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[mvrdrk]

Have broken down and started reading Pratchett again. flemmings's fault, in part, the elder's part too, for leaving one volume in the bathroom before going away on vacation. Ah, just my luck, it's Men at Arms. Ho ho, ha ha.

Comments

[nojojojo.livejournal.com]

...Except I haven't tried that one. How is it?

[mvrdrk.livejournal.com]

Delightful if you like Pratchett, which you don't. That volume contains the joke about ho ho and ha ha that flemmings was talking about.

I can't recommend Flint's excellent 1632 series to you, I don't think you do alternate history. I haven't read much of what you love, so I can't really recommend reliably, and I don't read much these days ...

Hmm, what I think you should do is start watching woxin. You should be able to get a copy in one of the asian districts ... Or go take the gargolye walking tour of Manhattan, if it still exists.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Chinatown Woxin DVDs require regionless, or all regions, players; the pricetag on the NAmerican version precludes buying by the thrifty.

I too rather like Men at Arms, though Guards! Guards! is more my speed. Takes reading all the Watch books to realize that Vimes isn't an ideal figure: he starts off an unthinkingly prejudiced common man and becomes progressively more unprejudiced through experience- 'I don't care for dwarfs much.' 'Well, dwarfs are OK but werewolves, good gods...' 'Werewolves are fine- one of my best officers is a werewolf- but I simply can't *stand* vampires!' What he is is an honest man, in both senses: says what he thinks and recognizes the truth when it's staring him in the face. It's a nice development to watch.

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

That's the most eloquent description of Vimes' character progression I've read yet. I think the Vimes we meet in Monstrous Regiment is my favourite followed very closely by the Vimes in Thud!. The one for his experience and humour and the second for a glimpse into the darkness he holds inside.

And I was wondering what I'd read for my bath and now I think I'll start the Watch books over again. XD

[mvrdrk.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I know I've read Guards! and Monstrous Regiment. I remember neither. I don't think I've read Thud! I'll have to go find them.

It's a good thing the spouse reads them all, 'cause I tend to fall in and out of Pratchett and it's nice that they are all here somewhere when I fall in. It's either that or read the adventure stories of Confucious.

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

I'm in the same situation with the s.o. having all the Pratchetts so if I'm in the mood they're there. (And other big collections of graphic novels and science fiction novels... I rarely have an excuse to be bored!)

Ha! When you mentioned the adventure stories of Confucious I have to say the first image that popped into my mind was a Tintin-esque cover with Confucious drawn Herge style and a title like 'Confucious in - The search for enlightenment' XD

[mvrdrk.livejournal.com]

Herge style and a title

I'm not at all sure that it isn't like that ...

[mvrdrk.livejournal.com]

The Watch and Vetinari are the only characters in Discworld I really love. Vimes is one of my favorite types of characters - a person who is good because he chooses to be good, not because he's incapable of being bad.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

I like that Vimes doesn't know he's choosing to be good. He's choosing to abide by the law. The RL letter of the law is frequently at odds with what's morally right, and I wonder if we'll ever see Vimes making that choice. But so far it's been Vimes' personal desire to see order reign against doing it by the book, and Vimes ultimately always chooses by the book.

[mvrdrk.livejournal.com]

Yes, you're more accurate that it's the law and not "good" he's choosing.