Interesting Times

Terry Pratchett

Average Rating 6/10 (1 Review)

Mighty battles! Revolution! Death! War! (and his sons Terror and Panic, and daughter Clancy).

The oldest and most inscrutable empire on the Discworld is in turmoil, brought about by the revolutionary treatise What I Did On My Holidays. Workers are uniting, with nothing to lose but their water buffaloes. Warlords are struggling for power. War (and Clancy) are spreading through the ancient cities.

And all that stands in the way of terrible doom for everyone is: Rincewind the Wizard, who can't even spell the word 'wizard'... Cohen the barbarian hero, five foot tall in his surgical sandals, who has had a lifetime's experience of not dying…

...and a very special butterfly.

Review by Chrissi (300601) Rating (6/10)

Review by Chrissi
Rating 6/10
This, I have to say, was not my favourite TP book, although it sees the return of Rincewind, whom I love. It just did not ring my bell in the same way as previous books.

The story is set in the Lost Continent of XXXX, so named because the map maker didn't know what to call it, just that it existed as the counter weight continent, which, whilst small, weighs enough to be able to balance the rest of the discworld and hence must be very heavy, i.e. made of gold.

The people of the continent are very obedient and have had no knowledge of other civilisations because they have never had access to this information. Now, though, revolution is in the air with an essay, "What I did on my holidays", written by Twoflower upon his return from Ankh Morpork. In the essay he speaks of the Great Wizzard, and the revolutionaries want Rincewind to come and help them to overthrow the forces of oppression. Also wandering about the continent is Cohen and his horde of geriatrics, looking for the fabled treasure.

Rincewind is reluctant to go to the aid of the people wanting the Great Wizzard, until Ridcully convinces him by saying that he is not really a wizard because he did not pass his exams, but he could be an honorary wizard by performing a great service to magic, acting as an emissary to this foreign land. And so, Rincewind is transported by magic to the continent, his weight balanced against an object of equal mass, like a seesaw.

It does have its funny moments and it all ties up together very neatly, with Twoflower and Rincewind reunited. Just because I didn't enjoy it as much as other stories does not mean that it is entirely without merit, it just goes to show that I have been spoilt by Mr P's previous efforts.
Chrissi (30th June 2001)