I Shall Wear Midnight *Spoilers*

[LilMaibe]

SW, as much as I agree to the sentiment of not fully judging something before one read/saw/heard it (as said, I'm only talking about my impressions from a large number of reviews that had it is point) I must say I read enough of the Tiffany books to know that they just don't interest me.

[swreader]

SW, as much as I agree to the sentiment of not fully judging something before one read/saw/heard it (as said, I'm only talking about my impressions from a large number of reviews that had it is point) I must say I read enough of the Tiffany books to know that they just don't interest me.

How many of the Tiffany books have you read, and how many times? Do you simply not like the witch books, or are you dismissing this as "children's literature"? As a would-be writer you really should read all of them carefully, especially I Shall Wear Midnight, which is probably the best novel, stylistically and perhaps in it's philosophical vision, that Pratchett has written.

[LilMaibe]

read Wee free men and hat full of sky twice and started Wintersmith.

WFM somehow struck me as retelling a mash-up of Wyrd Sisters and Lords and Ladies, and HFS was just... It was there, but that was it to it

I normally like the witch books, but tiff was just... meh to me

[DreadfulKata]

I mostly really liked ISWM, there's a camp of DW books that while I roundly enjoy, aren't up there for me because I feel (fairly or no) that they could have done with another edit or two. This is in that camp. Like, all the ideas and characters are great, but they just don't connect up in the way they should to make a truly great story.

I liked everything in ISWM, and there was an awful lot thrown into the pot. But if I compare it to, say, Going Postal, I would find it wanting. GP had loads and loads of stuff thrown into the mix and through Pratchett's (generally non-explosive) alchemy it emerged as a single, powerful story with great momentum and a clear theme/message/point.

ISWM teetered around a bit, never seeming quite sure where its narrative drive was. Some plot developments seemed to undermine other unintentionally (the fact that Letitia had summoned the Cunning Man undermined the idea of him as a product of always-present prejudice for example).

In some ways that fit the story well: the book's about Tiffany at a time when things are no longer simple of have obvious solutions. Solving one problem leads to a whole set of new ones.

I also loved the (related) point about one choosing what to interpret as symbols and omens. It seemed to conclude Tiffany's story of self-determination very nicely.



I wondered if the few problems I had with the novel were more because I had it as audio rather than reading it? It's the only Stephen-Briggs-read audio Pratchett I've ever had (when I was a kid I had one or two Tony Robinson ones, and I loved them). I feel like he gave Tiffany a rather priggish tone which made it difficult to engage fully with her character in this one.

Did anyone else have the audio, and what did you think of Stephen's Tiffany?

[raptornx01]

All of my pratchett experience comes from the unabridged audiobooks. (I own most of the books themselves, but generally I listen to them when at work). I never had a problem with how he did tiffany. She did seem to have a forcefulness at times, but never came off as arrogant.

[Who's Wee Dug]

I find that Tony Robinson ones leave too much out, as well as one voice fits all to me not enough variation for the different charactors potrayed.

I have all mine in unabridged versions gave away the only abridged one I had, I did not like it at all.

[DreadfulKata]

Yes, the unabridgedness of the Stephen Briggs versions is why I went for that. ISWM is the only one of his I've listened to. I never had any Discworld audio books at all. The Tony Robinson ones I had were a couple from the Johnny and Truckers series.

I mostly liked Briggs' reading, I'm just left not sure whether the dialogue sounded a certain way because of how it was written, or Briggs' reading. I don't think the posh little voice he gave Tiffany helped, as it made her sound a bit patronising and stern. I know these are elements of her character. I just didn't feel so warm towards the character in this book as previous ones, and thought it might be that it was because of the voice Briggs gave her.

[Who's Wee Dug]

For me it was the darkest book in the series, maybe that was projected in the dialog. Wyrd Sisters is read by Celia Imrie
and I'm not so keen on her, with Nigel Planer I can hear Niel in some parts (if you have ever watched the young ones).

[raptornx01]

Celia did fine to my mind (and i liked the touch of having Nigel still do Death's voice for her books as well). between Nigel and Stephen I can't take one over the other overall, but I do like certain characters better. I loved Nigel's Death, nanny, Colon, and detritus. But liked Stephen's Igor, Angua and Carrot (to a lesser extent). Both their Vimes and Vetinari's were too similar to call to my ear (discounting very early Vetinari ofcourse.). and I also love Nigel's meek voice. Like when Carrot is scolding the AM and Klatch soldiers in Jingo, or the kids and nobby talking to Death in Hogfather.

I did listen to one Tony book though. A Hat full of sky. One thing I did like about it is the little bit of production they put into it. how the two Miss Level's melded together. and the echo effects on Tiffany when she trying to speak through the hiver. Those little touches added alot.

[Who's Wee Dug]

I love Stephen when he does the Feegle's voices makes me smile every time.