Discworld: Death Novels Group Read

Discussão75 Books Challenge for 2023

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Discworld: Death Novels Group Read

1The_Hibernator
Jan 2, 2023, 2:57 pm



Hi all! This year some of us plan on reading the Death novels from Discworld (with hopes of continuing other collections in the following years).

The order of the books will be:

February - Mort
April - Reaper Man
June - Soul Music
August - Hogfather
October - Thief of Time

Any and all are welcome to join!

2ronincats
Jan 2, 2023, 3:06 pm

Hi, Rachel. I'm always glad to reread one of my favorite sub-series in Discworld, so I'll try to remember to join you here.

3PawsforThought
Jan 2, 2023, 3:41 pm

Thanks for setting up the thread. I’ll make sure to have a copy of Mort ready to start reading in February. I just hope life will let me actually read it as well.

4drneutron
Jan 2, 2023, 6:32 pm

I’ve added a space for these threads to the group wiki and announced it in the Group Announcements thread. Have fun!

5EllaTim
Jan 2, 2023, 6:37 pm

I’ve starred this thread, hope to participate.

6quondame
Jan 2, 2023, 7:01 pm

I'll have to go dig up Mort. One of the early scenes is referenced in The Fairy Godmother.

7cindydavid4
Jan 2, 2023, 7:24 pm

>1 The_Hibernator: YES! I just did a reread of reaper man and mort after reading the pratchett bio, but Id be glad to read them again! And Soul music was one of my first discworld books and I was hooked

8humouress
Jan 2, 2023, 10:08 pm

Go on then; I could join in.

9LyndaInOregon
Jan 3, 2023, 4:57 pm

Glad to see the thread up, and looking forward to the books. Just ordered Mort for my Kindle, as my copy as gone walkabout.

10cindydavid4
Jan 3, 2023, 5:00 pm

my first introduction to DEATH was from Pratchetts novel the good omen written with Neil Gaiman. They each bring different parts to the book, but death is pratchetts for sure.

11Eat_Read_Knit
Jan 3, 2023, 5:51 pm

I am probably in. (I had been wondering which Discworld subseries to read in 2023. :D )

12humouress
Editado: Jan 3, 2023, 7:58 pm

>1 The_Hibernator: I see you've spaced it so that we have a couple of months to read each book. For TIOLI purposes (if anyone else is doing the challenges), I'm going to assume that each book will fall in the month it is listed next to (so Mort would go into February's TIOLI, not into January's).

I usually slot my books into the TIOLI challenges at the end of the month so if you (ie anyone) do put a book into a challenge, please pop a note down here so I can share the read with you. Makes sense?

13The_Hibernator
Jan 4, 2023, 7:17 am

>12 humouress: my intent is to read the book the month listed. I am a notoriously slow reader right now due to lack of time (3 kids and a job) and ADD. So I don't want my entire reading life to be taken over by Discworld.

14humouress
Jan 4, 2023, 7:25 am

>13 The_Hibernator: Well, I'm not yer fastest reader either. I suppose I could make a case for two kids?

15The_Hibernator
Jan 4, 2023, 8:09 am

>14 humouress: Two kids is enough to swallow your time!

16SirThomas
Jan 30, 2023, 10:34 am

Here is someone else who wants to read along.
I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with some of the books and also to new discoveries, as I haven't read them all yet.
I am looking forward to it.

17humouress
Jan 31, 2023, 4:37 am

Ooh, that reminds me. I have two of the books but I need to get my hands on the others, including Mort.

18catseyegreen
Jan 31, 2023, 1:32 pm

Hi all, I have located my copy of Mort and I am looking forward to reading alone with you.

19ronincats
Fev 2, 2023, 8:28 pm

Thanks for the reminder, Rachel. I've been out of town since the 29th and just got home, so I'll pull Mort off my shelves for my next read.

20LyndaInOregon
Fev 5, 2023, 6:03 pm

I guess I have to be the person to pierce the veil? Surely someone else has devoured Mort with as much enthusiasm as I have?

It seldom takes me more than one or two sittings to get through a Discworld novel, and this one was no exception. As it turns out, I had somehow missed it on my original Pratchett reads. It was a wonderful beginning to this re-exploration and a delightful reminder of how sly Pratchett can be.

21PawsforThought
Fev 5, 2023, 6:19 pm

I haven’t started yet. I tried reading on the train but it didn’t work out and I’ve been too busy otherwise. Hopefully will find time soon.

22catseyegreen
Fev 5, 2023, 6:59 pm

>20 LyndaInOregon: I'm looking forward to it but I need to get a couple other books finished first.

23ronincats
Fev 5, 2023, 7:44 pm

I finished Mort last night. Although it is by far the weakest of the DEATH sequence of novels, it still shows flashes of what Pterry was working toward. And I am sure that is from the perspective of one who has read them all multiple times, for whom it is no longer fresh and novel. For those of you reading it for the first time, what made you laugh out loud? What surprised you? What made you think a bit differently?

