When I read a book,
a movie plays in my head. Sometimes better than others, and because I don’t know what’s coming next, (Usually) the movie can seem a bit disjointed at first.
The movie of the book “Lords and ladies” by Pratchett sucks, right up to about the 70% mark.
And then all hell breaks loose. Oh, sure, you have to read the first part to get all the shit thats going on in the end, but it drags, and it’s full of the “Don’t do that! Put the chain mail back on” type of shit hat is common in horror movies starring a barely postpubescent Jamie Lee Curtiss.
I’ve always had a fascination for Magrat, because she’s the sort of outcast that I expect I was in younger days. And here, she redeems herself, in ways I would never have expected.
if I could pull the movie out of my head and put it on the screen, you would piss yourself in a combination of fear, hilarity, and stress incontinence. because Magrat does the things you want heroes to do, she strikes without giving the bad guy a chance to get back at her, she fights like a madwoman, and she even intimidates greebo. I haven’t finished it yet, I expect I will around the morning shit time, but wherever it goes, these four or five pages have redeemed it for good and all.
L&L is one of my favorites.
Yeah, you’re absolutely right about what happens at the 70% mark. Come to think of it, I seem to recall that’s a typical pattern in many of Pratchett’s best stories. It’s like a rollercoaster where the first half or more of the ride is a long climb up. Arguably tedious, but you can get in some nice sightseeing, have a few laughs along the way.
Then you go over the hump.
In this case, I had not noticed that the early parts suck, exactly, perhaps because the characters are not stupid, as in horror movies, just naive and confused.
Also, I paid a lot more attention to Granny than to Magrat in the first half of the book. The duel is a classic.
But yeah. Now that you mention it, it’s hard for me to say you’re wrong.
As others have asked before, have you gotten to Guards, Guards! yet? I think Pratchett’s entire writing career follows this same arc.
I am doing these in order, so yeah, I got ‘guards! Guards!’ but have not yet gotten to “Night watch’ as someone, I forget who, pointed out to me.
The problem sort of is, that the first 70% isn’t really too bad, but sucks compared to a lot of other Pratchett work, so youget a little spoiled. but when Magrat puts the armor on… whoo, boy!
Heh….
The Lancre Morris Men…
’nuff said.
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Oh, and in the theme of books as movies in the mind…
NetFlix has cartoon versions of Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters available. I can’t recommend them. Between the art style, re-writing for tv, and voice actors they just didn’t feel right. The live action versions of Colour of Magic, Hogfather, and Going Postal ,however, I would heartily endorse. It says something I think that Sir Terry had cameos in all three. The casting is excellent and the re-writes needed for television are acceptable, probably because Pratchett was available for input.
All three of the live action productions are also available from NetFlix.
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Bastard. Now I have to get them and see them.
The live action versions I’ve seen so far have been wonderful. High values all the way around and made obviously by people who love and appreciate the Discworld.
Just borrowed “Soul Music” from a friend of mine, lemme see how this looks.
And check this out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GTi3_yv7V0
Jenny
Og, lemme put it this way…
I watched Colour of Magic on NetFlix.
I watched Hogfather on NetFlix. And have no problem saying the Susan Sto Helit had my attention.
I bought Going Postal from Amazon (through the link at Tam’s) with out ever having seen a snippet just because the first two were that good. Charles Dance in the role of Lord Vetinari is perfection.
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+1 on BG’s comment(s)… :-)
I was thinking of a barely post-pubescent Jamie Lee Curtis just the other day. Must have been after watching NCIS.