# Woo, new Pratchet **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2004, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492 "2004-04-28T15:44:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Galanthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Galanthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galanthus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/1 "2004-04-28T15:44:31Z")
Just went into the bookshop to find Pterry’s latest “A Hat Full Of Sky” out on the shelves. From reading the first chapter it looks like a good one too … _Runs off to read_ ---
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/2 "2004-04-28T20:16:41Z")
Until “The Wee Free Men” I had read everything of Pterry’s. (or at least everything listed in the front of his books). TWFM was the first thing of his I just didn’t bother finishing. I understand that ‘Hat Full Of Sky’ is another Tiffany Aching story, which probably means I’ll be giving it a miss. I think he’s got a new ‘regular’ book coming out in the fall. I await this with suitable eagerness. ---
**Author:** ![mallocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mallocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallocks)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/3 "2004-04-28T20:19:20Z")
It’s still Discworld **thwartme** , why didn’t you like it? ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/4 "2004-04-28T20:48:31Z")
Oh boy! A new Pratchett - and it’s my birthday next Sunday. Coincidence? I don’t think so!! \*goes off whistling happily to put the book on her amazon wishlist ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/5 "2004-04-28T21:24:42Z")
The early DiscWorld books were brilliant. TP used to be my favourite author. Back then, every book had a new hero - even when Rincewind returned he had a brand new sidekick. But after more than 20 books, its getting a bit stale, with the same characters and situations recycleed, the jokes aren’t as funny. The word ‘ook’ was funny for about 10 novels, then tedious, now it’s painful. I couldn’t finish _Amazing Maurice_ and I haven’t read _Wee Free Men_ or _Monstrous Regiment_ yet, I’ll probably give this a miss too. MAybe TP should give the series a rest for a while, create a different world, like the Johnny books or the Nomes. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/6 "2004-04-28T22:02:13Z")
> [@peter morris](#): > > I couldn’t finish _Amazing Maurice_ and I haven’t read _Wee Free Men_ or _Monstrous Regiment_ yet, I’ll probably give this a miss too. I can agree with you, to an extent. _The Last Hero_ felt very recycled, as the story goes. The drawings was worth it though. The novella in _Science of Discworld II_ felt like he wrote in in an afternoon, and his heart wasn’t in it. But you’ve lost me when you mention _Maurice…_, since it’s got a brand new cast, and doesn’t have a ‘discworld-ly’ feel at all. _Wee Free Men_ is more of Discworld and Granny W does a cameo, but otherwise, brand new cast. _Monstrous Regiment_ has some regulars in brief supporting roles, but all main characters are new. And while _NightWatch_ has a good deal of the usual suspects, it’s a brand new setting. If anything, I’d say that Pterry has found a new and fresh strata (heh!) since _The Truth_. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/7 "2004-04-28T22:35:50Z")
Wait till you read _Going Postal_. It has **chapters** … ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/8 "2004-04-30T01:25:56Z")
Hat Full of Sky isn’t scheduled to be released in the US till 5-4:( How did you get it? Are you in the UK Feh! When is Going Postal scheduled to be released? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/9 "2004-04-30T01:35:22Z")
> [@peter morris](#): > > The early DiscWorld books were brilliant. TP used to be my favourite author. > > But after more than 20 books, its getting a bit stale, with the same characters and situations recycleed, the jokes aren’t as funny. The word ‘ook’ was funny for about 10 novels, then tedious, now it’s painful. This shows How opinios can differ. In my opinion his later books are several hundred times better than his earlier ones. I am currently re-reading Nightwatch (possibly his absolute best) and I am reminded how perfectly structured it is compared to his earlier books. > [@](#): > > …and I haven’t read _Wee Free Men_ or _Monstrous Regiment_ yet, I’ll probably give this a miss too. I couldn’t get into the Wee Free Men. But I reccomend you do read Monstrous Regiment. All I really want is for TP to write more stories for Sam Vimes. He’s at his best writing Vimes. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/10 "2004-04-30T01:40:28Z")
And when I’ve re-read NightWatch I am going to _finish_ reading The Truth. Which has been the most started-stopped-started Discword book for me ever. It’s interesting finding mentions of stuff from one book (i.e. The Times newspaper from the truth) In another book (in Nightwatch. when vimes mentions that they printed a particularly unflattering cartoon of him, which sybil has framed and hung up) ---