24humouress
Fev 5, 2023, 8:47 pm

I acquired Mort last week. I’m pretty sure I read it … way back when, but I haven’t started it yet for this group read.

25quondame
Fev 5, 2023, 8:57 pm

I've brought Mort up from the depth of my Kindle, but I'm actually reading 2 other books - one on iPad and one on Kindle - now. It's not really safe to take my iPad to bed because it ends up edge first on my face, so I go to my back up book.

26cindydavid4
Fev 6, 2023, 12:02 am

this is a re re read for me, but its still making me smile

27The_Hibernator
Fev 6, 2023, 11:09 am

I started Mort last night, but I'm only on page 30, lol. I'm a slow reader with a paucity of time. But I love the way Death appears and hires Mort. Everyone's reactions were just so British humor. Lol I think Pratchett is great at conveying British humor without the slapstick of Monty Python. Ridiculous, yet smooth.

28jjmcgaffey
Fev 6, 2023, 7:09 pm

I'm about a third of the way through - the circle is closing in on the city. And I'm finding that while I LOVE Pratchett's concepts, and his writing is fine, I really don't like his humor. Dry slapstick? People keep doing _dumb_ things, sometimes while knowing they're dumb, and I get embarrassed on their behalf. I'll finish it, but I may end up keeping my Pratchett knowledge as what I pick up from others. We'll see.

29quondame
Fev 6, 2023, 7:31 pm

>28 jjmcgaffey: Pratchett's books mostly improve over the years.

30jjmcgaffey
Fev 6, 2023, 7:37 pm

Yeah. Maybe I should try one of his later books. I did enjoy The Wee Free Men, but haven't yet read any other Tiffany books.

31LyndaInOregon
Fev 6, 2023, 7:38 pm

>23 ronincats: Some of this is going to be spoiler-hidden, for those who haven't yet finished.

One of the things that doesn't have to be hidden, and the first line that made me laugh out loud comes when Death is making some purchases, and Mort notes that the coins are very, very old. "How do you get all those coins?" asked Mort. And Death replies: IN PAIRS.

Another one is: "Sodomy non sapiens," said Albert under his breath.
"What does that mean?"
"Means I'm buggered if I know."

It's those sly one- or two-liners that get me the most with Pratchett, though his sly philosophical musings are often thought of as his trademarks. Here's one, referring to the human tendency to think of very big tasks in very small terms: "It doesn't prove anything very much except that the awesome splendor of the universe is much easier to deal with if you think of it as a series of small chunks." And they are always delightful, but the things that make me laugh out loud tend to be the quick deadpan (you should excuse the expression) asides that take you a minute to "get", or the elaborate puns you didn't even see coming until it's too late to get out of their way.

So ... the other thing that I really noticed hearkens back to another author entirely. And here's where the spoiler content has to start. There's a very good, very dark short story by Ray Bradbury, called 'The Scythe'. It's probably been anthologized many times; my copy happens to be included in The October Country. In it, a man comes upon a rich field of wheat and for various complex reasons, is compelled to begin to reap it with a scythe. As the story unfolds, things get darker and darker. The man (and the reader) realize that he has come to personify Death, and he is driven to madness by the horror of what he is compelled to do, cutting huge swaths of unripe grain and plunging the world into war. Pratchett skirts that notion in Mort, though he pulls back on it pretty severely in order to keep the focus on satire and humor. It does break through at one point when Mort has a dream in which some part of his subconscious mind is tempted by the power that was "dragging him on in a dance that would not end until there was nothing left alive."

Just wondered if anyone else has (or will) pick up on that parallel.

32ronincats
Fev 6, 2023, 8:52 pm

Jenn, come with us at least as far as Reaper Man--that is one of my favorites.

Great responses, Lynda. I giggled at the coins as well.

33cindydavid4
Editado: Fev 10, 2023, 11:49 am

>28 jjmcgaffey: And I'm finding that while I LOVE Pratchett's concepts, and his writing is fine, I really don't like his humor. Dry slapstick?

lots of dry humor here, very british. Most of his books have these moments that you want to stop, but then he gets to the important part and you figure out that there was a reason why it happened

>29 quondame: you are right, he does improve over the years. This is only his fourth scworld book. The first two werent much, the third was a lot of fun, and it just gets better One of his later books is Thief of Time which is interesting of itself

>31 LyndaInOregon: Just wondered if anyone else has (or will) pick up on that parallel.\

I have read that story (and probably all of his work) He purposefully keeps away from a section of grain that he feels is his family.But then a fire comes and takes all the grain away except for that stand..He finds his family alive, just. He realizes he need to finish the job and cuts the grain so they can die.

