The Last Hero Discussion *Spoilers*

[The Mad Collector]

You have a definite advantage over me there Tony as I am doing this thread without access to any of my copies of the book as they are all packed away as part of my attempt to sell the house which means lots of books and other items are now in storage

I am therefore working from memory a lot of the time on this thread. The pictures are so significant to the story that I really would like to get hold of the US proof to see what it is like without them, as that is the only version of the book without illustations.

[Tonyblack]

Any other comments about this book? Anybody??

[Jan Van Quirm]

I only just finished it - being so short there's not really an awful lot to discuss. I thought the Patrician and Leonard as always added something to the proceedings but that Terry made a big mistake putting Carrot on the ship and, annoyingly, had to put the Librarian in there too so he (Carrot) wasn't too much of a drag factor.

And no matter what anyone says I like Rincewind!

[poohcarrot]

I enjoyed it. Can't think of any reason to criticise it.

[Jan Van Quirm]

Not even a little bit?

[poohcarrot]

OK.

The pictures are crap and the story's pants!

[Tonyblack]

I am always surprised that some people do not 'get' what happens to Cohen and the Hoarde at the end. We've seen it on this site that people have posted to ask 'did they survive?'

I don't think it's all that ambiguous - do you?

[Willem]

Common sense says they died.

But this is the Discworld.

And they're heroes.


I'd say it was a million to one chance of them surviving

[Jan Van Quirm]

They're legend so they can never die

Besides which they p*ssed the Valkyries off so they're caught between the Disc and the afterlife. Probably some morphic resonance wossnames kicking in too I expect

Perhaps they'll get a gig on the next walkout with the Apocralypse Boys with War or Ronnie Soak?

[Tonyblack]

You now have two weeks to read or reread Mort for the discussion starting on Monday 7th March.

[poohcarrot]

Short book. Short discussion.

[Tonyblack]

It was a short book.

[rockershovel]

I enjoyed Last Hero and I particularly liked the illustrations.

I have to admit that I don't "do" the whole collector thing, I also tend to buy books as I see fit - I didn't much care for Hatful of Sky and so have only read the remaining Tiffany ones as I find them, left behind by my predecessors on vessels and rigs ( it is usual to leave behind whatever you read on the plane on the way out ).

My copy of Carpe Jugulum has been lost, mislaid or tidied away somewhere and I haven't replaced it.

So, I only have a paperback edition which was discounted somewhere or other. I don't believe it would stand without the illustrations, too short and not enough depth.

[Tonyblack]

As I think I said earlier - Terry seems to have used this book to say goodbye to the 'old' Discworld. I think the 'new' Discworld, arguably started in the previous book, The Truth. It's almost as if the time period on DW has moved from Regency to Victorian and subsequent books are somewhat more 'modern' in their outlook.

The Gods don't really play a significant part in the books after this one and neither do we really see anything of heroes. Those are parts of the DW world that Terry is laying to rest.

The wizards have been becoming more scientific in their approach to the world and machines are playing a larger part.

We've probably seen the last of Leonard too.

[Tonyblack]

You now have one week to read or reread Mort for the discussion starting on Monday 7th March.