 |
The Light Fantastic | Rating | |
| A | |||
| Terry Pratchett | |||
| Series | Related Books | ||
| Discworld | The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Equal Rites, Mort, Sourcery, Wyrd Sisters, Pyramids, Guards! Guards!, Eric, Moving Pictures, Reaper Man, Witches Abroad, Small Gods, Soul Music, Feet of Clay, Interesting Times, The Firth Elephant, Going Postal | ||
The Discwrold is a flat, well, disk that sits atop four continent-sized elephants, who in turn are riding on the back of the Great A'Tuin, a tortoise of cosmic proportions. Where he (or she) came from, nobody knows. Where he (or she!) is going, ditto. But it seems to be getting awfully close to a giant red star, and it's looking like it's going to be the end of the world in a little while, since stars don't take kindly to being run into. Is there nobody who can avert this doom? Well... maybe. But since the Disc's best hope seems to be Rincewind the inept and cowardly wizard, probably not.
This is the book that introduces the Librarian. His role here is small, barely more than a cameo, but it was nice to see the origins of a character who turns into one of the most popular in the setting. Also enjoyable was the writing style. As usual, Pratchett's text was easy and fun to read. I daresay that this book, far more than the last, set the tone for the entire series. The narration and dialogue are constantly spiced up by amusing turns of phrase. Scarcely a paragraph goes by without some kind of strange comparison, unlikely anecdote, or odd occurrance. It's all quite amusing, sometimes even funny, and it gives a very unique feel to the novel.
Unlike the last book, this is a complete plot. Although it is a continuation of the last one it actually isn't necessary to read it, since The Colour of Magic had no overarching plot whatsoever. It is useful perhaps as an introduction to the setting, and to the characters of Rincewind and Twoflower, but that's about it. But this story does have an overarching plot, and it was a much more enjoyable read for it.
Although that plot, while always present, isn't always or even often what was actually motivating the main characters into action. Most of the book, in fact, is watching them try to avoid anything having to do with those nasty-looking people who are after them. But while I would normally take issue with an author trying to avoid the plot he himself set up, in this case it works. It works because it is a book that is meant to be funny, and actually is. That overcomes a lot of problems right there, and I had few to find. Frankly, I recommend this book in a big way.
| By Title | By Author | By Rank |