Pratchette does pull back and keep the focus light Bradbury as usual leaves the dark in to make a point

>31 LyndaInOregon: but the things that make me laugh out loud tend to be the quick deadpan* (you should excuse the expression) asides that take you a minute to "get", or the elaborate puns you didn't even see coming until it's too late to get out of their way.

His footnotes often had me in tears laughing. ...

*I see what you did there

34quondame
Fev 6, 2023, 9:24 pm

>32 ronincats: Reaper Man was the book which converted me from a Terry Pratchett reader to a Terry Pratchett fan. It was the shopping carts! I just cracked up and couldn't stop laughing. Up till then I would just read the ones I bought for the SF club library when nothing else caught my attention and thru the 80s there was increasingly more that did and even more in the 90s.

If I hadn't been on buy immediately after Reaper Man came out I probably would have had a lot of catching up to do as life got very busy with my daughter and a 12hr a day job before the end of the decade. 15 books in 10 years is rather a lot.

35cindydavid4
Fev 6, 2023, 9:33 pm

I started reading with small gods and soul music, the only books published in the US at that time. Wonderful books still among my fav; Wasnt till I went to England and discovered the motherload I bought all of them, and patiently waited for the next ones to come to the states

36markon
Fev 9, 2023, 9:19 am

Small gods was my introduction to Pratchet, and I would try anything else by him from that point on. I haven't read any of his essays, but thoroughly enjoy discworld, expecially Tiffany Aching, Granny Weatherwax, and Samuel Vimes. I'll join you as soon as I get a copy of Mort from the library.

37cindydavid4
Fev 9, 2023, 1:27 pm

You'd think by now this would be old hat but I am cracking up as much as I was the first time!

38catseyegreen
Fev 9, 2023, 3:47 pm

I am about half-way through my re-read of Mort. It has been a loooong time since I read this one. It's interesting that I had forgotten so many details and I love the little jokes.
At this half-way point it struck me that this book contains the seeds that later became Pyramids and Thief of Time.
Specifically the divide in perceived time and the idea of pocket dimensions. Come to think of it that would include Hogfather as well

39cindydavid4
Fev 9, 2023, 7:55 pm

Completely agree with you. Just finished, and I didn't remember Rincewind being there and didn't remember how complex it got at the end, and how very satisfying it was . And of course how funny it was

41catseyegreen
Fev 13, 2023, 10:38 am

Finished the book. Mort is not Pratchett's best but it still holds it's own over time. I do feel that Death is much sterner in this one than any of the others. I generally think of him as being gently puzzled by humans but not terribly stern. The only part of his character that really fit was his love of cats.
I recently re-read Hogfather and reading this book puts a new and very negative light on Albert. Perhaps he has reformed after Death takes him back?

42SirThomas
Fev 17, 2023, 9:15 am

Finished!
Reading it again was like visiting an old friend you haven't seen for a while.
You immediately feel at ease and have a great time.

43jjmcgaffey
Fev 17, 2023, 4:14 pm

I finished it, too. I'd stalled out in the tangle just after Mort got the Duty on his own...decided to power through and almost immediately it got much more interesting. I'm not sure what was going on at the end - not the whats but the whys are confusing. But I enjoyed it.

44Eat_Read_Knit
Fev 25, 2023, 3:34 pm

Finished! I also found the book was very different from how I remembered it, with Death being sterner here that in other bookds. I had forgotten a lot about Albert too.

45catseyegreen
Mar 9, 2023, 11:51 am

Anyone else still planning on reading this? Love to hear your thoughts.

46The_Hibernator
Mar 9, 2023, 12:09 pm

>45 catseyegreen: Honestly? I'm such a slow reader, I'm still working on Mort. I should have started in January. 😂🤣 We'll be reading Reaper Man next.

47cindydavid4
Mar 9, 2023, 12:32 pm

Im done with Mort and looking forward to starting with Reaper Man. Really looking forward to Soul Music where Susan sto helit makes her appearance

48catseyegreen
Mar 9, 2023, 1:16 pm

>46 The_Hibernator: That's okay, I was just wondering if anyone was still working on this or planning to join in. I really do enjoy reading what other people think of the book.
I am looking forward to re-reading Reaper Man next month, it has been a long time since I read that one also.

49PawsforThought
Mar 9, 2023, 1:32 pm

I only just borrowed Mort from the library yesterday so am about to start.

50humouress
Mar 10, 2023, 7:35 pm

Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was the only one who hadn’t finished Mort.

51LyndaInOregon
Editado: Mar 11, 2023, 6:43 pm

Due to a slight miscalculation in reading the timeline, I got my copy of Reaper Man today. Sigh. Will just have to put it away for a while, I guess!

52The_Hibernator
Mar 28, 2023, 8:37 am

Should I make a new thread for April, or just stick to this thread?

