PTerryness.

[nny]

I slept last night. Which, for those of you that might hang around on street corners YM! will know, was a novelty. Mmmm, sleep. I'm pretty sure I had good dreams, too, and they were probably surreal, but I have no idea what they were other than happy.

Had my test on Pronunciation of English yesterday, and I think I did pretty well- at least on the translation and transcribing. This is due, in part, to copperbadge, whose Snupin I was transcribing phonetically all morning. Cheers Sam. Though I was giggling quite a lot when I was translating...

Just finished reading Monstrous Regiment.


I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet. I should probably read it again before making judgements... but, y'know, screw it.

Over all, I did enjoy the book. It had a good story, some genuinely chilling, thrilling parts, and a few bits that made me shove a hand in my mouth to prevent myself exploding with laughter at 4am. (The ornithology footnote, anyone?)

I cheered when Otto appeared. I loved the Truth, and I was genuinely excited that they were in the book. And, naturally, any Vimes completely makes my day. I was disappointed that there wasn't *more* Vimes- the Watch books are my favourites as a set, and Night Watch would probably be my overall favourite book. Initially I was a major fan of all of the Vetinari/Vimes interaction, but over the books Vimes has been become more and more fleshed out... I just adore his character. Even though he was only briefly in MR, the scenes he had counted.

But... there was something a little empty about it, for me. I may change my mind over further readings, but... it didn't have the immediate emotional impact of other books by PTerry. Possibly it's because I was having a little trouble keeping everyone's names straight at the beginning. As they were being referred to by first names, surnames and nicknames by turns, I got slightly confused. It'll make more sense on another reading.

It also doesn't help that I haven't seen Platoon, Apocalypse Now, or whatever else PTerry happened to be referencing. I've never been a major war film fan.

It rang a little hollow. I wanted to be amazingly moved by the part where Polly finds Paul, and he's drawing. I felt like it should be a moment where I teared up. There *was* a feeling of vague happiness, but largely I was just feeling... meh. It seems a shame, because other Discworld books- "In this time, and in this place..." for instance- I was biting my lip, pain in my chest, as I tried not to well up. I wish I had cared more about the characters, but I really didn't.

So all round, I remain unconvinced. It's a genuinely good book, and I will read it again, of course. But it won't be one of my favourites.

Oh, and I thought Maladict should've been a boy.


I'd be interested in hearing what anyone else has to say about it, because I've never had anyone to discuss Discworld with just after I've finished a book, before. *g*

Comments

[villainny.livejournal.com]

Ha! I like that a lot. I was just about to go back and read this, now that I've finished.

I just... Maladict never acted like a girl. And I don't mean that in a sexist way- it's just patterns of speech, things that were said... to my mind, he came across as a particular brand of OOC fanon-Draco that I will accept, despite my protestations about OOCness. If that makes any sense.

It seemed like an afterthought to make it Maladicta, really. Vaguely unnecessary. I don't know why, but it felt like a disappointment.

Of course, now there're femme-plotbunnies running around in my head...