**Author:** ![Sutremaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sutremaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sutremaine)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/11 "2004-04-30T01:48:41Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > All I really want is for TP to write more stories for Sam Vimes. He’s at his best writing Vimes. Barring Vimes’ little cameo in ‘The Truth’. I don’t know whether it was just me or not, but I was starting to wonder whether the real Vimes was locked in a cupboard or something. I didn’t much like The Truth (Og bless the preview button! 😃 ) either. He was far too obvious about the Caxton/ Shakespeare analogies, and I really didn’t see a future for any new characters. Otto was little more than a gimmick, but the ‘dark light’ stuff seems interesting. I wonder if we’ll ever be told just how that works? I do prefer the Watch novels. They seem to respond best to new characters, the bokks being about a group of people. I honestly have to remind myself that Angua only appeared in the… second or third? book. I’m really interested in seeing how the dwarfs’ new ideas about sex will turn out, both as a reader and a psychologist (well, psychologist in training). Will dwarf society organise itself along human lines (or, knowing Pratchett, an elaborate analogy involving bad puns), or will it all just not change? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/12 "2004-04-30T02:08:30Z")
> [@Sutremaine](#): > > Otto was little more than a gimmick [spoiler]Otto makes a small cameo in Monstrous Regiment. Along with William DeWorde. I can see a future for otto and William. Being the type of people who could appear almost anywhere in any story[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Sutremaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sutremaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sutremaine)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/13 "2004-04-30T02:22:23Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > [spoiler]Otto makes a small cameo in Monstrous Regiment. Along with William DeWorde. > > I can see a future for otto and William. Being the type of people who could appear almost anywhere in any story[/spoiler] Ah, I got part of the way through that one. I don’t think I came across those two though. A semi-suicidal vampire a character who could pop up anywhere? Only in Discworld… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/14 "2004-04-30T02:54:05Z")
I didn’t like _Night Watch_. I realise that Vimes is an interesting character to write, but I find him very annoying. I just can’t relate to him, I think. And the plot to _Night Watch_ didn’t flow properly for me. I did like _Wee Free Men_ though, and I hope _Hatful of Sky_ is out here! _goes looking in his lunchbreak_ ---
**Author:** ![Galanthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Galanthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galanthus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/15 "2004-04-30T08:18:32Z")
Well, I have finished, and liked “A Hat Full Of Sky”. I won’t give anything away but I have to say I think it is one of the darkest books he has ever written. Surprising as the heroine is an eleven year old girl and the book is aimed at yonger readers. However having said that I’ve heard interviews with some authors ( particularly Phillip Pullman ) saying that in writing childrens fiction they can write darker and more fantastical plots than are excepted in adult genres. Hey ho, I both enjoyed and recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/16 "2004-04-30T09:43:42Z")
> [@Galanthus](#): > > However having said that I’ve heard interviews with some authors ( particularly Phillip Pullman ) saying that in writing childrens fiction they can write darker and more fantastical plots than are excepted in adult genres. Pullamn probably lifted the quote from Pterry. When being asked about TAMAHER while that book was still forthcoming, he replied that it was aimed at younger readers, which mean it was darker and nastier than regular Discworld. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/17 "2004-04-30T10:14:40Z")
> [@Galanthus](#): > > Well, I have finished, and liked “A Hat Full Of Sky”. > > I won’t give anything away but I have to say I think it is one of the darkest books he has ever written. Surprising as the heroine is an eleven year old girl and the book is aimed at yonger readers. Ohh! Yay! Must go buy and read now!! Well, buy soon, and read tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/18 "2004-04-30T10:25:42Z")
Since I’ve found out that _Hat full of Sky_ isn’t going to come out here in Germany for a couple of months yet, I have to make do with this thread instead (damn you, **Galanthus** , for getting me all excited _shakes tiny fist_) I really enjoyed _Wee Free Men_ much more than I thought, I guess I’ve come to like the novels that diverge from the “usual” Discworld setting. That or I am getting childish in my old age - I usually like books that target children (_Maurice_ comes to mind or the wonderful _Coraline_ by Neil Gaiman). While I liked _Monstrous Regiment_, it did somewhat beat you over the head with its message “WOMEN ARE OK TOO” (simplified, YMMV, void where prohibited). _NightWatch_ on the other hand was excellent and I am not just saying that because I have a secret crush on Sam Vimes. Well maybe a little bit. ---
**Author:** ![Galanthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Galanthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galanthus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/19 "2004-04-30T10:32:43Z")
The book starts of with a Feegle to English translation section. I wonder if he was stung by criticism of people who said they couldn’t understand them. Their accents also seem less broad … ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492/20 "2004-04-30T11:14:04Z")
> [@Einmon](#): > > Since I’ve found out that _Hat full of Sky_ isn’t going to come out here in Germany for a couple of months yet, I have to make do with this thread instead (damn you, **Galanthus** , for getting me all excited _shakes tiny fist_) Well, you don’t _necessarily_ have to wait. If you’re willing to pay UKP9 plus P&P, I can pick up a copy on the cheap and ship it to you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-new-pratchet/242492.md?page=2)