An inventory of imagination
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The wonderful thing about reading encyclopaedias is that there are no rules to follow. From cover to cover, if you wish. Selecting topics of personal interest and ignoring all else, if that's your preference. There's pleasure gained by arbitrary random choices as well as with following cross-references to see where they lead. One thing is certain about this collection, you won't be disappointed in whichever path you follow. And there's a laugh per page, if not per entry.
Ever since the Enlightenment and Diderot's compendium of the natural world, encyclopaedias have remained a buttress to learning. Some of us had the "EB" as children almost as a matter of course. All these references were collections of facts - about nature, people, literature - almost anything you might name. Rarely is an encyclopaedia a collection of one man's imaginative musings. And there are few writers around with the imagination, wit and prose style of Terry Pratchett. If you can catalogue a man's thoughts, it's been done with this "Discworld Companion".
In the earlier part of his career, Pratchett declared he didn't strive for consistency or much order in his writings. Characters, events and places on the Discworld could vary in personality, happen and be forgotten, or be seen and lost. The same place wasn't always in the same place twice. With so many books, so large a fan base and a deluge of questions, some level of order was demanded. Although there is a web page devoted to sources for the origins of Pratchettean allusions, there has never been a catalogue of persons, places and events. Hence this book.
The Companion is a rich trove of entries, many enhanced by Briggs' delightful illustrations. Anyone can read it. The long-term fan will find explanations for things encountered. The novice cruising through here will likely respond: "She did what?" and nip over to buy the referenced book. Major Discworld figures are fleshed out by background material not found in the stories. Characters with fleeting exposure in the books, are explained more fully here. Places are described in detail and placed in historical context. One can almost see Twoflower, the Discworld's first tourist, clutching this book as he gazes in wonder at the Place of Lamentations in Kom, major city of Klatch. He will leave soon for the Orohai Peninsula in quest of a sponge lunch. Don't believe me? You could look it up. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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For the Discworld fanatics - an amazing book, but...
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This is an amazing book, a must-have for all big fans of Discworld series. I suppose most of them, just like me, will grab this book and run away happy. And the happiness will be entirely justified. One point must be stressed: the Companion consists mostly of spoilers, so if you didn't read all the Discworld series, wait until you do before getting a copy for yourself. There's a lot of stuff to be found in the book. Words of Ankh-Morpork national anthem, complete with all the "ner hner ner". Extensive entries on most of major guilds, together with the crests and the mottos. Sadly, most of them are not translated, no doubt in order to grant the readers a possibility to exasperate Oxbridge Professors of Clasics with questions like "But sir, what does 'non ante septem dies proxima, squiri' really mean?"
There is even a complete list of guilds. And of books, songs, food and drinks. Anyway, and that's a remark only for fanatics like myself - do not expect too much. You'll be disappointed.
I knew that minor characters had been left out, but I was nonethless surprised when I didn't find any entry for Stronginthearm. Neither the seargant nor the crossbow maker. And there is a whole paragraph about the Gaiters (the people who employed Susan Sto Helit for some time).
It is mentioned that the Patrician throughout the Discworld series is Vetinari, except for "some events in Night Watch". I do not complain that the "some events" happen to make 4/5 of the book, but what about "Colour of Magic"?
All in all, the people who know the series will find the book strangely uninformative at times, while the new readers will jump on a spoiler mine every now and then.
How can it be that the entry of Treacle Mine Road failes to mention either the burnt Watch House or the Republic? On the other hand, Vimes is described as a Duke of Ankh-Morpork; quite a surprise for all those who are yet to read "Jingo".
Frankly, the entries about "The Thief of Time" characters are quite shocking: as for characters X, Y, Z it is only said that they had "a special relationship". You'd say it's a nice shot at keeping the book spoiler free, but unfortunately, those who check up character W will learn all about the aforesaid relationship. Shame. You still remember that I mentioned the book will make fans happy? Fine. It will.
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I now know how to speak monkey- I mean ape- with this book.
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Ook! An excellent book for flicking through -impossible to read like a novel- and finding out all you need to know about the Discworld. If like me, you'll first check out your favourite characters first and the ones you always wondered what happen to. What's a bit annoying is that seemingly small, minor characters get a whole page, but a character I would deem as main one gets a paragraph- Angua from the Watch series an example of this. Be warned: if you haven't read all of the books and don't like the plot of them told you before you do, don't get this book. It's a spoiler landmine, really. Definately a fan book, though. Although it's unfashionable to like reading Terry Pratchett books, I really don't care. His books aren't read by social, spotty retards who discuss Star Trek online, but by lots of people, me included. I don't even like science fiction that much, haven't read Lord of the Rings and I count shoe buying as a hobby. I'm a fashion student who has a decent social life and would class it a personal hell if I was forced to watch Star Trek. Play Celine Dion and shove pointy things under my finger nails, but never that...
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Revised, Rehashed and Remarkable!
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They lied. The Discworld Companion (1994) proclaimed itself to be the definitive, and only guide...but then Terry Pratchett wrote a bunch of fantastic new books. They changed Discworld, and expanded on the characters and so the answer was clear, and the New Discworld Companion was written. Yay! It's hugely informative, collating together the histories of characters, places, guilds and even dogs of Discworld. Some of the original entries are still present and many characters that were born only to leave the world with a messy squish have been removed. There is an immense amount of new material, much of it hilarious, taken from Terry Pratchett's more recent novels, the Discworld Diaries and other publications. It's arranged in a simple, easy to use A-Z, and comes with the added bonus of a Pterry Interview at the back. This is a must for Discworld fans, and anyone else who wants to know what happens when the Quantum Weather Butterfly flaps its wings, or how to select the best Bonsai Mountain to cultivate.
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