53ronincats
Mar 28, 2023, 9:38 am

I think you could stick with this one.

54cindydavid4
Editado: Mar 28, 2023, 10:11 am

not everyone is on the thread and/or people need a reminder. think a new thread would be good imho

I reread this book during my disc world reread after the bio came out. But am reading it again, and its still making my chuckle frequently

55PawsforThought
Mar 28, 2023, 10:19 am

I think a new thread is unnecessary. And might make people who have started this one miss the new one.

56quondame
Mar 28, 2023, 5:19 pm

One thread.. oops, wrong oeuvre! Still, one is enough.

57ronincats
Mar 28, 2023, 9:14 pm

One thread to rule them all...

58humouress
Mar 31, 2023, 11:14 am

One thread to bind them ...

59The_Hibernator
Mar 31, 2023, 2:15 pm

One thread to bring them all

60cindydavid4
Mar 31, 2023, 5:05 pm

Ive started and his way with puns have me laughing even tho I know them. Like the first time I read it, I think I got lost in the middle but Im gonna make a point to pay attention

61catseyegreen
Abr 1, 2023, 11:19 am

I have pulled out my copy of Reaper Man and look forward to reading it again.

62LyndaInOregon
Abr 7, 2023, 3:45 pm

Finished it today and looking forward to the discussion. Without going into any spoilers, here are my preliminary thoughts.

This was a real surprise for me – a Terry Pratchett book that I had trouble getting through! It took forever to get off the ground, and some of the manifestations of the imbalance in a universe where Death has been imperfectly replaced simply made no sense to me. There were some lovely moments at the very end, and I particularly enjoyed the origin story of the Death of Rats. (I had encountered him in later books and wondered how he came to be.)

I don’t want to get into too much detail at this point, as others are still in the process of reading, but I did want to put one thought out there for consideration: We get so involved (okay, *I* get so involved) with Pratchett’s marvelous sense of the ridiculous and with his outrageous puns, that it’s easy to forget he really does have major writing chops. Consider this line -- when describing a woman’s elaborate hat, he writes that she “traveled underneath it as the basket travels under a balloon.”

Perfection.

63humouress
Abr 10, 2023, 12:27 am

Oh, dear. I'm so far behind; I haven't finished Mort and I won't get to Reaper Man this month as I'll be travelling (and my books don't travel with me).

64The_Hibernator
Abr 11, 2023, 5:11 pm

>63 humouress: read Reaperman next month. Think of the thread as a simple suggestion for when to read the book.

65cindydavid4
Abr 11, 2023, 6:04 pm

i finished my reread of my reread So much fun, but i ran into the same problem I did the first two times: There is so much going on in the middle that sorta makes sense but doesnt and not sure Im on track. But it was a fun read 3.5*

66LyndaInOregon
Abr 11, 2023, 10:45 pm

>65 cindydavid4: I think I understand what you're saying about "so much going on in the middle". That was my problem, too. We had Death doing his thing, and Windle Poons doing HIS thing (along with all the people he met in the process), and the wizards doing THEIR thing ... it just got frantic at times, and Pratchett was being overly coy about keeping certain things vague.

67SirThomas
Abr 12, 2023, 9:00 am

I had a lot of fun with my reread again, unfortunately I now have to wait almost 2 months again.
But anticipation is also joy!

68The_Hibernator
Abr 12, 2023, 11:02 am

I haven't started yet, which is why I need two months between books, lol

69ronincats
Abr 12, 2023, 9:30 pm

Like Thomas, I enjoyed my reread. I came to this book late, having missed it somehow in my original series reading, maybe around the time Thud! came out! And I've always pretty much giggled my way through it, not expecting any logic in a Discworld book featuring the wizards.

Next up is probably my least favorite of the Death books, primarily because the puns are so obvious and prevalent, I think. But it's a necessary intro to Susan, whom I love.

70catseyegreen
Abr 15, 2023, 5:54 pm

I love Pratchett's writing but he did have a slightly rocky start. This honestly reads like 2 different books spliced together, an Unseen University plot that does not relate to the Death and Ms. Flitworth plot. Having said this, I still enjoyed my re-read. Pratchett's prose in places is amazing and I still enjoy the jokes. I love the logical illogic of the wizards. Got to bury a zombie at the crossroads? It makes loads of sense to use the busiest crossroads in the city- nobody would want to rise up through all that traffic! I wish the story of Ms. Flitworth was a little more developed, I feel she had a lot to say that was of value. And I do feel the character of Death is much more developed than in Mort.
I look forward to reading everyone's comments on the book.

"No matter how fast light travels it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."

