|
|
(Larger Image)
|
The Light Fantastic (Discworld Novel)
by Terry Pratchett
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Corgi Adult (1986)
ISBN: 0552128481
EAN: 9780552128483
Paperback: 216 pages
Edition: New Ed
SKU: MM2225
Condition: Good
|
Customer Reviews
|
IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PUT THIS ONE DOWN
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-12-03
This was one of those works that I found difficult to put down once I read the first couple pages. The Light Fantastic is the second offering in Pratchett's Discworld Series and if anything, it is even better than the first. I first read this one as a stand alone, before I read any of the other books in this series, and found it held up well. I would suggest the first book in the series be read first, but it is certainly not necessary.
I am not going into the plot of this one at any depth as there are quite a number of very good reviews here that have done an outstand job of that already. Briefly though, this follows the adventures of a very inept wizard, Rincewind, the first fully evolved tourist on Disc World, Twoflower, and Luggage. Rincewind is a failed wizard, a coward and an actually rather likeable scoundrel. Twoflowers is the prototype tourist which can be found anywhere in our own world at any tourist destination and Luggage is Twoflower's, well...luggage; a loyal trunk that follows its owner everywhere, through think an thin. This book is an account of their adventures while saving Disc World, a world held up by a giant turtle with giant elephants standing on her back, from complete destruction by crashing into a wondering star.
The story line, as with all of Pratchett's work, is only the tip of the iceberg as far as reading pleasure goes. There were very few pages to this work that did not bring on a slight giggle, belly laugh or, at the very least, a smile. This author has humans pegged perfectly and through his humor, is able to make quite profound observations of the general overall human condition. The author has the ability to tell a rousing story while poking a bit of fun at just about everything. In this novel we meet Cohen the Barbarian, a wonderful take off on the original Conan, and a number of other very recognizable characters inhabiting our culture. I suppose the primary thrust of this work is to make light of the Conan type genre of literature, from The Hobbit to Conan to any number of other works of this order.
Read these books closely. The word play is a major part of the enchantment of this author's work and can easily be missed if you go too fast. It, the word play, is an absolute delight! Wit and satire are this authors greatest strengths and when you mix those with his imagination and story telling abilities, you have a wonderful entertaining and educational read.
I very much enjoyed Pratchett's humor, story telling ability and quirky outlook on life. I suppose these novels are not for everyone, but I certainly enjoyed this one. Like another reviewer here, Luggage was my favorite character, followed closely by Cohen.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
|
|
good book
Rating  (4)
Date: 2008-10-29
i read this book while i was in colledge i loved it best book ever
|
|
Quick and lots of fun
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-10-12
'The Light Fantastic' is the second in the 'Discworld' series. It is a direct sequel to 'The Colour of Magic'. 'The Light Fantastic is a definitely an improvement over the previous book , in that it is a complete story, rather than a series of interrelated stories as the first one was. We follow the adventures of Rincewind and Twoflower and meet Cohen the Barbarian, the Discworld's greatest hero. Pratchett's humour and wit result in a fun story that is compulsively readable.
|
|
Even better than the previous one
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-09-06
I loved this book as much as I did The color of magic. Since these two, I started reading everything I can get from the author and never got disapointed.
Like the first one, it finds a way to write fantasy which can be read in various levels according to your age and familiarity with the genre. Somehow it is at the same time serious, self-mocking and critical of our society.
Great book
|
|
Not bad...
Rating  (3)
Date: 2008-05-28
The Light Fantastic picks up exactly where the previous book (The Color of Magic) left off. Unsurprisingly, the same sort of whimsical style and dry, witty humor are prevalent in this story. However, I found it much more enjoyable than the first, primarily because there seemed to be at least SOME kind of threat to overcome.
Unfortunately, I still found it difficult to really get immersed in the world and the characters. Even though I appreciated the humor and the general storyline, I still found it "easy to set down." However, given that I liked this better than the first, I will continue reading a few more Discworld books, in hopes that the humor remains and the issues that I have thus far are resolved later in the series.
|
|
|
|
|