Well this was a thoroughly enjoyable read… about the apocalypse. Yup- you read that right. This a comedy about the end of the world. The likes of which only the combined genius of Pratchett and Gaiman could have come up with. Melding their equally sharp wits and sense of humour, they created one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a long while. And obviously, it’s packed full with lots and lots of laugh out loud moments!
Brilliantly written, chock full of hilarious and colourful characters and with a great story to book- it’s no wonder this became a cult classic. Happily, there’s a great story as well. In an elegant fashion, we move from the beginning of the universe, right up until the point when it’s doomed to end. As you might expect, it’s an incredibly complex story, with a lot of layers, and the absolute worst thing you could do as a reviewer for such an ineffably multifaceted work is lose one’s notes… which is exactly what I’ve gone and done. Either that or I was too distracted by the book to write anything down, cos it’s just that good 😉
So, I’m working on the fly here, which is a little tricky when we’re talking about such EPIC scale things like god, global catastrophes and intriguing philosophies. Because of course this is more than just surface-level entertainment. As I’ve come to expect from these two powerhouses, this is a fascinating approach on the nature of good and evil, the shades of grey in between and whether angels can indeed dance on the head of a pin.
Ultimately, this small book packs a punch and is one I’ll more than happily reread (maybe next time I’ll manage to take notes 😉). Fortunately though, the fun didn’t stop there, because I managed to catch the adaptation on Prime!
Now, you’ve probably heard about the (patently absurd) scandal around this, which spectacularly backfired, so you might have already heard more sane people rising to the show’s defence and raving about how good it is!
Visually stunning and with a lot of great performances- especially from Tenant and Sheen (no surprises there)- this managed to both fully reflect the qualities of the book, whilst not being the exact same thing. There were changes- as expected- but nothing that was detrimental to the original. Some parts were streamlined and there were brilliant additions (I’ll get to in a moment), but most importantly, this captured the spirit of the original.
Speaking of parts not in the book (told you I’d get there), the opening to episode three, which explored Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship in full was beautifully done. While taking up half the episode’s run time, it was so seamlessly integrated that I almost felt like I must have read it. What I liked best about it, however, was how it felt like a tribute to Pratchett and Gaiman’s friendship- and it felt all the more poignant for that. In fact, the whole backstory of how this show ended up being made makes me pretty emotional.
So, let’s hop skip and a jump to that final showdown before I tear up again! And gosh, it was done well. While a little different to the book, I did love the show’s twist ending and it certainly did its job of keeping me on my toes.
Gotta give these both 5 bananas- meaning ten in total- after all there’s no need to be stingy since they saved us from the end times…
Have you read or watched this? What do you think of them? Let me know in the comments!
Because I knew, the second I started reading Mort that I was reading something special. And, incidentally, so did the rest of my train carriage, where I sat for four hours, smothering laughter through my hand. I instantly fell in love with the humour. I mean, even years on, I still find myself randomly cracking up over the Great A’Tuin- a giant turtle hurtling through space with four elephants resting on its back which support the Discworld… Seriously, I just finished that sentence and I’m laughing again! Really the jokes and wit *never* gets old.
Soon I’d leapt into the rest of the series- in fact the Death series ran away with me- I couldn’t stop with that one. I absolutely loved the quirks and eccentricities of the entire world- not least of the characters! I still chuckle over the fact that Death enjoys a good curry- that is so quintessentially English and I love it!! (chicken tikka masala is the national dish after all). Plus, oh my goodness, the stories are so unconventional! If you’re looking for a different Christmas story, you won’t get anything better than the Hogfather.
And actually that leads me onto the pure genius of the ideas. Not only is Hogfather a lovingly satirical take on the way we all act around Christmas, but it also gets right into the heart of the love of stories. Actually, this is a running theme with Pratchett- and is especially noticeable in the witch’s plots, such as the play with fairy tales in Witches Abroad and the *double double toil and trouble* Shakespearean mischief of Lords and Ladies. It’s this complexity and depth which makes the series *so awesome*.
And yet there’s more to it than all that. Over the years, I’ve fallen in love time and again with so many bonkers, wacky and fun characters from the series! If they were simply flat archetypes for satirical fodder, they wouldn’t be half as endearing as they are. But no! They are so much deeper than that. Death, the anthropomorphic personification of death, doesn’t just exist as a vehicle for the plot- NO!– he actually comes to learn about and sympathise with humanity. Vimes, the slightly world weary copper, who manages to upstage everyone with his unbending sense of right and wrong. Granny “I can’t be having with that kind of thing” Weatherwax, who takes common sense to a whole new level. Vetinari is the kind of despotic politician I can admire (thank you Sir P for giving me the opportunity to utter such odd sentences). Then there’s other favourites like the Death of Rats, Susan and Moist. And lastly, but certainly not least…
The Librarian- who inspired me to create this blog! For those of you who don’t know, the Librarian is one of my favourite Discworld characters. My monkey owes its existence to the great big monkey in the sky… or something (*ahem* that sounded more poetic in my head…) Say hello to my little friend!
And so we’re coming to the end of my journey so far… And the fact that I can say “so far” is something else that I’m happy about. Because, as I 
1- Me Before You– I finished this wittily written, tightly wound wonder of a book really recently. This book hits you right in the gut and is sure to either make you cry or wondering what is wrong with your tearducts if you don’t. I really recommend giving it a go.
2- Feet of Clay– let’s be honest, I don’t review or mention Terry Pratchett books often enough- and that is a terrible shame on me! But rest assured- I still love Pratchett and I’m looking to rectify that huge fault of mine by mentioning it right now. And just for the record- this one was up there as one of the best Pratchett books I’ve ever read! (so far!)
3- Black Maria– here’s another author that I don’t mention off enough. I *adore* Diana Wynn Jones and I feel like I don’t mention often enough. I love the Chrestomanci series and so I’ve been reading more of that, but I particularly enjoyed this standalone!
4- The Witch’s Daughter– I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastical take on historical fiction- and that’s coming from someone that doesn’t often like historical fiction. I can’t say it’s an especially challenging or trying read, but it was fun, quick and worth picking up. I’m definitely gonna continue with this series.
5- The Five People You Meet In Heaven– here’s another one I can happily recommend. Surprisingly for the subject matter, this is a very light read and didn’t give me too much trouble in the emotional department. That being said, it was well written and managed to be highly enjoyable and life affirming. Give it a try and let me know what you think- I’d be interested to see your reaction to it!
6- The Darkest Part of the Forest– I’m going to finish off with this rather splendid standalone. This is an exquisitely woven, dark take on modern fairy tales! It is only the second book I’ve read by Holly Black, but I have to say, I’ve come away satisfied every time. I love her unique storytelling style and I find I really connect with her characters. After this one, I’m very keen to read more of her work.
the orang-utan librarian 