The problem isn't progression of the world. The problem is the lackluster writing, the Anti-Sue Goblins, the massive Character Derailment, the inclusion of unnecessary characters who have no reason to be involved for the sole purpose of padding out the book. The list really goes on.
You fell victim to one of the classic blunders!
Like I said, I don't see there being Character Derailment so much as character progression; some people have changed but mostly they are recognizable and I find the changes to have followed naturally from what came before — and I disagree that the writing is lackluster. The style has changed somewhat since Pratchett went from typing to dictating, true (sentences are longer and more pandering, for one thing) but the turn of phrase is still sharp.
As for the unnecessary characters, the Discworld books have always been full of unnecessary characters that have no reason to be involved and ultimately play no part in the plot, so I don't see what has changed there apart from the fact that the number of returning characters is larger.
When it comes to Anti Sue goblins, I can really only say that the term Mary Sue and all its related terms have become so broad now and have so many definitions that it's essentially meaningless. The goblins are another of the Disc's races that are something other than they appear — they appear pitiful and pathetic but are in fact quite intelligent and adaptable.
I suspect the main problem with the goblins is that they weren't introduced twenty books before so that the audience could get familiar with them before Pratchett got more Anvilicious with his messages; now people are just annoyed that the goblins have "taken over" two books in succession — three, if you count Unseen Academicals since Mr. Nutt spends a lot of that book thinking he is a goblin.
Quite frankly, I disagree with most of the complaints leveled at the book, and the ones I do agree with (the fact that it panders and takes too long to get to the point) I did point out.
I still say the book's bad rap is undeserved.
Then again, I didn't like Mort, so I already know my opinion goes against a lot of Discworld fans'... ^_^
I liked Raising Steam and Mort so that's a possibility too =D
Oh yeah. I was just referring to the fact that Mort was a pretty popular book with the fans. ^_^
Leave a Comment:
Better Than Its Reputation
A lot of people have denounced this book as "terrible," "not worthy of Pratchett" and "the sad end of an era." I happen to disagree; I find that this book feels like a very natural progression of what has gone before.
The Discworld has always been a world that cheerfully avoided Medieval Stasis (even if certain books like Moving Pictures might fool you into thinking otherwise for a little while); it's a world in progress. From semaphores, to newspapers to paper money, not to mention the Dwarven Female Movement, the introduction of the Boy/Girl Scouts... the steam engine is just the latest in a long line of developments, and is implemented about as well here as the other developments have in the past. Pratchett's enthusiasm for the subject also clearly shines through in every sentence, making it fun and interesting to read.
It's also really nice to see so many previous people and places revisited — yeah, it's pure Fanservice, but it's still pretty cool to find out that Ridcully and Lu-tze are friends, or that Nanny Ogg chats up semaphore operators. I don't know why people say the characters don't feel like themselves here; I had no problem recognizing them as their old selves. The only thing that really struck me as odd was Moist's sudden willingness to use violence, which he had meticulously avoided before — but since he was under the influence for most of it, it's not as jarring as it might have been otherwise.
Is it Pratchett's best book? Not by a long shot; it isn't even in the Top Ten. It panders a little and takes rather too long to get to the point — the real plot doesn't really kick off until half the book is over, and Pratchett has definitely done a better job of intertwining different sub-plots in past books. It also gets a little preachy at times, though this is nothing new; Pratchett's been getting more Anvilicious in later years. And let's face it, after forty books, the Discworld does not feel as innovative and subversive as it once did.
It's still a fun and funny experience, made all the better by being a veritable Continuity Cavalcade, as befits a fortieth book in a series. And the audiobook is a treat; Stephen Briggs's reading makes the text even more enjoyable.