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quadrille 's review for:
Unseen Academicals
by Terry Pratchett
As my housemate put it, Terry Pratchett can take any banal premise and make it funny. In this case, he tackles football (soccer, to you American types) and football hooliganism, spinning it into an Ankh-Morporkian tradition and practically a street religion. Also, a hilarious tangent involving dwarf fashion modelling. Basic premise: Vetinari, fed up with the chaotic and violent sport of foot-the-ball plaguing his city, decides to legalise the sport but only under civilised new rules -- and Unseen University is to create their own team, spearhead the new rules, and take on any challengers in a climactic battle football match.
As its themes, Unseen Academicals explores the class divide in the city, racism (literally), and the social rise & integration of the 'new' races (troll, dwarf, ...goblin?). The cast centers around Unseen University but with a smattering of delightful new characters: Glenda, Juliet, Nutt, and Trevor. Rincewind is around, but in the background.
I'd inexplicably put this one off for a while, so this was my first recent Discworld book in a few years -- since Making Money in 2007, I believe? Consequently, it's also read with the context of Pratchett's Alzheimers, which I wish I could avoid mentioning -- but I can't help it, it's on my mind. But I mention it in order to say the following: I haven't noticed a marked difference in his writing. I think he's still throwing perfect pitches; it's witty and clever and funny and, for me, surprisingly emotionally resonant -- I found myself almost tearfully invested in Glenda & Juliet's co-dependent friendship, Nutt's Aspergers-esque earnestness and tragedy/mystery, Nutt & Trevor's growing friendship, and Trevor & Juliet's starcrossed Shakespearean romance. And a little man named Pepe is now one of my new favourite characters.
I have friends who were put off by the new cast, but I'm of the mindset that every beloved Discworld character was once new, after all -- William de Worde used to be a total stranger to us, but when he pops up here, it's now like the reappearance of an old friend. It was nice to have these familiar figures ghosting in the background; e.g. Vetinari is my favourite Discworld character of all time, so I adored seeing more on his relationship with Lady Margolotta. And since I love the University, it was also great to see an expansion of that academic world and its population (more Dr. Hix, please!).
So, in a nutshell: I loved Unseen Academicals. It didn't make me laugh out loud as much as the series usually does, perhaps, but it made me smile throughout and at a few occasions, I felt like my heart had been punched in my chest. And, you know, I don't normally care about football.
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Relatedly, now I kinda want to create a new character on Discworld MUD and get back into that game. Sigh.
As its themes, Unseen Academicals explores the class divide in the city, racism (literally), and the social rise & integration of the 'new' races (troll, dwarf, ...goblin?). The cast centers around Unseen University but with a smattering of delightful new characters: Glenda, Juliet, Nutt, and Trevor. Rincewind is around, but in the background.
I'd inexplicably put this one off for a while, so this was my first recent Discworld book in a few years -- since Making Money in 2007, I believe? Consequently, it's also read with the context of Pratchett's Alzheimers, which I wish I could avoid mentioning -- but I can't help it, it's on my mind. But I mention it in order to say the following: I haven't noticed a marked difference in his writing. I think he's still throwing perfect pitches; it's witty and clever and funny and, for me, surprisingly emotionally resonant -- I found myself almost tearfully invested in Glenda & Juliet's co-dependent friendship, Nutt's Aspergers-esque earnestness and tragedy/mystery, Nutt & Trevor's growing friendship, and Trevor & Juliet's starcrossed Shakespearean romance. And a little man named Pepe is now one of my new favourite characters.
I have friends who were put off by the new cast, but I'm of the mindset that every beloved Discworld character was once new, after all -- William de Worde used to be a total stranger to us, but when he pops up here, it's now like the reappearance of an old friend. It was nice to have these familiar figures ghosting in the background; e.g. Vetinari is my favourite Discworld character of all time, so I adored seeing more on his relationship with Lady Margolotta. And since I love the University, it was also great to see an expansion of that academic world and its population (more Dr. Hix, please!).
So, in a nutshell: I loved Unseen Academicals. It didn't make me laugh out loud as much as the series usually does, perhaps, but it made me smile throughout and at a few occasions, I felt like my heart had been punched in my chest. And, you know, I don't normally care about football.
---
Relatedly, now I kinda want to create a new character on Discworld MUD and get back into that game. Sigh.