Interesting. I have been interested in the time period(IIRC) of the French Revolution and enjoyed Tale of Two Cities. Is this memory correct? Is Les Miserables of this period and how does it enhance this book?
Thanks
Was The Science of Discworld II: The Globe ever published in the US? I looked everywhere and finally had to order it from the UK. I don’t even know how much I paid for it; how much is £ 10 in US dollars?
About $20.
The first SotDW is the best of the three. All are quite interesting tho.
I concur with those who say the ‘Guards’ series are the best, although Sourcery is a favourite of mine - nothing can beat the image of the Horseman of the Apocalypse getting drunk!
At the risk of minor spoilage, suffice it to say that many plot elements in Night Watch are “evil twin” versions of elements from Les Miz.
This is certainly not a first for Terry Pratchett – Masquerade was a riff on The Phantom of the Opera.
Interesting, thanks. I just passed the part of the fight on the roof of the Library and the lightning strike and the awakeing in same place/different time.
I am however having a little trouble in getting a mental picture of people/things and the settings where this is all taking place. The author seems to take for granted my familiarity with the landscape and creatures in the story. Is this just me or is this the result of starting with this book? I am enjoying the story very much. I guess I’m recently familure with some Dickens works and he does a lot of visual writing…describing peoples appearances and the look of the surroundings.
Anyway, thanks to all for the lead.
It’s the book. Most Discworld novels don’t really muck too deeply with geography, but Night Watch has some moderately critical plot points that are dependent on how far away people and places are from each other. IIRC, Pratchett even mentions somewhere that he laid out some of the scenes with the help of The Mapp of Ankh-Morpork, a peripheral book written by Stephen Briggs. Unfortunately, I find the map at the beginning of the book doesn’t help too much, either.
As for character descriptions, Pratchett doesn’t dwell on them too much, so feel free to envision the characters any way you like. 
A lot of people like to use Clint Eastwood as a stand-in for Sam Vimes…
Considering you’ve already started “Night Watch,” I’d advise going back and reading the Watch books from the start, in order (as listed in Torgo’s L-space link). The development of Sam Vimes from disillusioned drunk to unwilling duke and force for justice in the streets of Ankh-Morpork is brilliantly executed, and every one of the Watch books work excellently as stand-alone stories as well. You’ll gain new appreciation for “Night Watch,” going back to it after working your way through the rest of the arc in order.
After the Watch books, my favorite character “bloc” is the Death/ Susan arc (starting with “Mort,” although it really gets going in “Reaper Man”). Rincewind I could take or leave; the main draw of his books, for me, are the wizards of Unseen University, who are a hilarious parody of academia. Archchancellor Ridcully + Ponder Stibbons = comedy gold.
Yeah, the map doesn’t help me much either. And I hadn’t thought of Clint as Sam but now that you mention it… it does kinda work. Thanks, I go back to it shortly.
And Tarrsk, thanks also. I just left those two in the damaged Library with the Archchancellor Ridcully standing naked with only his pointy hat on his head.
In posting this I was hoping it would turn into a serious debate about evolution and quantum, but I guess my high opinion of this particular book is backed by a science-geek love of the… sciency bits of the books. The bits presumably written by Messrs Stewart and Cohen.
You know, I’ve never found an actor that fits my vision of Vimes. Eastwood is interesting, but I can’t fit him into the earlier, disillusioned drunk. Or his panic when…but that would be spoiling the book, wouldn’t it? 
Me Included.
Okay.
I for one think that Evolution is easily the most important series of credible observations and the most scientifically supported “Theory” in the realm of science. The multi-disipline discoveries rangeing from the study of genetics to the study of plate tectonics to archeology to antropology makes it easily one of the most supported ones. If it is in fact “wrong” then I believe that almost every branch of science is off-track. And I find this highly unlikely. As to quantum things, I am less certain I am knowlegeble enough on this topic. I tend to be more Newtonian in my thinking and have difficulty wrapping my head around many of the postions put forth in this field.
How’s that, Lobsang? More to the OP?
I picture Harvey Keitel as Vimes.
Too stocky. I’ve always pictured Vimes as being a bit gaunt and bony.
Lately I’ve become convinced that Nathan Fillion would be a perfect Vimes. He’s got the look I’ve always pictured Vimes as having, and Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly has an almost identical personality and outlook on life.
Nathan Fillion seems to me to be supercool, but not Vimes. Jerry Doyle would make a good Vimes.
And oddly enough, I’ve always pictured Denise Richards as Angua.
How ‘bout Russell Crow? Stong, quiet, commanding, has an accent?
I know… I’m new in this area.
I’m just sayin’.
I have a high opinion of Russel Crow. So I would probably trust him to do a good job if cast has Vimes.
Russel Crow (an Aussie or Kiwi, I am not sure which) has demonstrated great range. An American schitzophrenic mathamatician, an English Sea-captain, a roman general. That’s quite a range for a guy with the most relaxed accent of the english language on earth.
Thanks Lobsang. If it happens, remember I said it first!
PS- I’m really enjoying the book. Right now Vimes is teaching Sam-the-younger the tricks of the trade.
I could see Russell Crowe as Vimes. Maybe it’s because of my age, but I think of Clint Eastwood as a relatively old man, far older than the mid-50s that Vimes is supposed to be (I think). An older Nathan Fillion would also work great, although it’d have to be the darker “Serenity” Mal rather than the more light-hearted Mal of later episodes.