Alt: anything by 'The Master' as we in the Iron Maiden fanclub call TP.


'TP?', you say?

I am OF COURSE talking about the TITAN OF MODERN LITERATURE, Terence 'where did I put my car keys' Pratchett, Esquire.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 14:55, 2 replies, latest was 15 years ago)

Oh I know who you mean
that chap who wrote that book about that thing, umm Terry something something?
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 14:58, Reply)

Stupid hat wearing smug Alzheimerist and general bender Pratchett.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:02, Reply)

I disagree.

( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:04, Reply)

I tried and tried and tried to get into the Discworld books.
Couldn't do it. In fact I've decided I'm going to get the first one out of the uni library when I go over there in a bit.
(Barry from Eastenders is, despite the words written above, not a woman, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:09, Reply)

If you have to 'try and try', then the author has failed, not you.
I had this with Moby-Dick. It's fucking crap. That's not my fault.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:14, Reply)

Moby Dick would be good
if the guy stuck to the fucking point.

It'd also be shorter by an order of magnitude
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:16, Reply)

When you discover it's merely unedited
and not actually a radical new way of writing novels (ie chapters consisting purely of Melville's tedious notes on whales and whaling ships could and should have been judiciously omitted), it all starts to make sense. Someone could make a decent book out of it.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:23, Reply)

they could indeed

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:54, Reply)

They were OK but I'm not really a fan of fantasy books.
I wish I was. It would give me a whole other genre to delve into.
( girlinthehole, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:18, Reply)

I wish you were too Blousie.
It would make a change from zombies.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:20, Reply)

You've got football and I have zombies.
Live with it.
( girlinthehole, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:22, Reply)

You're not the boss of me.

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:24, Reply)

Try saying that to her face when you meet her!

(berk, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:27, Reply)

She won't understand my accent.

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:29, Reply)

Oooh arr, oi loikes trackers n dogs n tha', my lovely?

(berk, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:34, Reply)

Hell yeah!
*wiggles head from side to side in afro-caribbean manner*
( girlinthehole, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:29, Reply)

the later ones of his books are much better
the first couple of Pratchett's books are mainly satire of the genre, but as he went on and developed characters and such they got much better. The last 6 or so have been superb.

I suspect Monty is basing his dislike on the very early ones.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:20, Reply)

'The last 6 or so have been superb'?
I fear your herbal habit has eroded your taste, I'm afraid - the last 6 have been shite. I agree the very earliest ones were a little shaky and that they got better as he developed the characters, but the last decent TP was Nightwatch, which was an absolute blinder and one of my favourites. I do not like the way his writing style has changed at all.
(berk, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:24, Reply)

I think he dipped for Jingo and Maskerade
but since then he's been on an upward trend. Apart from Nation, that was a little twee.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:28, Reply)

I absolutely disagree
I don't like Tiffany Aching or Moist von Lipwig, and if you read those books and then re-read something decent like Soul Music, it's painfully obvious how his writing style and wit have degraded. His new stuff is readable, but it's just not comparable to his earlier work.
(berk, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:31, Reply)

Oh dear.
Your boobs have just become repulsive to me.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:34, Reply)

I do not need to read 'Tiffany Aching or Moist von Lipwig'
to tell you that you are right to dislike them. How fucking lame.

I wish he'd hurry up and forget he's a novelist.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:36, Reply)

You are right about Nightwatch
and I may have the order mixed up in my head, but all the recent Guards ones have been excellent, and despite you disliking Going Postal and Making Money they are far better written than a great deal of the earlier stuff.

Even Soul Music is showing its age now and that was my favourite one for a long time.

Monty would particularly hate that one, I have absolutely no doubt.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:53, Reply)

I'm just not a fantasy fan. Even fantasy films don't really do it for me.
I don't like crime fiction either. I couldn't get into the girl with the dragon tattoo books or the film.
( girlinthehole, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:24, Reply)

So many of them
are sub-Conan 'Sword of Mighty Thringorr' type shit, it's a shame is within the reams of pointless diarrhoea are some great books.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:29, Reply)

I think I'm going to try and get a bit more into historical fiction and fact.
I've dipped a toe in now and then and found it very interesting.
( girlinthehole, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:35, Reply)

Have you read
'Pillars of the Earth' by Ken Follett? If you haven't, you should.
(berk, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:36, Reply)

I have, and I loved it. The sequel slightly less so,
because it was almost unbearably grim in parts, but that is precisely my kind of reading.

I keep banging on about them, but will someone please read CJ Sansom's 'Shardlake' books and agree with me that they are brilliant?
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:39, Reply)

Ah - there's a new one of those out, isn't there?
The series starts with 'Dissolution', I believe. I was flicking through it in waterstones the other day, if you think it's good then I think I shall read it.
(berk, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:41, Reply)

I'm happy to post them to you.
If I ever want to re-read them I'll ask for them back.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:45, Reply)

That's very kind!
If the library doesn't have them then I shall gaz you :)
(berk, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:51, Reply)

Please do.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:55, Reply)

I quite liked 'em,
but not to the same extent as you it seems. But as I've mentioned before, I can see their appeal what with the whole misanthropic East London cripple thing...
(wellgroomedwookiee is a filthy-minded hobgoblin, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:43, Reply)

Haha so you did.
I love that you regard me to be a cripple. You of all people.

You complete cripple.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:46, Reply)

I shall have a crack at one soon.

( girlinthehole, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:52, Reply)

*obligatory strikethrough*

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:55, Reply)

That is
a mighty fine read! The follow up is rather good too. anyway - thought this was about kids books? If we digress I should like to nominate "Weaveworld" by Clive Barker.I am on my third copy in 20 years...
(Purpledoris I've got afeckin' job, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 16:07, Reply)

The best thing about the Conan books is the euphemism "they awoke with aching limbs".
Because Conan doesn't get knackered carving his way through entire armies single-handed, oh no. To really get a sweat on you need to bring in some skinny bint in a loincloth.
(wellgroomedwookiee is a filthy-minded hobgoblin, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:35, Reply)

The first ones aren't great
Start with 'Mort'
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:20, Reply)

It won't be too long 'til Tel himself 'starts with Mort'.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Dec 2010, 15:24, Reply)