96 pages
English language
Published Feb. 25, 2003 by Methuen Publishing, Ltd..
"May you live in interesting times" is the worst thing one can wish on a citizen of Discworld -- especially on the distinctly unmagical sorcerer Rincewind, who has had far too much perilous excitement in his life. But when a request for a "Great Wizzard" arrives in Ankh-Morpork via carrier albatross from the faraway Counterweight Continent, it's he who's sent as emissary. Chaos threatens to follow the impending demise of the Agatean Empire's current ruler. And, for some incomprehensible reason, someone believes Rincewind will have a mythic role in the war and wholesale bloodletting that will surely ensue. (Carnage is pretty much a given, since Cohen the Barbarian and his extremely elderly Silver Horde are busily formulating their own plan for looting, pillaging, and, er, looking wistfully at girls.) However, Rincewind firmly believes there are too many heroes already in the world, yet only one Rincewind. And he owes it …
"May you live in interesting times" is the worst thing one can wish on a citizen of Discworld -- especially on the distinctly unmagical sorcerer Rincewind, who has had far too much perilous excitement in his life. But when a request for a "Great Wizzard" arrives in Ankh-Morpork via carrier albatross from the faraway Counterweight Continent, it's he who's sent as emissary. Chaos threatens to follow the impending demise of the Agatean Empire's current ruler. And, for some incomprehensible reason, someone believes Rincewind will have a mythic role in the war and wholesale bloodletting that will surely ensue. (Carnage is pretty much a given, since Cohen the Barbarian and his extremely elderly Silver Horde are busily formulating their own plan for looting, pillaging, and, er, looking wistfully at girls.) However, Rincewind firmly believes there are too many heroes already in the world, yet only one Rincewind. And he owes it to the world to keep that one alive for as long as possible.
I probably won't be reading this one again. A rare stinker in the wonderful Discworld series. The mockery of Asian culture just falls flat in a modern society.
A "wizzard" from a city that isn't quite London materializes on a continent that isn't quite China, where a revolution is brewing. In trying to avoid conflict, Rincewind's typical brownian motion sets off a butterfly effect that culminates in a battle between two leaders who could not be more different: a warlord who drives his pawns in front of him and an aging barbarian who leads his long-experienced comrades on the battlefield. But Rincewind has one more surprise for the combatants--as much a surprise to him as it is to them! Maybe he can finally fulfill his desire for...potatoes?
I read this book in its original paperback release, and re-read it so many times it fell apart. This is my favorite instalment in the Rincewind series.
A rare reminder that Terry Pratchett was of a different era than me. The constant jokes about Asian culture and language, as well as rape, made it unreadable for me. It feels like an uncomfortable episode of a show like Fawlty Towers. I DNF'd at about 30%.
Within Discworld, this pretty much checks all boxes.
This deep into the long series (17 novels) it's not really possible to review independently, and it wouldn't stand alone as well, but it was really nice to return to Pratchett's Discworld and particularly returning to Rincewind, Cohen, and Twoflower - the main characters of the first two Discworld novels, The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic.
In some ways Interesting Times is predictable and in other books I'd consider that instantly lethal to any sort of interest, but like most of the Discworld books the interest isn't so much in the plot as it is being led by Pratchett through the intricacies of this world and his use of metaphor to talk about human nature. In this case, the main characters head to an oppressive regime modeled on China and has a lot to say about that oppression, but …
Within Discworld, this pretty much checks all boxes.
This deep into the long series (17 novels) it's not really possible to review independently, and it wouldn't stand alone as well, but it was really nice to return to Pratchett's Discworld and particularly returning to Rincewind, Cohen, and Twoflower - the main characters of the first two Discworld novels, The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic.
In some ways Interesting Times is predictable and in other books I'd consider that instantly lethal to any sort of interest, but like most of the Discworld books the interest isn't so much in the plot as it is being led by Pratchett through the intricacies of this world and his use of metaphor to talk about human nature. In this case, the main characters head to an oppressive regime modeled on China and has a lot to say about that oppression, but also the nature and contradictions of civilization in general and it's all done in the sort of tongue-in-cheek, circumspect way that Pratchett is so good at. I didn't need to feel like Rincewind, Cohen, or Twoflower were somehow in danger, or question whether Lord Hong would get his due, to be thoroughly entertained.
Would it stand up literarily to some of the other work I've give four stars? Maybe not, but I spent half of this book with a grin on my face, so as far as I'm concerned it's mission accomplished.
The best Rincewind book so far. Plays all the orientalist tropes straight to great effect, and benefits from a relatively strong plot.
Rincewind is one of my favorite Discworld characters. I had forgotten how this book ended. It was well worth rereading.
