spoilers, emails, and books

[deird_lj]

Three mini-posts on completely unrelated topics:


I've looked at a bunch of entries on TV Tropes recently, and have noticed that really, quite often, their spoiler text is almost useless.

Firstly, you've got all the people who talk about:
"When Buffy staked a really mean vampire with Mr Pointy, and then ran off to Spike's crypt to have sex with him."
...and put entirely the wrong bits in spoilers.

And then there's the bits where it's done correctly, but someone else then comes and comments on that bit, and leaves the spoilers out in broad daylight, like this:
-"I cried so much when Buffy had to kill Angel at the end of season 2."
---"THIS! I got so teary! And the bit where Buffy sticks a sword right into his chest, and all the music swells up, and then Angel gets sucked into hell! I BAWLED!"

But the worst ones are when the spoilers are given away just by how long the white bit is. For instance:
"That episode where there weren't sure whether the werewolf was Larry or Oz, and then it turned out to be Oz."

So very frustrating...




I currently have front-row seats for some business executives being breathtakingly rude, through a series of increasingly nasty emails.

It's fantastic, really, because every time a new email gets sent it's getting ruder and ruder, but it's all happening in very formal business language (like in Yes Minister: "With the greatest possible respect, Minister, but your proposed course of action is a little unwise." instead of "You stupid bastard! That's such a dumb idea!"), and it just makes me crack up laughing...




snowpuppies has now (unintentionally) got me reading all the Discworld novels, in order.

This is a new experience for me.

Oh, not reading them. I've read them all before. But I've never read them in order.
And I haven't read the first few for years.

It's quite interesting seeing how very different the first couple of books are (Death being nasty! The Patrician saying "thee"! The Broken Drum!).

I also found it quite bizarre opening up The Light Fantastic, purely because, on page 12, it introduces the current Chancellor of Unseen University... and his name is Galder Weatherwax.
I'd never actually noticed that before.

Comments

[deird1]

Oh, they're great!
*loves the Discworld*


(If you feel inclined to try them out, I'd recommend Guards! Guards! or Reaper Man, to start with...)

JL disagrees about Reaper Man - sorry ,deird1...

[jl-in-the-lane.livejournal.com]

With respect (hehe) I'd like to recommend against 'Reaper Man' as an opener.
I KNOW Death is just lovely, but I think he takes a bit of getting used to. You have to know what he's like already to 'get' 'Reaperman', I think. I don't think it'd be a good introduction to Discworld to begin with a Death-centred book.


'Guards, Guards!' is pretty good, I guess.



But my vote for a good first one is 'Moving Pictures' - you don't need to know any characters and yet it effectively introduces:

Ankh-Morpork, the idea of Guilds, the idea of Wizards, the University, the Dungeon Dimensions (and Klatch and the mountains rate a mention) which gives a really nice overview of the World, I think;

And "also starring" roles for:
Gaspode, CMOT and Detritus;
the Dean, Ridcully, the Bursar, the Librarian, Ponder, the RRLecturer, Windle;
and Death (and even the Patrician, Nobby and Colon rate an appearance).

i.e. all ongoing sideline characters who aren't generally central, but are usually hanging around somewhere, so you get a good feel for the Disworld peoplescape.

Plus, it's a good one in being clearly relatable back to real!world stuff (i.e. the movie thing), so it's easy to get into, humour-wise.

Re: JL disagrees about Reaper Man - sorry ,deird1...

[washa-way.livejournal.com]

I always tell people to start with Small Gods, which is one of the very best Discworld books anyway, but is also fairly self-explanatory.

I started with Mort, couldn't get through it, and a few years later picked up Reaper Man and quite enjoyed it.

I think Pterry may be the only writer on earth whose series got better as he went along.

[deird1]

I never really liked Small Gods that much, actually...

My Discworld love increases the more Vimes, Death, and Granny Weatherwax are around.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

When we read them to our daughter we started with Equal Rites - it was easily accessible to her as it 'starred' a young girl (D-d was about 6 or so, I think,). It worked very well as an entry point though.

These days, of course, I would have started her at that age with Tiffany Aching.

[deird1]

Tiffany is great!
Although Maurice and his Educated Rodents are even better, IMO.