71LyndaInOregon
Abr 15, 2023, 6:56 pm

>70 catseyegreen: "reads like 2 different books spliced together"

I see what you mean. The wizards, of course, are simply trying to get Windle Poons buried, since they 'know' he is dead, even though he is up and walking around. Windle's condition is caused by Death having been dismissed from his job and going off to explore the mysteries of human experience, which is the basis for the Ms. Flitworth plot. So Windle is really the only connecting point between the two plotlines.

I doubt they were ever intended as separate stories, though one of them (and I'd guess it to be the wizard line) either grew organically as Pratchett began to see things he could do with it, or got pressed into service if the Death line began to feel perhaps too weak to carry the full book.

I haven't caught up with the Pratchett biography yet -- do you know if he goes into detail about the writing process of the Discworld books?

72cindydavid4
Abr 15, 2023, 10:24 pm

>71 LyndaInOregon: somewhat. a lot is the biographers telling about their interaction during the process. In fact I was a bit sorry there wasnt more. He does talk alot about publishers editors and that whole business which was interesting and did answer a question I long wondered about: why for the longest time were there only two or three books in the US; took forever to get them all finally. Had to do with American publishers at the time.

73quondame
Editado: Abr 15, 2023, 11:36 pm

>72 cindydavid4: Does it give UK vs US release dates? I know our local SF bookstore got books directly from the UK during the 70s and 80s and that I shopped there while I was librarian for the SF club. My husband worked at that shop for a while long before we got together, and for a few years brought books for sale to the weekly club meeting.

74cindydavid4
Abr 16, 2023, 11:30 am

He does for some, not all. But in the 90s it seemed only Small Gods, Soul Music, and Lords and Ladies were available in the states

75quondame
Abr 16, 2023, 5:57 pm

>74 cindydavid4: That's pretty minimal. I'm glad I had more than those to read during that time.

76cindydavid4
Abr 16, 2023, 10:35 pm

When we went to Britain about that time, we discovered the motherlode and bought every book in the series up to that time. when we came home we started seeing them in stores.

77catseyegreen
Jun 1, 2023, 8:14 am

It's June now everybody. Time for a little Soul Music!

78SirThomas
Jun 1, 2023, 11:19 am

YAY!
But I have to finish some other books first...

79cindydavid4
Jun 1, 2023, 12:37 pm

this is probably in the top 5 list of my fav discworld books
Looking forward to a reread!

80quondame
Jun 1, 2023, 6:29 pm

>77 catseyegreen: I'm actually reading it, well, sort of, I was reading it last night but somehow got distracted by Saving Time, but I should finish both in a couple of days.

81The_Hibernator
Jun 1, 2023, 7:00 pm

Dude! It's June! I forgot. lol I need to finish the last book, too!

82LyndaInOregon
Jun 1, 2023, 9:32 pm

Thanks for the reminder! I'm wrapping up an LTER read, but Soul Music will be up next!

83dianeham
Jun 1, 2023, 11:01 pm

Are there other books I should read before this one?

84quondame
Jun 1, 2023, 11:24 pm

>83 dianeham: Mort. Reaper Man too, which I found funnier, but it's less important and in fact some of the material in Soul Music is sort of repetitive of what's in Reaper Man. But not the main bits.

85humouress
Jun 2, 2023, 1:52 am

Aggh! I still haven’t finished Mort; too many e-library books. I’m seriously behind on this group read.

86catseyegreen
Jun 7, 2023, 7:59 am

Soul Music is one of those books that is good to read when life is getting you down. The plot is straightforward and is not allowed to get in the way of the jokes. I really needed a pick-me-up.

87The_Hibernator
Jun 7, 2023, 1:27 pm

>85 humouress: Lol. I've finished Mort, but haven't started Reaper Man. I'm going to try to catch up, though!

88SirThomas
Jun 11, 2023, 11:10 am

Finished Soul Music and loved it!

89LyndaInOregon
Editado: Jun 12, 2023, 11:13 am

Finished Soul Music last night. I think this is my third read, and it remains one of my favorite Discworld novels.

From my journal, back in 2020: "A re-read, but still as good as ever. Death takes a holiday and his granddaughter is dragooned into service, but she's having trouble accepting that the schedule isn't always fair. Meantime, a wandering young harp player loses his prized instrument and replaces it with a very odd guitar which seems to have its own idea of what music is. Pratchett's take on rock music (i.e. Music With Rocks In) opens the door to what is quite probably the finest collection of puns in the English language."

Would you believe one of the more elaborate puns revealed itself to me for the first time, this time through? And then, only as I was about to drift off to sleep, hours after having read it. The man was a freakin' genius.

90cindydavid4
Jun 11, 2023, 7:28 pm

I just finished my who knows how many rereads (first discworld book I read) and still love it. I still see some things I didn't catch 30 years ago, and I still laugh

91jjmcgaffey
Jun 12, 2023, 3:48 pm

I did read Mort, but haven't yet gotten to Reaper Man let alone Soul Music. But I just ran across Maskerade and it almost hooked me - so I guess I'm in a Pratchett mood and should pick up Reaper Man.

