This week, right before Christmas, I want to take some time to talk about one of my favorite Christmas stories. As I have said before on I Smell Sheep, I freaking love the Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett and like all series that have lasted for twenty-odd years, Discworld has its own Christmas special, titled Hogfather. This book is largely responsible for re-igniting my love of Christmas and giving new meaning to the holiday for me. Now I will talk a little bit about the plot because while the plot is fantastic, it's not what makes me love this book. The Disc has a holiday called Hogswatch which, due to the nature of the universe, bears a resemblance to our Christmas. However the Hogfather, the Disc's equivalent to Father Christmas (or Santa Claus to us Yanks) has gone missing. Now it's up to Death, yes that Death, to fill in for the Hogfather otherwise the sun will not rise. While Death's out making the deliveries, it's up to his granddaughter Susan to find out what happened to the Hogfather. And what are the Eater of Socks and Oh God of Hangovers doing at Unseen University? It's a fantastic adventure and fine example of Sir PTerry's work.
I feel like I love this book more for the message it contains rather than the fantastic plot. You know, let me go ahead and find the quote, PTerry says it best in a conversation between Death and Susan. (Death speaks in all-caps by the way.)
HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE. "Tooth Fairies? Hogfathers? Little - " YES. AS PRACTIC. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES. "So we can believe the big ones?" YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING. "They're not the same at all!" YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET - Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME....SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED. "Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point - " MY POINT EXACTLY.
I feel like this is one of the best messages Sir PTerry has ever put in one of his book. The myths of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny aren't just elaborate lies created by adults to distract children. They serve the distinct purpose of getting children used to believing in something so when they get older they can believe in things greater than themselves. True, to an extent it's fanciful thinking, but I think it's a great message that anyone can get behind for the Christmas season.
Now, there is, of course, the novel, but if you want to experience Hogfather with family or friends, there is a film version of the book produced by the BBC. I should warn you ahead of time that the film version is about three hours long and has a pause halfway through so you might want to take a break at that point. That being said, I am glad the BBC took as much time as they did for Hogfather because they give the book its full justice and did a really good job translating it to film. If you're an old Discworld fan or are looking for a new holiday tradition, Hogfather is an excellent decision.
As a final thought, I want to quote the dedication to Hogfather, "To Everyone Who Hoped It Might Be True." Merry Christmas.
Okay, so as my two readers have probably forgotten by now, several weeks ago I reviewed the wonderful world of Discworld as a whole and hopefully got a few people interested. All of this was in anticipation of the newest book, Snuff: A Novel of Discworld. (Again, I apologize for our shameless plugging of books in the attempt that we shall get some sort of commission off of it through Amazon. Seriously, though it's a hardcover book for $14, so pretty good price in my opinion.) Anyway, so if I recall correctly I received my copy on Thursday, October 14th and finished it by Monday, October 17th. I know, slow of me but I wanted to savor this one. "But Kalpar!" You are surely exclaiming at this point, "If you finished the book on the 17th, why is this review only coming out on the 26th?" That's a very good question my dear readers, and you alway have the best questions. The answer is simply I am writing it here on the 18th but due to a large influx of smut from Katie and Sharon, my review got pushed to the 26th. So blame them, it's all their fault.
Anyway, dear readers, after getting past my normal first paragraph of madman rantings you are probably wondering my opinion on the book. Well thank you, dear readers, because people very rarely ask my opinion. Now Sam Vimes has been my favorite character for a very long time, mainly because of his personal morality. Vimes isn't afraid to fight dirty if he has to, having grown up on the streets of Ankh-Morpork, but he's also got his own moral code. He will follow the law to the best of his ability at all times, and while he might have to bend the law he never breaks it. Furthermore he hunts down those who break the law with extreme prejudice, regardless of their social standing. (And this is an important thing because many of the nobility of Ankh-Morpork think themselves above the law....at least until Vimes or his men come knocking at their front door.) At the end of the day he is a man of his principles and has certain values he holds as absolute. I really admire that in a character and feel that he, and the rest of the Watch characters, are rather well-written. Now, is this book going to be on my list of favorites for Vimes? Probably not, no. But to be fair this is the eighth of the novels dedicated to Vimes and the Watch, not including the novels where they have cameos, so it's one among very good company. I think that overall the book is really good and has some really good moments, but I still like Night Watch and Thud! just the slightest bit better.
Oh yes, I should probably tell everyone what the book is about. Well Sam Vimes is finally taking a holiday at the insistence of his wife, Lady Sybil Ramkin. (Who, I might add, is a really great character when the spotlight is on her.) So Vimes, Lady Sybil, and their son Young Sam pack up and head off to Ramkin Hall out in the country. Being a city boy born and bred Vimes is rather out of his element and wishes that he could do some good old fashioned policing, even if he is supposed to be on holiday. Vimes soon comes across incredible challenges when he finds a goblin girl murdered on his property, and ends up fighting the societal assumption that goblins are nothing more than vermin and thus killing them is not a crime. Like most of his novels, Sir PTerry adds the right amount of social commentary to a solid story and produces a thought-provoking and interesting novel. I do have an issue with one thing in specific Vimes does in this novel, however to explain it would spoil both this book and Thud! so I'm sorry but I'm going to have to avoid discussing it here.
