Sir Terry Pratchett (STP to his friends) wrote what we in the reviewing business refer to technically as a ton[1] of books between 1971 and 2015. He's best known for the unique concept of the Discworld series and I have, at various stages, read them all.
He's the only author who has the consistent ability to make me laugh out loud even on a re-read, and I decided recently to do exactly that (to re-read, not laugh), starting with #24[2] in the series - Fifth Elephant.
Now the non-geekily challenged amongst you may recognise a passing resemblance to a 1997 film by Luc Besson called Fifth Element, and indeed the book came out 2 years later - but apart from the title, there's absolutely no similarity between them. And while I liked the film, I don't believe I laughed out loud even once.
The book is largely about Sam Vimes, Ankh-Morpork's senior policeman and champion cynic, who is sent on a 'diplomatic' mission to a neighboring state populated mainly by warring werewolves, vampires, dwarves and trolls[3]
He's accompanied by two colleagues from the local constabulory, to whit: Corporal Cheery Littlebottom (dwarf - CSI) and Detritus (troll - Heavy Artillery). And an assassin from the Guild, who (unusually) has the job of keeping him safe. This might be more difficult than usual, because dealing with any of the locals means at least one of the party is basically a hated enemy or (in Vimes case) potentially lunch.
Add to that a contested coronation, general spying, a stolen treasure and a plot to overthrow civilisation As We Know It[4] and things get - complicated - before they more or less come to a happy conclusion.
Along the way STP peppers the descriptions with insightful views like (after an opera)
He shouldered his way through the throng after the performance, which from
the humans present had received the usual warm reception that such things
always got from people who hadn’t really understood what was going on but
rather felt that they should have.
...and comedy moments like Vimes, adrift in a rowing boat and about to go over a waterfall...
A tall dark-robed figure was now sitting in the boat.
"Are you Death?"
IT’S THE SCYTHE, ISN’T IT. PEOPLE ALWAYS NOTICE THE SCYTHE.
"I’m going to die?"
POSSIBLY.
"Possibly? You turn up when people are possibly going to die?"
OH YES. IT’S QUITE THE NEW THING. IT’S BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE. "What’s that?"
I’M NOT SURE.
"That’s very helpful."
I THINK IT MEANS PEOPLE MAY OR MAY NOT DIE. I HAVE TO SAY IT’S PLAYING HOB
WITH MY SCHEDULE, BUT I TRY TO KEEP UP WITH MODERN THOUGHT.
In a different novel, the disparate legs of the trousers of time get a mention - and I think another credit should go to (Sir) Stephen Hawking who used the idea in his book Brief History of Time (1988) which I have also enjoyed, though it has way fewer laughs.
My general view of a Good Book is that its background and characters should be as comfortable and reassuring as an old pair of slippers, and not act in any way that might jerk me out of my mental TV picture of the action so far. It should be interesting, intriguing, and (in STP's case) laugh-out-loud funny.
This one delivered on all levels.
If you haven't read any Discworld books before, this is a possible place to start - but I'd really recommend Guards Guards to get the full chaotic flavour of the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch. And you should stay in more and read books, you heathen!
There's a mini-series of Watch books you can probably find out more about on line, which - if you like the humour - you'll enjoy. There's a new TV series coming soon which you might also find interesting - the character names are the same, but the story lines are all new and non-STP.
As I develop this section of reviews I'll add a Discworld Books listing when I have the time. Meantime - get out there and read something!
[1]: that's usually accepted to be 40+
[2]: because, why not? I know the overall story arc (such as it is) and while the novels share characters, they're all more or less stand-alones anyway
[3]: that's almost a Cher song
[4]: for a very Discworldian meaning of the word 'civilisation'
+ STP, by the way, perfected the use of the subversive footnote throughout his novels... forinstance:
*The Marquis of Fantailler got into many fights in his youth, most of them as a result of being known as the Marquis of Fantailler, and wrote a set of rules for which he termed "the noble art of fisticuffs" which mostly consisted of a list of places where people weren’t allowed to hit him. Many people were impressed with his work and later stood with noble chest outthrust and fists balled in a spirit of manly aggression against people who hadn’t read the Marquis’s book but did know how to knock people senseless with a chair. The last words of a surprisingly large number of people were "Stuff the bloody Marquis of Fantailler—"