Muse reviewed The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
The Light Fantastic is a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the second of the …
Review of 'The Light Fantastic' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
I’ve decided to read Discworld in release order, and I am sticking to that decision, but it’s interesting to see statements from fans in the vein of “oh yeah, the early books aren’t that good” when I’m already having a great time reading these. It kind of feels like when I was recommended Bojack Horseman but with the caveat that “the first season isn’t as good as the rest.” The first season was still great! But that statement was accurate. The rest blew the first season out of the water. Which, to get back to Discworld, raises my expectations. If this is one of the “not that good” books, then what do I have waiting for me?
All of that said, I can already see what those fans mean - this volume and the previous feel more like parodies of the adventure fantasy genre than anything else. It’s good-natured ribbing from someone who clearly loves the bits of pulp that they’re pulling at, but it’s not quite enough to stand on its own, not yet anyway. But it’s almost there, and in this volume more than the first, the characters and world stand more on their own. Despite having its tongue lodged firmly in its cheek, there’s some genuine emotional beats here, especially towards the end. Rincewind ends up with something resembling a spine, Twoflower gets his adventure, and original-OC-pls-do-not-steal Cohan gets some teeth. Even Bethan, who I'd pegged as part of the ongoing Cohan joke and not much more, ends up finding the last piece to the puzzle with the eight spells in order to save the world. If it weren't for the winding journey that they took and the people that they met along the way, Rincewind and Twoflower's story might've ended entirely differently. It also has the greatest instances of written slapstick I've ever experienced. The length and pacing of the sentences nails the timing of physical comedy, a written feat that's worth praise in and of itself. Even as it mocks itself, there’s a core story in this book about friendship and adventure that the humor enhances instead of belittles.
Again, all of this just makes me more excited for what is to come, and I'm happy to recommend this book regardless of where it stacks up against the rest. Ever wondered what it might by like to read a Monty Python sketch? Here you go. Have a good time. I know I did.
All of that said, I can already see what those fans mean - this volume and the previous feel more like parodies of the adventure fantasy genre than anything else. It’s good-natured ribbing from someone who clearly loves the bits of pulp that they’re pulling at, but it’s not quite enough to stand on its own, not yet anyway. But it’s almost there, and in this volume more than the first, the characters and world stand more on their own. Despite having its tongue lodged firmly in its cheek, there’s some genuine emotional beats here, especially towards the end. Rincewind ends up with something resembling a spine, Twoflower gets his adventure, and original-OC-pls-do-not-steal Cohan gets some teeth. Even Bethan, who I'd pegged as part of the ongoing Cohan joke and not much more, ends up finding the last piece to the puzzle with the eight spells in order to save the world. If it weren't for the winding journey that they took and the people that they met along the way, Rincewind and Twoflower's story might've ended entirely differently. It also has the greatest instances of written slapstick I've ever experienced. The length and pacing of the sentences nails the timing of physical comedy, a written feat that's worth praise in and of itself. Even as it mocks itself, there’s a core story in this book about friendship and adventure that the humor enhances instead of belittles.
Again, all of this just makes me more excited for what is to come, and I'm happy to recommend this book regardless of where it stacks up against the rest. Ever wondered what it might by like to read a Monty Python sketch? Here you go. Have a good time. I know I did.