92cindydavid4
Jun 28, 2023, 11:30 pm

forgot to add, love the call out to the Marx Brothers in Night at the Opera, with the state room scene: Ill have one egg, honk honk, make that two eggs. Oh my sides

93humouress
Jun 28, 2023, 11:34 pm

Well, I've (finally) finished Mort which was a 4.5 to 5 star read. I suppose I'll have to look for the next book now ...

94The_Hibernator
Editado: Jun 30, 2023, 3:46 pm

>93 humouress: I'm way behind too, but I'm trying.

Mort was great, though.

95catseyegreen
Jul 21, 2023, 5:10 pm

August is coming quickly and time for the next book. Anyone else have any discussion of Soul Music?

96cindydavid4
Jul 21, 2023, 6:00 pm

Im not a big fan of Hogfather. tried to read it a few times and it just didnt hook me in. So this will be a good time to see i the third time works

97LyndaInOregon
Jul 21, 2023, 7:07 pm

Hogfather's not in my book journal. I remember seeing the movie (TV movie?) and being kind of puzzled that I didn't enjoy it more. So it will be interesting to discover whether this will be a re-read from some dark, distant, pre-journal era or whether it just slipped by under the radar.

98quondame
Jul 22, 2023, 1:33 am

>97 LyndaInOregon: I like bits of Hogfather, but not the assassin.

99The_Hibernator
Jul 22, 2023, 9:09 am

This is one I've never read.

100The_Hibernator
Ago 1, 2023, 8:15 pm

Woo-hoo! It's August!

101LyndaInOregon
Ago 2, 2023, 5:18 pm

Ordered a copy of Hogfather through ILL. Should be here next week. I could have sworn I read it backwhen, but can't find it in my book journal. Guess I'll know for sure when it gets here!

102catseyegreen
Ago 2, 2023, 9:06 pm

I have a minor problem in that I re-read Hogfather back in November, I am not really ready to re-read it again. I am considering watching the movie on Hoopla and then doing a comparison with the book. At least I have never seen the movie before.

103cindydavid4
Ago 2, 2023, 11:37 pm

I think it would be cool to watch the movie; Ive watched several movies of discworld and have enjoyed them. A comparison with the book would help the rest of us I think
!

104SirThomas
Ago 3, 2023, 10:18 am

>100 The_Hibernator: ... and it is raining - reading time!

105LyndaInOregon
Ago 7, 2023, 4:25 pm

Finished Hogfather this afternoon. Despite its moments of humor (mostly in the sections about the wizards), this is one of Pratchett's darker novels.

So, is he right? Do we build the gods who build our world, and keep them (and thus our world) alive through our belief? And when we sanitize or politicize or sterilize them, does that world alter?

106cindydavid4
Ago 7, 2023, 5:15 pm

thats certainly what he says in Small Gods, and once a god looses believers, she weakens and disappears .

107LyndaInOregon
Ago 7, 2023, 6:33 pm

It's certainly a theme he has touched on before, and can provide a lot of fodder. Do we make the gods or do they make us? And does the maker or the made call the shots after that? Hiding all that in humor and adventure is quite a feat.

108SirThomas
Ago 12, 2023, 10:17 am

>105 LyndaInOregon: And yet a book full of confidence, the power of imagination is strong.
And stuff to think about it.
I liked the book, even if it is not the best of the series for me.

109EllaTim
Ago 12, 2023, 3:39 pm

I just finished Reaper Man. Loved it, the wizards are a lot of fun, but Death dancing with his lady friend was a highlight as well.

110cindydavid4
Ago 12, 2023, 9:16 pm

>109 EllaTim: on of my fav scenes in discworld. In fact his entire relationship with her was lovely.

111cindydavid4
Ago 23, 2023, 9:37 pm

inished hogfather was, lots of fun at first then it turns dark quickly. He has a tendency to make a muddle of his middle When i first read his books I didnt mind, now not so much. But the ending is great so I have to forgive him 4*

112LyndaInOregon
Ago 24, 2023, 12:07 pm

I think Pratchett's "middle-muddle" is definitely part of his style. Whether it's part of his charm depends largely on the reader's patience at winkling out the plot threads and whether the chaos keeps one entertained during the process.

Tom Robbins is very much the same, IMHO. I think I once wrote that Robbins "always takes the long way around the barn, but the scenery is so entertaining that the reader doesn't mind the journey".

113cindydavid4
Ago 24, 2023, 10:32 pm

>112 LyndaInOregon: I like that quote, very true and depending on the writer can be a star read

114The_Hibernator
Editado: Set 28, 2023, 7:29 am

As a curiosity, who's actually caught up on this reading? For I am hopelessly behind. I was going to do witches next year, but does anyone want to do that? It seems our discussion has become pretty sparse. Maybe we should try, but do one every 3-4 months?

