final aside from the movie.
On to the actual plot: A secret society is releasing a Dragon into the city, the City Watch having not much else to do (as crime is regulated by the criminals... it's ingenious, but complicated) decide to investigate. This is the first of the Discworld books to really flesh out the city, The Patrician, and The Librarian. Everything gets another dimension to it, pushing past parody levels. The fantasy breaths on its own. And Pratchett continues to make incredible, likable, imperfect characters. For example, beautiful characters always have some endearing flaw, the bad guys always have some justification, ugly people are described with such love, you would happily marry them.
If there was a downside, it's the infrequent direct quotes from other movies ('I'm too old for this', 'Here's looking at you, Kid'). They dragged me out of the world for a moment with an eye-roll, even though I remembered giggling at them the first reading. But the ones that were sown into the fiction (e.g. Vimes quoting Dirty Harry, but he's holding a swamp-dragon) are a delight to read and recognize.
A popcorn book if ever there was one.
But while, during the first reading I felt this was the literary equivalent of a fast paced 80's US cop caper (think Dirty Harry, Lethal Weapon), it might be my age, but on the second reading I got a lot more of a noir feel, even brushing very close to the movie Blade Runner. Wait! Hear me out!
I always picture Ankh-Morpork as dingy, dirty, but always in daylight, in fine weather. But for much of the book it's raining non-stop (like Blade Runner), set at night (like Blade Runner), only becoming sunny and daylight towards the end (Like...), dealing with issues of fate, destiny, creations run amok, and ends pretty much paraphrasing Gaff's final aside from the movie.
On to the actual plot: A secret society is releasing a Dragon into the city, the City Watch having not much else to do (as crime is regulated by the criminals... it's ingenious, but complicated) decide to investigate. This is the first of the Discworld books to really flesh out the city, The Patrician, and The Librarian. Everything gets another dimension to it, pushing past parody levels. The fantasy breaths on its own. And Pratchett continues to make incredible, likable, imperfect characters. For example, beautiful characters always have some endearing flaw, the bad guys always have some justification, ugly people are described with such love, you would happily marry them.
If there was a downside, it's the infrequent direct quotes from other movies ('I'm too old for this', 'Here's looking at you, Kid'). They dragged me out of the world for a moment with an eye-roll, even though I remembered giggling at them the first reading. But the ones that were sown into the fiction (e.g. Vimes quoting Dirty Harry, but he's holding a swamp-dragon) are a delight to read and recognize.
A popcorn book if ever there was one.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism
Vimes is one of these 80's cops that is definitely an alcoholic by today's standards, but is also able to just shrug it off and doesn't feel the need to drink.ampharos906's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Violence
Minor: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Alcohol, and Alcoholism