Book #27: Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

[sharikkamur]

Another UU book - hurrah! I know that most people seem to prefer the Watch novels, or the Witches novels, but I'm an academic and I like the Wizards novels because I can relate to the internal workings of what is clearly only a slightly exaggerated academic institution. Unsurprisingly I relate to Ponder Stibbons quite a bit too

Comments

[aryanhwy]

I UU up en route from Genoa to Amsterdam via London, about two weeks into the World Cup. It was hilarious to read the book while getting enveloped in WC fever.

[aryanhwy]

Please to insert "picked" between "I" and "UU"....

[sharikkamur]

I can imagine! Perfect timing on Pterry's part to get it out in WC year.

[hobbitomm]

If you wanna borrow my copy of the myth book for the extra stuff, I can bring it to Raglan?

[sharikkamur]

Thanks, but I'll probably pick up a new copy at Discworldcon at the end of August. I gave my first edition hardback away to one of my Icelandic friends a couple of weeks ago on the assumption that I'd pick up the second one.

Although I could just read the extras at Raglan, couldn't I...? :)

[major_clanger]

For the first hundred pages it didn't feel at all right to me - the writing just did not come across as Pratchett. And then it took off and by the middle it was another classic Discworld novel. Very fun, very well done and it was a bit odd reading it so soon after seeing the Going Postal TV adaptation as I found myself picturing Ankh-Morpork very much as seen on that. (Although not the characters; in particular, Unseen Academicals had Ridcully blatantly being Brian Blessed more strongly than ever.)

[sharikkamur]

I haven't seen Going Postal; yet another media item I have to catch up on now I'm back in the UK. I wasn't that impressed with Hogfather, so I didn't bother downloading any of the others.

I found the Romeo and Juliet subplot a little awkward at first but, as you say, everything came together in the middle of the book. Jolly good fun, as ever.