Witches Abroad Discussion Group

[Beautiful Dirt]

I found UA a lot better for the second reading, although as an enthusiastic sports fan I thought it lacked football scenes/matches. There are, perhaps two matches in the entire book?

I got a bit bored reading about the shove, I understood his point and it was well made, if a bit repetitive. Just as in most of his books TP will get hung up on a point such as the darkness is not just the absence of light....bla bla. We get it, it's dark!

I'm really looking forward to Snuff and I hope he sees fit to write another proper witches story before long. The Tiffany Aching tales are okay, but they don't quite cut the mustard for me. ISWM is the best one so far, and the last I think?

[raisindot]

I really should re-read some of the earlier books. I've done COM & TLF etc a few times. But I've only read books like Small Gods & Pyramids once, partly because I didn't enjoy them immensely the first time around but mostly because they're all packed away in boxes in my spare room from when we moved in nearly three years ago

Did anyone else find books like these hard work the first time around?

I found most of the Rincewind books (other than The Lost Continent) and Pyramids to be chores to get through the first time and am not inclined at all to read them again. The first 10 pages of Small Gods were hard slogging, but once it got going I liked it a lot, and it got much better on the second reading.

[AgProv]

Yup, and poor Magrat had a teensy piece tucked in her pocketses.

Altough she was in tears when she hacked up the dress, was part of her thinking with true witch-ruthlessness "better take a sample with me so I can show it to Verence and hint that I want a wedding dress just like that" ?

Just a thought...

[raisindot]

Yes, I've often felt this way (and I wouldn't say its something peculiar to the earlier ones). I remember not having a clue what was going on in the climax to The Fifth Elephant. I think Terry doesn't like spelling things out to his readers, which is fine most of the time, but I think action scenes really require step-by-step description.

What specifically didn't you understand about the climax of TFE? (First, you have to define what you felt the climax was.)

For me, that was a lot easier to understand than what was going on at the end of Witches Abroad.

[Pearwood]

Spoiler for The Fifth ElephantWell, the bit I thought of as the climax was
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When the werewolf bad guy (was he Angua's brother? My memory is hazy) comes back to kill them. It's been so long that I don't remember what specifically confused me, but I remember just not grasping what happened. There have been quite a few other instances of that too, but TFE is the only one I can recall the instance of.
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[Beautiful Dirt]

SPOILER for The Fifth Elephant

I know what you mean, I think I had to re-read a paragraph to understand how Vimes had a) planned on killing Angua's brother and b) how he executed it. The description is not very linear because I think above all, TP wanted to convey Vimes's complete abhorrence for doing what needed to be done by implying pre-meditation but not making it obvious, so the prelude to it actually happening was quite vague. I remember thinking something like that as I read it. Admittedly it's been a couple of years since I have read it.

[Tonyblack]

Guys, while I appreciate that you had a problem with parts of The Fifth Elephant, this thread is for Witches Abroad.

There is a discussion thread for The Fifth Elephant where you can discuss what happend to your heart's content. You may even find answers there. But people visiting the Witches Abroad discussion may not have read T5E yet and, despite your warnings, they may have the plot spoiled for them.

You can find The Fifth Elephant Discussion HERE.

Links to all the other discussions Can Be Found Here.

[Beautiful Dirt]

Aye aye captain

Sorry Tony, when discussing a series as vast as DW it's difficult to not drift off and start comparing books

[Tonyblack]

Aye aye captain

Sorry Tony, when discussing a series as vast as DW it's difficult to not drift off and start comparing books

I appreciate that, BD. And if it was just a case of comparing WA with T5E I wouldn't have a problem. But the topic had moved away from WA altogether.

[Prolekult]

I am rereading the series and can really do without spoilers for later books, especially when which book it is isn't indicated. Maybe they could be edited or at least changed to 'invisible ink' for other readers?

Good to see I'm not the only one who sometimes has trouble keeping track during the action scenes, I was starting to think I may be losing the plot even more than usual. As Tony and others have said rereading is well worth the effort, I've enjoyed every book more the second time around so far, and have got a new favourite (Reaper Man). Funny though Small Gods was my favourite after just the one read, so maybe it will take over again when I reread it

[Tonyblack]

I am rereading the series and can really do without spoilers for later books, especially when which book it is isn't indicated. Maybe they could be edited or at least changed to 'invisible ink' for other readers?

Good to see I'm not the only one who sometimes has trouble keeping track during the action scenes, I was starting to think I may be losing the plot even more than usual. As Tony and others have said rereading is well worth the effort, I've enjoyed every book more the second time around so far, and have got a new favourite (Reaper Man). Funny though Small Gods was my favourite after just the one read, so maybe it will take over again when I reread it

There you go - I've 'invisibled' the spoilers.

[Prolekult]

that's great, cheers