115humouress
Set 28, 2023, 8:59 am

>114 The_Hibernator: I confess; I haven't got any further than Mort ... yet.

116SirThomas
Set 28, 2023, 9:14 am

>114 The_Hibernator: me😉.
And I am waiting for october to start the next one.
I don't need a longer period, but if you think, it helps...
Then I have more time for anticipation. And there are some other books also waiting for my visit...

117ronincats
Set 28, 2023, 9:44 am

I'm keeping up with the (re)reading but failing abysmally at the commenting. October's is my second favorite after Reaper Man, so I'm looking forward to more Susan in Thief of Time (and Lobsang--love me some Lobsang!).

118catseyegreen
Set 28, 2023, 9:58 am

I have read everything except Hogfather. that one was a recent re-read already and I just don't feel like picking it up again so soon. I would be happy to discuss it however. I am looking forward to October and I have already pulled the book off the shelf and have it ready to go.

119cindydavid4
Editado: Set 28, 2023, 12:35 pm

>114 The_Hibernator: oh yes I was thinking about the witches books too! im fine with every other month; but it helps that I already read most of these so the rereads have been quick (even while I discovered new things I didn't notice before)

theif of time is one of my fav books of the discworld series. Sir Terry was really at the top of his game then

120The_Hibernator
Set 28, 2023, 1:04 pm

Ok, it seems the consensus is that every other month is still good. I'll just have to use a better method to keep up this time. 🤣😂

121LyndaInOregon
Set 28, 2023, 6:16 pm

Will be ordering Thief of Time through an ILL next week. Have read all the selections for this year, and the witches series would be great for next year!

122quondame
Set 28, 2023, 8:44 pm

>118 catseyegreen: Yes, I'm a bit too familiar with Hogfather and really don't enjoy Teatime.

123cindydavid4
Out 5, 2023, 4:36 pm

>122 quondame: teatime? do you mean the douglas adams book long dark teatime of the soul?

124calm
Out 6, 2023, 3:55 am

>123 cindydavid4: Teatime is a character in Hogfather.

125cindydavid4
Out 6, 2023, 1:09 pm

oh duh, forgot about that (yes I did read it!)

126SirThomas
Out 8, 2023, 10:02 am

OK, done.
And I enjoyed it very much.
Especially the creative use of chocolate ;-)
And now the long wait for the next series begins. I am curious to see what it will be...

127catseyegreen
Out 10, 2023, 2:36 pm

Finished my re-read of Thief of Time, parts I love, others are just so-so. I appreciate the parts about the "Frout Method of Learning Through Fun" and Susan as a teacher and the Time Monks are really great. I did not really find Death and his role in organizing the Horsemen of the Apocalypse very interesting. I always love Igor and he has some of the best jokes in any Pratchett novel.Insanity is not compulsory indeed!
Remember Rule #1.

128LyndaInOregon
Out 15, 2023, 8:01 pm

This has not been my favorite of the Death subseries. It focuses more on Susan (as did Hogfather, for that matter), and threatens to fall over its own feet in more than one spot.

I think my favorite part was when Lady LeJean (no spoilers) began contemplating the function of the brain as a kind of committee.
Some ... members of the committee were dark and red and entirely uncivilized. They had joined the brain before civilization; some of them had got aboard even before humanity.

That probably explains as much about human behavior as most Psych 101 textbooks, and does it much more succinctly.

I guess I miss the nutty humor of the Unseen University subseries. Will be looking forward to the Witches subseries readalong next year.

129cindydavid4
Editado: Dez 18, 2023, 6:49 am

I realize we were reading this back in Oct, but any one finish theif of time? this was one of my top prachett books but Im having trouble w th the reread and wonder if I should keep on trying or chalk it up to change in my tastes of books?

130catseyegreen
Dez 18, 2023, 9:53 am

>129 cindydavid4: I finished it. I actually found it an easier read than Mort. But it sounds like you just may need something else right now. I think it is okay to abandon the effort and concentrate on something else for a while.

131The_Hibernator
Dez 18, 2023, 10:30 am

I agree. Reading is for fun. Not for forcing yourself.

132cindydavid4
Dez 18, 2023, 1:28 pm

yeah, I know; think Ive too many books on my plate and come back to it later

133The_Hibernator
Dez 26, 2023, 12:40 pm

Should we start our first book in January or February?

134cindydavid4
Dez 26, 2023, 1:41 pm

for the witches books? wouldnt mind starting in January if its ok with everyone. Should we go in order Equal Rites?