My final thoughts are that this is another fine example of the Discworld series, and although it won't be in my small list of favorites it is still a good example of the series. If you're still new to Discworld in general, or Vimes in specific, I don't suggest you pick up this book. However if A'Tuin and Vimes are old friends of yours, it's well worth the investment. I give it four sheep.
Now, my two readers, as well as Katie and Sharon, have been wondering where I've been hiding for the past month. Well, I've been finishing the Discworld novels I have not yet read in anticipation for the newest book, Snuff, which comes out this October. As my two readers probably remember, I am a huge fan of the Discworld series by British author Sir Terry Pratchett. "But Kalpar!" you are probably exclaiming, because you love exclaiming that, "What is this Discworld series all about?" Well, it's kind of hard to answer, but I'm certainly going to give it my best.
The first thing you need to know about Discworld is that it takes place on the Disc, a perfectly flat circle of a planet which rests on the backs of four elephants. The four elephants, in turn, stand on the back of a ten thousand mile long turtle called the Great A'Tuin who swims through space. Why A'Tuin does this no one knows, but Sir Terry Pratchett says it looks vaguely hopeful, so I guess it will all turn out okay. From this description alone you've probably surmised that Discworld is no ordinary place, and this is true. The second thing you need to know about Discworld is that it is a series of books written by Sir PTerry (as the fans call him) and the first novel, The Colour Of Magic (Discworld Novel), was written in 1983. On average, Sir PTerry has managed to write one Discworld novel per year since 1983, and he is still writing them. As a result Discworld has become a wide and varied setting with many many characters, some of whom have gone through incredible development. For a newcomer, the challenge of finding where to begin can be daunting, however hopefully my insight will help you enter the wonderful magical Discworld.
In the beginning, Discworld was a parody of fantasy stories.The Colour Of Magic (Discworld Novel) introduced us to Rincewind, a wizard who cannot do any magic, and Twoflower, the Disc's first tourist. Sir Pterry deconstructed traditional fantasy ideas such as magic swords, barbarian heroes, and trolls to create the unique flavor of Discworld. However, the series did not stop as a parody. Over the years it has grown into a vehicle for Sir Pterry to satirize our own world and talk about a wide range of issues. Small Gods and Hogfather deal with matters of religion and belief. In Jingo (Discworld) and Monstrous Regiment Sir Pterry satirizes war, and in Reaper Man Sir Pterry explores human mortality itself. Yes, these can be heavy issues, but even in the darkest of Discworld novels Sir Pterry manages to make jokes that are funny and appropriate for the book. The thing I love most about Discworld is that his books have the power to make you laugh and think at the same time. Yes, it may be popular mass print media, but I consider it literary gold nonetheless.
Broadly speaking, the Discworld novels can be divided into six categories. The first are five groups of characters that are the focus of the book, and the last category are the stand alone novels.
Rincewind and the Wizards: First appearing in Colour of Magic, the Wizards of Unseen University start out as a competitive group where the only means of promotion is assassination. With the arrival of Archchancellor Ridcully, things settle down and the wizards of UU actually begin to...well wizard. Rincewind, the world's most incompetent wizard, frequently finds himself in adventures he'd rather not have. They're a great parody of academics and bureaucrats everywhere, but know more about how the Disc works than you might initially think.
The Lancre Witches: Although Granny Weatherwax first appeared in Equal Rites, she's not fully developed as a character until Wyrd Sisters or Witches Abroad. The other members of the Lancre coven are Magrat Garlick and Nanny Ogg. Far more practical-minded than the staff of Unseen University, the Lancre witches take a very direct approach to adventures that come their way.
Death: Yes, the Grim Reaper himself. Death has the honor of being the only character to appear in every single Discworld novel, but he has been the main character in a number of his own novels. Furthermore, Sir Pterry makes Death a very likable character. He likes humans and doesn't bear them any ill-will. In fact he's gone out of his way to protect them from other forces that don't like humans. To quote Sir Pterry, "Not a bad chap when you get to know him (and sooner or later everyone gets to know him)."
The Ankh-Morpork City Watch: This is my favorite group of characters, probably because the majority of focus is on Commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch. He's a man who believes in the law above all else and does everything he can to enforce it, within certain restrictions. As Vimes himself says, you can't go around being a good guy if you do bad guy things, and I really respect that. For those of you that are familiar with the term "Lawful Good" Vimes is practically its human manifestation, and I absolutely love it. Over the course of the Watch novels Vimes has managed to turn the organization around from the laughingstock of Ankh-Morpork to the most respected and famous police force on the Disc.
