Rating: 
Summary: Philosophy or Humor
Review: Theif of time begins as a thinking man's book, with symbolic objects and themes, but eventually becomes less serious and comical. Not bad at all. Quite an enjoyable read, though may be more enjoyed more by young adults more than kids or "serious" readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Thief of Time - John Deakins for ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE
Review: _Thief of Time_ by Terry Pratchett HarperCollins, 324 pages,
... ISBN:0-06-019956-3 HarperCollins should thank their lucky stars that their
company seems to have the lock on Terry Pratchett releases in the
U.S. Depending on what you allow as a "Discworld" book,
Pratchett has turned out twenty-five to thirty volumes. And they
all sell like ice cream in Hell on Lucifer's day off.
He has sold more words than any living British author (and
he's closing in on the dead ones). His books never fail to make
England's best sellers lists. Maybe his readers love him because
he sends us _all_ up. No stereotype of fantasy, science,
religion, philosophy, geography, or even death is safe from a
hilariously askew viewing.
The Monks of Time, for instance, can speed Time, slow Time,
pump Time from historical station to station, as needed. Once,
long ago, they had to repair the entire universe when a
(predictably) mad scientist built the almost-perfect clock. If
it had kept ticking, everything else dependent on Time would have
stopped. The damage was awful then, but a much more talented
someone is tampering again. Hired by the spectral accountants
from the Outside, who hate the chaos of life, he is too sane, but
too singleminded, not to succeed. Only a ancient, little sweeper
and a strange boy recruited on the streets of Ankh-Morpork have a
chance to stop him. (Rule One: "Do not act incautiously when
encountering a little bald wrinkly smiling man.") Of course,
there's Death's granddaughter, Susan, the perfect teacher.
Students love her and never give her trouble. How many second
graders actually get to visit, say, an erupting volcano, or have
the real option of being thrown in if they misbehave? Once she
learns to use chocolate as a weapon against the specters . . .
But that would be telling.
Similarly, you may just be surprised when the Five Horsemen
ride forth at the End of Time. (No, that's not a typo.) And
then there's the reason why yetis are only embarrassed by being
beheaded. Or the role that Igors (plural) play in the life of a
mad scientist.
If you're just a little weirdly baroque yourself, you can't
help loving Terry Pratchett. Enjoy; enjoy; enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: At Last The Mystery Is Solved!
Review: Ever wonder why technology and history on the Disc is so crazy? Why there's "The Disc" and The Opera House practically on the same street? Why some places seem Medaevil, and others seem pre-Industrial? Well, here's the answer to all of your questions! No more headachey arguments with your fellow Fans of Pterry! No more discussions of quantum effects on the Discworld! (You can pick up The Science of Discworld for THAT.) This book is really only for long-time, well-established Discworld fans. Newcomers will NOT understand some of the nuances of this book, and will be confused/disappointed. Those of us who are longtime fans will recognize the in-jokes and references to earlier Pratchett works. The best way to read Discworld is in order, people. The earliest three (The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, and Equal Rites) are a little mind-numbing, but overall will help you understand the Disc better. My only real complaint about this book is that Death and Susan weren't in it enough...it wasn't nearly as good as the other Death books. Still, Pratchett knows his stuff.
Rating:
Summary: A Fine Addition To A Series
Review: The first thing I have to say is that "I AM A FAN OF DISKWORLD" I have all the books published so far, and have read many of them 3,4, 5 and 6 times. Terry Pratchett has grown and evolved as a writer as this series has progressed. Many 'humor' writers tend to become pretentious and unfunny after their second or third book. Mr Pratchett has grown into the role! As a bonus to diskworld fantatics he has developed a way of getting into his characters that is almost unrivaled among modern writers (Dick Francis developes characters as well, but I cant think of anyone else in this catagory). I have read the reviews of other diskworld fans that were dissapointed by "Thief of Time", but I must disagree with them. I found this novel very "diskworldian" and quite readable and entertaining. The characters are well drawn and defined, the plot is adhered to and as we have come to expect the humor and inside jokes abound. I revell in being able to see characters that were introduced in previous novels evolve. This is not really a 'stand alone' novel, you should read several of Mr Pratchett's books dealing with the character of Death first. If you do this, I think you will find that "Thief of Time" is above average literature. Go, Purchase, Read, Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Deepest and Darkest
Review: If you are unfamiliar with Pratchett, you will be happier starting earlier in the series with something lighter, like "Colour of Magic." "Thief of Time" is ambitious -- admirable for someone on his 25th book of a series -- and, for Pratchett, dark (it all comes out OK in the end, though). Pratchett satirizes Zen, mathematics ( he may have written the only characterin all of literature based on a mathematical bifurcation), death and Death, kung-fu movies, accountants and a dozen more. If you've read a couple of the series, you'll understand this one. It does start a bit slowly, but Pratchett has a lot of setting up to do before all hell breaks loose with the Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Yes, five. There is just *a lot* in this book. No wizards, though.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless...
Review: Pratchett is a god, only not as annoying, stupid, or petty. :) The only thing that held me back in this book is a slightly convoluted story. However, this book is still Discworld-tastic, and it features Nanny Ogg, which is a nice change from the usual focus on Granny. Also, the Sweeper is always great. Funny, fast, and freaky-deaky!
Rating:
Summary: Take Me...Back? Forwards? Sideways? in Time...
