to book.
(I think my $4.99 should grant me more space for thread titles)
I just finished reading book 7 (Pyramids) and picked up book 10 (Moving Pictures) It struck me how incredibly different the writing styles were between the two books. Pyramids was characteristically witty, well structured, well refined. Moving Pictures so far is (by comparison) linear, less humourous, more basic (a lot of he said, she said, he replied, type stuff)
I’ve noticed this with his books before as well. Does he just get bored writing some books? Does he qhostwrite?
Moving Pictures is my least favourite Discworld book* (And yes, I have read them all) Too high concept. The style does vary, some books are much darker than others. Wait 'til you get to Night Watch and Monsterous Regiment
Are you trying to suggest that some books are actually written by Neil Gaiman or that Harry %$*@ing Potter bint? I think we’d’ve spotted that before now.
To the best of my knowledge he does not. I’d agree that Pyramids was better than Moving Pictures, but I don’t think the latter was as bad as all that. He does like to change his style a bit between books though, especially when switching series. I also think that part of the problem might just be that you weren’t caught by the overall concept of MP, I know many people can’t stand some of his books, even though they love others, because of the subject.
Pratchett wrote all of the Discworld books. No ghostwriter.
Moving Pictures is probably the worst book in the series – concept OK, but not particularly funny. It’s especially weak compared to the brilliance of Pyramids, one of his funniest.
Pratchett has also matured as a writer. His newest stuff is not as funny, but still a pleasure to read, and he touches on some more serious issues.
I didn’t mean to offend anyone. It just seems like the jokes in MP are not as clever as in Pyramids. It’s as if he wrote MP earlier in his career (but released it after later books). The writing, although very good in it’s own right, seems less ‘evolved’ than in the other books.
Don’t get me wrong - I am enjoying MP. Just not as much as I enjoyed Pyramids. Evil Death I’ll assume you are being facetious as it’s hard to tell.
Moving Pictures wasn’t one of his best, however I believe he writes all his own books. For one, you can still see enough of his style in everything and it’s not unusual for an author to change a style for a different theme or point of view.
Also, everything I have read about Terry Pratchett, from people that know him or have met him even only briefly and from my impression of him in my own brief meeting, is that he is one of the most sincere, funny, friendly and unassuming people around and he would not be the type to take credit for someone else’s work.
Any hint that Pratchett used ghostwriters would be a huge, front-page scandal in Britain.
Since you’re from the UK, Lobsang, I assume you know that until J. K. Rowling came along Pratchett was the best-selling author in the country. Period. Of any genre.
And he has also made several very public comments about his lack of recognition when awards time rolls around.
So the revelation that he didn’t write his own stuff would knock the latest about Di and Jacko right out of the tabloid headlines.
I think the two are deliberately written differently. MP is much more allegorical, where Pyramids is a swashbuckling fairy tale. Both of them, however, have a very Pratchett feel to them. I think it would be glaringly obvious if one were truly ghostwritten.
And don’t worry about Evil Death. He was quite serious, but that’s just the way he is.
I regret bringing up the ghostwriting thing, and that title is grammatically incorrect anyway. It suggests that Pratchett ghostwrites for other people, which is not what I was suggesting.
The reason I even thought of the idea of ghostwriting was that while reading MP I thought to myself “Did Terry get his wife to write this bit?” and then I ran with that train of thought.
And let me repeat - I am enjoying MP. Just not as much as the others. I am not far into it, I am sure it gets better as TPs books always do.
What’s more I have picked up Discworld books before and thought the same thing early on, and ended up thoroughly enjoying the book.
It COULD be that Terry himself doesn’t get enthusiastic about the story until he’s well into it.
I have always felt that his stuff varies. One book will have more science references, and another will be more satirical. And he has grown as an author. Some books may have less laughs, but much better blots, character developement, or ideas in general.
I’m of the opinion they just keep getting better and better.
The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic are my least favorite…but compared to everything else out there they still rock.
And although the style has changed a bit over the years - I’ve never had any doubt every word was his.
*Onions? * Onions, Mr. Lobsang? Just what do you think this is, The Rhoxie? This isn’t even Harga’s! This is the SDMB, mister, and you are just one step away from a visit from The Agony Aunts! Or Ole Ron’s Smell.
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