Moist von Lipwig: A relatively recent character that Sir Pterry introduced because he had the idea of a former con man who was basically a good guy. Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork gives Moist a second chance at life and has him take over the derelict Ankh-Morpork City Post Office. Moist's adventures are a fascinating commentary on the modern world, and at least one more novel has been promised detailing his adventures.
Stand-alone novels: These novels focus on a group of characters not listed above and unlike the groups above have only had one novel about them specifically. Members of the other five groups might have a cameo, but the book is not about them.
Now, you're probably wondering "Do I have to begin at the very start to get into Discworld?" The answer is no. While the books mostly follow one after the other chronologically, it is not necessary to read the books in order. It certainly helps, but Sir PTerry has written the series so you can read any of the books in any order you wish. Each novel has a self-contained story which is resolved by the end. Furthermore, I suggest you actually do not begin with Colour of Magic. The starting books of the series are not bad, I just feel that they lack a certain finished quality I see in the later books. As can be expected, Sir Pterry has developed as an author over time and I think he was still just finding his voice in the early books.
"But Kalpar!" You are probably exclaiming right now, "If I shouldn't start with Colour of Magic, which book should I start with?" Well, in my opinion there are three good books that introduce you to the series. If you want to be introduced to the Lancre witches, I suggest you start with Witches Abroad. It's not the first Lancre Witches books, but it's one of my favorites and more importantly introduces you to some very important concepts about Discworld. If you're interested in meeting Sam Vimes and the City Watch first, I suggest you begin with Guards! Guards!. This is the first novel with the then Ankh-Morpork Night Watch it introduces you to Vimes, Carrot, Corporal Nobby Nobbs and Sergeant Fred Colon, and also serves as a great introduction to the overall world of Discworld as well. My final suggestion for novels to introduce you to Discworld is Small Gods. Small Gods is a stand-alone novel and was my own personal introduction to Discword. It's very easy to get into, and I think it does a great job of explaining the world of the Disc, so it's a great choice to begin.
Now, hopefully I haven't spewed too much information on you, but I'm going to add one final piece. Out of all the books in the series, so far I have two favorites: Night Watch and Thud!. Both of these novels are Watch books, and I think that they show Sam Vimes at his very best as a character. We get to look deep inside Vimes and see why he believes what he believes, and perhaps more importantly the code that he holds himself to. I find them really great explorations of Vimes's character and will probably remain my favorite books for a long long time.
I hope that somewhere in this long post I've convinced some of you to pick up a Discworld novel if you haven't already. Stay alert for my review of Snuff when it comes out this October!
This week, right before Christmas, I want to take some time to talk about one of my favorite Christmas stories. As I have said before on I Smell Sheep, I freaking love the Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett and like all series that have lasted for twenty-odd years, Discworld has its own Christmas special, titled Hogfather. This book is largely responsible for re-igniting my love of Christmas and giving new meaning to the holiday for me. Now I will talk a little bit about the plot because while the plot is fantastic, it's not what makes me love this book. The Disc has a holiday called Hogswatch which, due to the nature of the universe, bears a resemblance to our Christmas. However the Hogfather, the Disc's equivalent to Father Christmas (or Santa Claus to us Yanks) has gone missing. Now it's up to Death, yes that Death, to fill in for the Hogfather otherwise the sun will not rise. While Death's out making the deliveries, it's up to his granddaughter Susan to find out what happened to the Hogfather. And what are the Eater of Socks and Oh God of Hangovers doing at Unseen University? It's a fantastic adventure and fine example of Sir PTerry's work.
I feel like this is one of the best messages Sir PTerry has ever put in one of his book. The myths of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny aren't just elaborate lies created by adults to distract children. They serve the distinct purpose of getting children used to believing in something so when they get older they can believe in things greater than themselves. True, to an extent it's fanciful thinking, but I think it's a great message that anyone can get behind for the Christmas season.
. (Again, I apologize for our shameless plugging of books in the attempt that we shall get some sort of commission off of it through Amazon. Seriously, though it's a hardcover book for $14, so pretty good price in my opinion.) Anyway, so if I recall correctly I received my copy on Thursday, October 14th and finished it by Monday, October 17th. I know, slow of me but I wanted to savor this one. "But Kalpar!" You are surely exclaiming at this point, "If you finished the book on the 17th, why is this review only coming out on the 26th?" That's a very good question my dear readers, and you alway have the best questions. The answer is simply I am writing it here on the 18th but due to a large influx of smut from Katie and Sharon, my review got pushed to the 26th. So blame them, it's all their fault.
, was written in 1983. On average, Sir PTerry has managed to write one 
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. Both of these novels are Watch books, and I think that they show Sam Vimes at his very best as a character. We get to look deep inside Vimes and see why he believes what he believes, and perhaps more importantly the code that he holds himself to. I find them really great explorations of Vimes's character and will probably remain my favorite books for a long long time.