I was discussing this with a friend of mine the other day, and neither of us could remember when the Bursar went off his rocker.
Now, I know in some of the really early books the Bursar acted just like the other wizards. At least to me he didn’t stand out as being a few bats short of a belfry. You really couldn’t tell much difference between the Bursar, the Chair of Indefinable Studies, the Dean, etc.
However, at some point things went downhill for the poor fella. I am in the middle of Hogfather, and I know the poor fella has been completely daft for some time.
I have a half-recollection of it being something Ridcully did, some traumatic event that sent the Bursar over the edge, but for the life of me I can’t put my fingure on it.
Help!
And as an added bonus, a good PTerry quote about education: “Education is like contracting a venerial disease: it disqualifies you from a lot of jobs, and it gives you a strong urge to pass it on to others.”
I don’t know if there was a defining moment that pushed him over the edge. l think I’ve read all the books, but can’t be certain.
I can say, however, that Ridcully was entirely responsible for it. The Bursar’s a quiet, studious little man, and Ridcully…is not. Just by being himself, Ridcully took the Bursar’s nerves, twisted them into models reminiscent of Escher, used them to strike a gong until it was concave, and set them on fire like a man who’ll be warm the rest of his life. The Bursar eventually retreated into his own mind where he could ignore Ridcully in peace.
What that does not answer is which book the transition actually took place. I have read every book in the last few months and I cannot recall it. One book he was fairly normal (for a wizard that enjoys bookkeeping) and then he was popping dried Frog pills like candy.
I know he became bursar after the events of “Sourcery”. He took over the post and shortly after Ridcully became Archchancellor and began shooting his crossbow into the wall of the Bursar’s office. This is a large part of what drove him crazy.
It occurs gradually, over the period of several books. I think it was the time the Bursar opened Ridcully’s office door, only to be nearly impaled by the crossbow bolt Ridcully was firing at the target he had hung on the inside of the door that finally tipped the Bursar into full-blown psychosis.
I was personally under the impression that it was the Luggage charging through the University that provided the last straw, though Ridcully certainly provided the main impetus and prevented any hope of the Bursar coming back to his senses.
Ah, this is the scene I was half remembering! Which book was that? Sourcery? I read through the wizard’s series a bit too close together to tell them apart.
If I recall correctly, Ridcully first shows up in Moving Pictures, at the beginning of which the Bursar is still relatively sane. By the next book, Reaper Man, I think he was already pretty far over the edge. The frog pills don’t pop up for at least a few more books and I think by The Truth he’s still insane, but hallucinating that he’s sane, so is at least functional in society. He still thinks he can fly, though.
I’ve just had a quick canter through the relevant volumes, and I think the turning point comes in Lords and Ladies. The Bursar starts that as coherent, though clearly being worn down by Ridcully, and already taking the occasional dried frog pill to calm his nerves.
When the wizards are invited to Magrat and Verence’s wedding, Ridcully suggests a holiday in the country may do the Bursar good. Which it might have done, if Ridcully hadn’t gone too.
There was another Bursar early in the series. I remember it saying that he was an ordinary person, not a wizard, and shouldn’t have had to be subjected to what he had seen in the last few hours. Cannot remember which book, though. Any other Pratchett addicts who can help out?
The first Bursar we see iirc, is Dr. Spelter. He is, however, killed by the Sourcerer in Sourcery. The current Bursar, Dr Dinwiddie takes over in [del]Faust[/del] Eric, and is reasonably sane and normal until Lords and Ladies where by the start of The Entertainment, the Bursar has gone completely and utterly, well, Bursar.
For those of you over near England, is Bursar a common position? I knew it was a university title of some sort, but I had to look it up the first time I encountered the Bursar to figure out exactly what it was he did (theoretically anyway. Not like the wizards actually work, that’s what students are for)
Seriously, to answer your question, “bursar” is an old university position, and is generally the academic/official in charge of the finances. We had a bursar at my undergrad university (actually we had one for each college), but then our mathematics tripos also had a Senior Wrangler, a Wrangler and an annual Wooden Spoon too. I’m not sure if the position still exists in the more modern universities however.
The Book that contained the first 8 original spells that the Creator used to create the Disc passes through the University like a knife through hot butter. In passing its magic transforms a lot of things. Including the Librarian.
