The Last Continent

Rating:
Summary: One of Funniest
Review: The Last Continent is one of Mr. Pratchett's most readable, and re-readable. The mystical overtones, the tongue-in-cheek satire of movies and books about Australia, the hilarious professors of Unseen University, and Rincewind the reluctant hero make this a must-read for Pratchett fans.
I had stopped reading science fiction in about 1988, when I thought that I'd read all of the funny ones and was left with disturbing ones. Thanks to Terry Pratchett I'm back in the fantasy aisle--although these days, the aisle is virtual.

Rating:
Summary: The mysteries of the universe solved here!
Review: At last!

Finally a plausible explanation for so many mysterious phenomena we've all pondered with futility:

Have you ever wondered how God ever arrived at sex as a means of creatures reproducing themselves? The answer's here in this book.

Have you ever wondered what the duckbill platypus? Yeah. What the duckbill platypus? Well, the answer's not precisely here, but if you wondered why, instead, you'll be fulfilled.

Kangaroos? Why budgies say the thing about pretty boys?

What it is that's missing in Oz, and why?

You'll get it all here in this, the best, the most amusing book yet by Terry Pratchett.

Unfortunately, you mustn't read it until you've read all the other Rincewind sequence books.

Then you can reward yourself with a laugh on every page and a newly found metaphysical awareness.

A handshake and friendly, "Howdy!" with god.


Rating:
Summary: Pratchett's done better
Review: I am a huge Pratchett fan but this book was not as funny or as clever as others. I am tired of the Rincewind character, even though I probably liked him best in this book than in the past. The wizards are funny, but the ending of the book didn't make a lot of sense. If you're like me, you're going to read every one of his books anyway, but I'm just letting you know ahead of time not to get your hopes too high. Read "The Truth" instead.

Rating:
Summary: Not his best
Review: I am a truely obsessive Pratchett fan and could hardly fail to enjoy anything he has written. However if I had to choose I would put this as one of my least favourive of his books. Possibly my lack of knowlege of Australian culture has made me miss out on some of the subtler satire. I found that the main plot with Rincewind dragged a little in places. There were some funny jokes but I felt that his quest, the actual plot I suppose, failed to interest me in the least and served more as a background for the gags. Some of his other books have managed to mix humour with a truely gripping story.
This book would probably have been rated lower if it wasn't for the antics of the wizards. It's not Pratchett's most mature or inteligent humour but it had me in stitches. It is almost worth reading this book just for their bickering. Oh and the origins of the duck-billed platypus are pure genius.
All together it is an enjoyable read in places but he has written better.

Rating:
Summary: Too cute
Review: I don't know why so many are down on the Rincewind character. I love the books that he's been in and think he is a fantastic and funny character (especially in Interesting Times, and in The Light Fantastic and The Colour of Magic).
That said, I had one major problem with this book and that is it's tongue-in-cheek nod to everything Australian (or, at least, Australian stereotypes).
I read these books for an escape, and even though some of the jokes were worth a chuckle, it was just too heavy-handed. It reminded me of some of Piers Anthony's books, which I stopped reading because I felt the stories were too burdened by puns and subtle as a brick references to this world.
An occasional reference to this world isn't a bad thing, but only once in a while (such as the airplane incident in another book) or in a general way (such as the portrayal of war and politics in Jingo).

Rating:
Summary: Funny and Entertaining - As Usual !
Review: I was happy to see the wizards back in action in this always entertaining Discworld series. I have always thought the wizards (along with the witches) are among the funniest characters. Pratchett has crafted an interesting story set in the land-down-under, a story about gods and creation and the blending of past and present, as Rincewind tries to save the continent from a massive drought. As usual, Rincewind falls into things (literally and figuratively), but despite the familiar Rincewind antics, Pratchett keeps this novel fresh and, as with all of his books, sharply satirical. There are so many one line zingers I am sure I missed some, but I found his commentary on university life to be exceptionally funny. I do not think this is a good place to start into the Discworld novels, but for Pratchett fans, you don't want to miss it.

Rating:
Summary: Not up to usual standards, but still a must-read!
Review: Like most other people said, this book really wasn't as funny or sharp as Pratchett's usual books are, but some of the scenes and jokes were the best ever. They made the whole book worth it. I won't spoil it, but there was a scene with Ponder and the creator god which was just excellent. It's true, the book as a whole isn't really coherent and it doesn't really flow, but there are some sporadic scenes of brilliance that made the book worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Painfully funny! A tad bit shallow I suppose ...?
Review: Many die-hard DiscWorld fans might note that this book does not have as much depth as others in the series, but it certainly does not take away from the humour.

I have read 5 books in the series and found this to be the most fun read. Several of the wizards from Unseen University are in the book for a substantial part, and I they were absolutely hilarious. I had to stop reading at several parts just to catch my breath from laughing so hard (and no, I'm not a smoker, or out of shape). The island they are on, and their personalities are so incredibly creative... and Pratchett milks the situations for all they're worth (in a good way)... he just doesn't miss a beat.

Rincewind's adventures are also, as usual, terribly humorous... He finds himself in a remarkably Australian-esqe continent, and gets caught up in the middle of several cultural misunderstandings...

If you just want a fun read, and some hilarious situations, then pick up The Last Continent... and sorry for my ramblings.

Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: This is the eleventh or twelvth Pratchett book I've read, and it is by far the worst. That's somewhat misleading, though, because it's the only bad Pratchett book I've read at all.

I'm not australian, but I did catch on to many of the australian references. The problem was that most of them weren't funny. Pratchett's humor has always lain with the insight and subtlety with which he makes his cultural references and satire tie into the situation at hand. However, in The Last Continent, there is no "situation at hand". The story rambles on and on, seemingly without point. People and things come and go without notice or reason, often simply to fit the motif of australian references. The story of the wizards and the story of Rincewind don't converge until the very last pages of the book, and the convergence is not even explained (how rincewind knows to find the cave and then to draw in it). The reason for Rincewind's problem is not explained at any stage (why the librarian changes shape, why the wizards' presence in the past is causing the present to shift at random, why it doesn't rain, etc).

The humor that does exist in the book is shallow in nearly every case. Often it's just inane bickering between the wizards, which elicits cheap laughs, but doesn't grab one's attention. The humor isn't structured at all, which is Pratchett's normal approach. In his other books, the humor develops around some reference. Here they are mostly just one liners. In The Last Continent, the only time this kind of humor develops is on the topic the wizards' sexual repression, which is entirely unrelated to the story's problem.

I strongly recommend other Pratchett books such as Jingo, Small Gods, or Reaper Man for a much more sophisticated example of fantasy satire.

Rating:
Summary: With Any Luck, the Last Rincewind Book
Review: This was the first Pratchett book I read, and my original review is on Amazon; I still stand by it, but have revised my rating downward after reading the rest of the Discworld novels. It is funny in parts and full of pop-culture references, but does not hold together as a story. There isn't much plot, or, rather, there is far too much to pay attention to. Rincewind is not a character in this book so much as an excuse to roam around Australia; the wizards of Unseen University show up, but if you don't already know them, or even if you do, you'll find their characters quite poorly differentiated. _Interesting Times_ and _The Light Fantastic_ are better Rincewind novels, but I would recommend spending your valuable free time reading the the City Watch or Witches Discworld novels instead.