135PawsforThought
Dez 26, 2023, 1:49 pm

I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to join in next year (seeing as my attendance in 2023 was almost zero, and I don’t see things changing in my life in 2024) but if people are reading Witches I’ll definitely keep an eye on the thread, whenever you choose to start). I’m in the middle of reading that series right now.

136cindydavid4
Dez 26, 2023, 5:56 pm

cool!

137catseyegreen
Dez 26, 2023, 7:36 pm

>133 The_Hibernator: January sounds good to me.

138SirThomas
Editado: Dez 27, 2023, 4:01 am

139The_Hibernator
Dez 27, 2023, 2:41 pm

>134 cindydavid4: We'd read in order again, yes.

140cindydavid4
Dez 27, 2023, 8:43 pm

Ok should we do every month or every other?

141The_Hibernator
Dez 28, 2023, 7:35 am

>140 cindydavid4: There are 6 of them, so I was thinking every other.

142cindydavid4
Dez 28, 2023, 3:14 pm

um no there are 7.....we coulc carry on untill Jan 25 to finish them?

143ronincats
Dez 28, 2023, 3:22 pm

Are you counting The Sea and the Little Fishes as the 7th? FWIW, I always consider the Tiffany Aching books as part of the Witches arc of stories, and that would put us right at 12...

144cindydavid4
Editado: Dez 28, 2023, 5:29 pm

gosh I dont know that one;excellent question. I have read the others. but looking at the synopsis of yours, it looks like it could be perfect. If we include that one, plus the other Aching books, does that mean we'll be doing 1 per month? I wonder if every other month would be easier to finish the book, and we can always continue into 2025.

Or we do all tha Aching novels one year and the witches books another?

or do two challeges at the same time?

or any other ideas?

It is an embarassment of riches, isn't it?

145cindydavid4
Dez 28, 2023, 5:31 pm

lets move this discussion to the witches post . Ill cut and paste the messages there https://www.librarything.com/topic/356192#n8330765

146PawsforThought
Dez 28, 2023, 6:00 pm

I don’t mean to be cranky but I would have preferred if the new thread had been posted in this group instead off All things Discworldian. You have to join the group to post there and I have too much clutter in my Talk as it is. It’ll be difficult to keep up with what is posted there and I won’t be able to post should I have the time to join the group read.

147cindydavid4
Editado: Dez 28, 2023, 7:11 pm

>146 PawsforThought: hi I posted this just before yours, sorry, go here to the new thread

https://www.librarything.com/topic/356192#n8330765

I didnt know you have to be a member to post there but we'll check : >141 The_Hibernator:, can you comment? And you arent being cranky, your question is apt and well check for you

148jjmcgaffey
Dez 28, 2023, 10:39 pm

Yes, it says in the top right "You must be a member to post". I don't have a problem with being a member there; I only look at my starred threads anyway (in multiple groups.

149The_Hibernator
Editado: Dez 29, 2023, 8:03 am

I think we should keep the thread in the 75ers group, personally. 🤷‍♀️ There is a place in 2024 for group reads.

ETA: though granted, I wasn't very diligent about commenting this year, so if you all would prefer a different group...

150The_Hibernator
Dez 29, 2023, 8:06 am

Also, I prefer doing Tiffany Aching in 2025 and keeping it to 6 books in 2024. Some people are slower at reading them, and I'd like to be inclusive, but again, I'm not the only one with a say.

151cindydavid4
Dez 29, 2023, 8:08 am

see this is why you are the administrator and Im not - I miss details like this!!!!! plus Im rarely in the challenge thread do you have a link for the group reads?

>148oh ok, thanks for that, never occured to me. and I only look at my starred threads too tho sometimes I think Im missing out on something

152cindydavid4
Dez 29, 2023, 8:10 am

>150 The_Hibernator: yes that makes sense, maybe do all of the Aching books next year as well! should we move this to the Witchs post?

153cindydavid4
Editado: Dez 29, 2023, 8:20 am

ok I see what you all are saying didn't realize it was in a different group. so could you set up a new withces post in the challenge thread

154The_Hibernator
Dez 29, 2023, 9:15 am

>153 cindydavid4: I'll set up a thread in the 75ers 2024 group today. I was going to yesterday, but I took my dad to the hospital at 4:30am and slept the rest of the day. 🤦‍♀️

155The_Hibernator
Dez 29, 2023, 9:30 am

https://www.librarything.com/topic/356333

This is in the 75ers group.

156The_Hibernator
Dez 29, 2023, 9:32 am

>151 cindydavid4: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Groups:75booksin2024

That's the link to the Wiki where the group reads will be listed as they come up.

157cindydavid4
Dez 29, 2023, 9:12 pm

>155 The_Hibernator: oh I hope he is ok!

158The_Hibernator
Dez 30, 2023, 8:56 am

>157 cindydavid4: He's ok. They had to give him an angiogram, which is inpatient. But now it's been done, and I take him home today, if everything works out.