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A review by chrisbiss
Eric by Terry Pratchett
1.0
I'm reading all of the Discworld books in order.
Where to start with this one? I've actively avoided this book for years, largely because the title treatment on the cover - the word FAUST crossed out and replaced with 'Eric' as though written by a child - put me off. I can't fully explain why it put me off, but it did.
In theory this should be great. A 13-year-old entering a Faustian pact with a demon is a great pitch. Unfortunately the demon in question here is Rincewind, and that means that the book has all of the same problems that come with Rincewind books. I won't belabour that point - my other reviews exist if you want to know how I feel about the way Pratchett uses this character.
The final third of Eric takes us to a modernised Hell where the pain and suffering has been replaced by endless tedium. Unfortunately this isn't just something we're told about, it's something the book seems to embrace. I was deeply, deeply bored for most of the time I spent reading this, desperately waiting for something interesting or entertaining to happen. That's the first time I've been bored reading a Discworld book. If I hadn't committed to reading them all, and if I couldn't see how short this one was, I would have DNFd.
I'll make an attempt to forget this one.
Where to start with this one? I've actively avoided this book for years, largely because the title treatment on the cover - the word FAUST crossed out and replaced with 'Eric' as though written by a child - put me off. I can't fully explain why it put me off, but it did.
In theory this should be great. A 13-year-old entering a Faustian pact with a demon is a great pitch. Unfortunately the demon in question here is Rincewind, and that means that the book has all of the same problems that come with Rincewind books. I won't belabour that point - my other reviews exist if you want to know how I feel about the way Pratchett uses this character.
The final third of Eric takes us to a modernised Hell where the pain and suffering has been replaced by endless tedium. Unfortunately this isn't just something we're told about, it's something the book seems to embrace. I was deeply, deeply bored for most of the time I spent reading this, desperately waiting for something interesting or entertaining to happen. That's the first time I've been bored reading a Discworld book. If I hadn't committed to reading them all, and if I couldn't see how short this one was, I would have DNFd.
I'll make an attempt to forget this one.