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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
funny
sad
lighthearted
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:
No
Not one of the best but still pretty good. I don't really care for the wizards that much (who are secondary characters here). Death's little holiday is pretty interesting. The magical event was zanier than you tend to get in the later books.
Would prefer more Death and less wizards. The main story following Death was as exciting as in Mort, but the subplot with the wizards felt a bit forced and overstretched.
Na osnovu mog pozamašnog iskustva od cela tri (čitaj: CELA TRI) Pračetova romana, stekao sam utisak da su delovi koji se tiču Smrti dosta slobodniji od recimo (a ne zato što sam samo još taj pročitao; okej, zato što sam samo još taj pročitao) Straže, pre svega u narativnom smislu. Zato mi je i Mort u retrospektivi malčice opao: iako sam se smejao i uživao, ne mogu reći da se baš nečeg posebnog sećam, jer je ipak taj roman pre svega podloga za meditaciju o društvu i životu, ali i za razvitak likova. Neke posebne priče nema.
I to me dovodi do nečeg čudnog. Primećujem da iako generalno (... i iako su generalizacije loše) najviše volim romane bez p od priče, u fantastici volim romane sa pričom. Ili bar nekakvom narativom. Kao da ovaj drugi aspekt, karakterizacija, atmosfera i sl., u žanru nikada nisu dovoljno snažni da iznesu čitav roman. Ili bar retko. Pračet je bio blizu sa Mortom, ali ne i potpuno uspeo.
Ovde, medjutim, sve je divno i bajno i krasno. Priča postoji, ali u tri rasute narative, i stvarno nije toliko važna. Mnogo važnije je ono ispod, a to je (uz ozbiljnu opasnost da udjem u kliše) nešto posebno. Rečenice su hodajući citati, kako zbog humora, tako i zbog topline, ljudskosti kojom zrače. A poslednjih dvadesetak stranica su... Pračet. A Pračet je u rečniku negde pod „dobrota“.
5-
I to me dovodi do nečeg čudnog. Primećujem da iako generalno (... i iako su generalizacije loše) najviše volim romane bez p od priče, u fantastici volim romane sa pričom. Ili bar nekakvom narativom. Kao da ovaj drugi aspekt, karakterizacija, atmosfera i sl., u žanru nikada nisu dovoljno snažni da iznesu čitav roman. Ili bar retko. Pračet je bio blizu sa Mortom, ali ne i potpuno uspeo.
Ovde, medjutim, sve je divno i bajno i krasno. Priča postoji, ali u tri rasute narative, i stvarno nije toliko važna. Mnogo važnije je ono ispod, a to je (uz ozbiljnu opasnost da udjem u kliše) nešto posebno. Rečenice su hodajući citati, kako zbog humora, tako i zbog topline, ljudskosti kojom zrače. A poslednjih dvadesetak stranica su... Pračet. A Pračet je u rečniku negde pod „dobrota“.
5-
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: A bestseller from the 1990s. (Was this a brilliant prompt to crowbar the next instalment of my Great Discworld Reread into 2021? Why yes, yes it was.)
4.5 stars. Death has always been one of the best things about Discworld, so I was bound to enjoy rereading this gem. It also carries an extra layer of personal emotion reading it again since PTerry died - I still fondly imagine him having a sausage sandwich and a cup of tea with Albert. I'd completely forgotten that it was the origin story for the Death Of Rats, so it also gets an extra half a star just for that.
The central conceit (that Death must not be allowed any personality in order to do his job, but in fact what he absorbs from his time amongst humans is what makes him good at his job) is so quintessentially Discworld that I can't help but love it. I also found Miss Flitworth's attempt to understand an abstract concept like the Auditors as being like the "Revenoo" (the Inland Revenue / IRS) terribly endearing.
Mrs Cake as a force of nature and her drunk spirit guide were an excellent double act. I rather enjoyed the priests of Offler assuming she was the only person determined enough to make it through all their boobytraps. And the wizards being the only people with enough ego to rebuff her successfully.
Reg Shoe and his rag-tag collection of undead were pure Discworld value. The shy banshee who gives you a note rather than howling. The vampires pretending (with mixed results) to be from the Discworld equivalent of Transylvania. The bogeyman who carries a door around to hide behind.
The only bum note for me was the snowglobes/trolleys/shopping centre part. Somehow it was just too contemporary for me and I didn't enjoy it as much as any of the rest of the threads in the story.
Nonetheless, definitely a favourite of the series.
4.5 stars. Death has always been one of the best things about Discworld, so I was bound to enjoy rereading this gem. It also carries an extra layer of personal emotion reading it again since PTerry died - I still fondly imagine him having a sausage sandwich and a cup of tea with Albert. I'd completely forgotten that it was the origin story for the Death Of Rats, so it also gets an extra half a star just for that.
The central conceit (that Death must not be allowed any personality in order to do his job, but in fact what he absorbs from his time amongst humans is what makes him good at his job) is so quintessentially Discworld that I can't help but love it. I also found Miss Flitworth's attempt to understand an abstract concept like the Auditors as being like the "Revenoo" (the Inland Revenue / IRS) terribly endearing.
Mrs Cake as a force of nature and her drunk spirit guide were an excellent double act. I rather enjoyed the priests of Offler assuming she was the only person determined enough to make it through all their boobytraps. And the wizards being the only people with enough ego to rebuff her successfully.
Reg Shoe and his rag-tag collection of undead were pure Discworld value. The shy banshee who gives you a note rather than howling. The vampires pretending (with mixed results) to be from the Discworld equivalent of Transylvania. The bogeyman who carries a door around to hide behind.
The only bum note for me was the snowglobes/trolleys/shopping centre part. Somehow it was just too contemporary for me and I didn't enjoy it as much as any of the rest of the threads in the story.
Nonetheless, definitely a favourite of the series.