Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and Piranesi

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vison
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Post by vison »

I've never read anything by Pratchett. I suppose I ought to give it a try.
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Post by Dave_LF »

Mahima wrote:Dave, I read the princess story as a kid, and completely forgot about it specifically, but the dancing-in-an-enchanted world sounded right to me. :). Now I know why.
Yup; that is exactly the effect I meant. I had little lightbulbs going off like that all the time, and I only figured out the reasons behind a couple of them.
Voronwë_the_Faithful wrote:
Dave_LF wrote:Yes, very much; though I confess thinking it dragged a bit during the tour with the Greysteels.
yeah, I can see that. But if a book of that length, and that complexity (and with that many footnotes!) only drags a bit at one short portion, that's pretty impressive.
Yes, and the fact that I'd been reading for several hours without a break by that point probably had something to do with it too. ;)
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Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

vison wrote:I've never read anything by Pratchett. I suppose I ought to give it a try.
You'll probably like it, vison (since I don't). :P
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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vison
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Post by vison »

Voronwë_the_Faithful wrote:
vison wrote:I've never read anything by Pratchett. I suppose I ought to give it a try.
You'll probably like it, vison (since I don't). :P
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Post by Inanna »

The Queen is not amused.
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
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vison
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Post by vison »

So, you Pratchett fans, tell me which one to read.
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Post by Alatar »

Nightwatch is probably his best, but I'm not sure its the right one to start with.
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vison
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Post by vison »

Alatar wrote:Nightwatch is probably his best, but I'm not sure its the right one to start with.
Why?

And, what time is it there?
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Post by Crucifer »

I would say that it's certainly not the right one to start with. To fully appreciate Nightwatch, IMHO, one needs to have read the rest of the Watch series, which begins with Guards! Guards!, as far as I remember...
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Post by Alatar »

Er, its about 3:55pm, why?


Its a tough call. Like I say, Nightwatch is the best, but is improved by familiarity with the rest of the series. However, if you were only ever going to read one Pratchett, thats the one.
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Post by Frelga »

Vison, Pratchett's books come in loose cycles, sorted by main characters. The Watch cycle begins with Guards! Guards! which is Pratchett's take on a film noir with a dragon. That might be a good place to start for you. The Witch cycle starts with Wyrd Sisters (OK, Equal Rites, but I'd leave that for later). It's an even money which one would be a better first read for you. I'm slightly leaning toward the Witches, as I have an inkling that you will appreciate both Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. But Guards! Guards! is worth reading simply for Pratchett's riff on Bard's last arrow. Sergeant Colon has a special arrow, too, but...

I really think Pratchett is underappreciated and even dismissed because his writing is hilarious, and because of the elements of parody and satire, especially in his earlier works. Because real literature is Serious Business.

Anyway, I'll save the rest for the Pratchett thread.
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Post by WampusCat »

I finally got around to reading Jonathan Strange. A few thoughts:

The beginning was a hard slog, mostly because I found all the characters boring and somewhat repulsive. If her point was to show that England needed a swift, magical kick in the rear, she succeeded. But it nearly made me abandon the book.

Part of my problem, though, was that I got the audiobook version, thinking that it would entertain me for several long trips and lots of daily commutes. In the audiobook, though, there is no option to skip footnotes. Every one is read in full at the point where they are inserted in the text. This almost drove me insane. (I eventually started reading a paperback version as well, which was helpful.)

My brother assured me that things picked up when Strange entered the picture, and he was right. After that I had no serious temptation to stop reading. (I must admit, though, that I thought the book was overlong. A good editor could have made it better, as good editors always do.)

To go back to a discussion near the beginning of the thread: When the Gentleman asked to be taken to the person he was most endangered by and ended up in a field alone with Stephen, I thought it was obvious that Stephen was eventually going to destroy him. Killing Vinculus was just a cruelty born of misunderstanding.

There were certain passages that were breathtaking, especially ones that described magic taking place. At those times, the writing reached out and grabbed me, pulling me into her world.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I would have preferred to know more of Childermass and Uskglass and less of Norrell and the aristocracy of London, though.
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Post by WampusCat »

Oh, and I did -- as you might suspect -- appreciate Mrs. Delgado, the mad woman with 100 cats. ;)
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Post by Primula Baggins »

I'm going to have to give this another try. I bounced off, but I don't think I got to the point where you say it picked up.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Post by CosmicBob »

Finally read this one. I was amazed by it. One of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time.
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Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

Clearly a man of discerning taste!
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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Post by Primula Baggins »

I have it on my Kindle now, so it's always handy (it was $2.99, and I never hesitate to spend on a book what a fancy coffee would cost, especially given that I never buy fancy coffees :P ). I may yet try again.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Post by CosmicBob »

I think the book appeals to me for several reasons. The first is the purely fantastical nature of the story. It's very entertaining in that respect.

The second is that it is just so funny, especially after reading a whole slew of Regency Romances that can be hysterically funny themselves. For some reason I really like Regencys and characters in them, like Wellington or Byron or some of the others.

Another is the plethora of footnotes. They are quite fun to read. And there are times she just goes on and on and on with the footnote and you KNOW she's doing that on purpose to be funny.

It was just a very entertaining book and I look forward to reading her next one. (Not a big fan of short stories, but I probably will pick the current book up now).
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vison
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Post by vison »

When I was clearing out my bookcases a few weeks ago, I came across it and sat down on the floor and gave it another go and it was no go. I always feel as if I SHOULD like it, it's the sort of thing I ought to like . . . but I don't. Likewise with The Magician and Mrs. Quent . . I got it in the book exchange via snail mail and finally just sent it on. :(

But here I am reading The American Senator (Anthony Trollope) for about the 1,000th time and I love Arabella Trefoil as much as ever. And there was never a horrible old woman as horrible as The Hon. Mrs. Morton. :shock:
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Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

For what it's worth, CB, I couldn't get into The Ladies of Grace Adieu (the book of short stories). Others like it, but I didn't find it had the same appeal. I am looking forward to the new book, if and when it appears.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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