(no subject)

[johnny9fingers]

Oh Dear....

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2226306,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=10

For the past twenty years Pratchett has been the best English humourous writer. That he works in genre is to some extent unfortunate, as it has marginalised his work. He picked up the school story many years before J K Rowling (Pyramids, 1989) and has used his private cosmos to satirise many dubious elements of modern life.

For my money, he runs Wodehouse a close finish as to which is the greatest 20th century humourist in the English Language. Though it must be said, when it comes to great stylists, Wodehouse is up there with Joyce and Hemingway: whereas Pratchett's gifts lie more in the narrative, rather than the unfettered joy in language which we find in Bertie Wooster's descriptions of the hangovers and breakfasts and other disasters he has stumbled across.

If good wishes count for anything in these cases Terry Pratchett has mine.

Comments

[vlion.livejournal.com]

Oh, blast it all!

The man - for what my opinion's worth worth - is one of the better writers of our time, if not one of the best.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

About ten years ago I started picking up 'firsts'. I have a few of his. I discuss Pratchett with old friends. There are arguments over which his his best realised novel: shoarthing reckons it is 'Small Gods', I'm of the opinion it would have to be either 'Jingo' or 'Night Watch'. I loved 'Going Postal', principally because almost alone in modern literature it had a hero with which I could actually empathise. As for the Witches....My mother would make a damn good Weatherwax, so I'm inclined to regard them with the respect they deserve.
I no longer own all of his novels, as over the years they have been loaned to many....and not all of them returned.

I now have some 30-odd titles by him, some doubled because of 'firsts'.

[(Anonymous)]

The Vimes cycle in my opinion is the finest of his work; my all-time favorite is probably the Fifth Elephant.
Rincewind and Weatherwax cycles are good, but I don't feel they have the same breadth of thought.
Personally, I find the Susan Death cycle quite satisfying, as I get frustrated with the stupidity I see, heh.
Of his recent work, some of it is, unfortunately, not quite as accessible, ie, Monstrous Regiment. I am quite sure it references British humor/concepts I am unfamiliar with.

I need to read the most recent one - blasted classes eatin' my time.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

'Monstrous Regiment' wasn't one of his best, but it was followed by 'Going Postal' (brilliant) and 'Thud' (one of the best of the Vimes Cycle).

[vlion.livejournal.com]

Oh, poo. That Anon. was me.

[winterlion.livejournal.com]

Oh - me too.
The guy's a ruddy genius, especially with characters.