Review: Well, personally, I rather liked this book. It wasn't my VERY favourite of the Discworld series, but I liked it a good deal better than the last book, "The Truth".
The main problem is that the slicing time and the quantum theory and all that did, as many other reviewers have pointed out, make The Thief of Time a bit on the confusing/chaotic side. But still enjoyable.
As fun as it was to see the old characters such as Susan and Death back again, for me, one of the _guest stars_ really stood out: Lady Myria LeJean, former Auditor of Reality. I don't quite know why nobody else has mentioned her yet, but I found her uphill struggle from an _it_ to a _she_; from a faceless nonentity to a PERSON, to be really sweet and genuinely _touching_. As Discworld one-shot characters go, she really stood out, at least for me. (And this is just my Trekkie brain talking here, but I SWEAR I was rather strongly reminded of Seven of Nine's gradual _re_gaining of her individuality; becoming a person again after being a faceless grey Borg. But like I said, that's probably just me. I'm sure Terry didn't _intend_ a "Voyager" reference...)
And I LIKED Jeremy Clockson, in fact I liked him _better_ than Lobsang the monk. If he reminded me of anybody it wasn't William de Worde (from "The Truth") instead, I kept very vividly seeing the brilliant but clueless H.G. Wells in the movie "Time After Time", as played by (at the time young) Malcolm McDowell. With big blue earnest eyes, a tweedy old-fashioned suit, a little bow tie... I don't know why, but I kept being reminded of that character. (Excellent movie, by the way.) ANYway. The Thief of Time is a fun book, not the best, but fun. The kung-fu movie references are hilarious; but watch for a Ghostbusters one that had me, personally, on the FLOOR laughing out loud. Susan ROCKS, obviously. The thing with the yeti _saving_ their lives like you would save before trying something dangerous in a video game was inspired. And only Terry Pratchett could concieve of a battle-cry like "EAT--a delicate infusion of raspberry creme and essence of violets, sprinkled with shredded pralines and almonds--YOU SCUM!!" (I'm paraphrasing from vague memory here--I've only read it once (waiting for the paperback before I get my own copy)). I swear..._chocolate_ as a weapon...hilarious It ain't perfect, but it's pretty darn good. For a book that will make you laugh, make you think, and even...well, for me, anyway, make you cry a bit, at the end...get this book. Watch out for side-effects, though--after reading this book, I just HAD to run down to the store and buy a box of chocolates! ;) ...Notorious
Rating:
Summary: Best Discworld novel so far
Review: Perhaps I enjoyed this novel so much because it was my first introduction to Susan Sto Helit, who has become my favorite Discworld character (among many!). However, I must say that it was also my first experience with Igor, and he's a character not to be missed!
If you've enjoyed "Mort," "Soul Music" and "Hogfather," you must read this book to see what Susan's been up to lately. If you've never read any of the Discworld novels, this is a fine place to start!
Rating:
Summary: Very Humorous
Review: Terry Pratchett has pulled another miracle off with the lastest book in the Discworld(TM) Series! This was a wonderful book. This book unlike other books in the Discworld series talks about different charcters than the usual Ankh-Morpork Watchers. Also it steps bravely into the ranks of Douglas Adams and others who make an effort to keep their readers awake with strange and twisted (but humourous) ideas of the universe. This book focuses on the the Time. If you have ever been wondering if there will was a yesterday and if there will be a yesterday, read this book. My only complaint is that sometimes the plot gets too confusing to follow when Pratchett puts to many of his wacky ideas in one paragraph.
Rating:
Summary: A Tick Tock Tale
Review: If you're a newcomer to Terry Pratchett, this may not be the best Discworld starting point. "He's hilarious!" is the frequent recommendation from friends urging Discworld books on you. You won't find much hilarity here, although you will encounter fine writing expressed with penetrating wit. If you're a dedicated Discworld advocate, you'll find this book rather more than "another Discworld novel." Casting a skein of plot threads, he's able to weave them together into a coherent finale. In particular, he achieves new levels of excellence in creating and portraying characters. But it's his view of the Cosmos that captures and holds your attention here. Pratchett is too often portrayed as a "fantasy writer" in contrast with "science fiction" authors. Yet, as this book shows, he has a better grasp of science than most within the "SF" genre. He's shown up the "science writers" in presenting complex questions in understandable terms. If those descriptions use fantasy tempered with the famous Pratchett wit, we've all gained. Lobsang Ludd is a thief. His wondrous abilities at theft are due to speed. He's unstoppable. He can pick up closely observed items with impunity, disgorging them upon request or his own whim. How does he manage it? A foundling at the Thieves' Guild, he's spotted in Ankh-Morpork by a "field operative" monk and sent to the Monks of History temple in the Ramtops. His abilities lead to his assignment as an apprentice to Lu-Tze. Why should Lobsang be given such a role when Lu-Tze is only the temple Sweeper? In Ankh-Morpork, meanwhile, another lad, Jeremy de Clock, also exhibits amazing talents. He's a clock maker, the best in the business. He's so good, the Guild has exiled him. Only a few blocks from the Guildhall, but far enough to shed responsibility for him. His reputation for accurate clocks has caught the attention of Lady LeJean, who commissions him to build "a clock of perfect accuracy." Such a clock, it seems, will stop time. Does this matter to Lobsang? It's staggering to think what Pratchett went through in writing this book. Ankh-Morpork without the Watch or the Patrician. Distortion of reality without the meddling of the Wizards. Death, who last convened the other Horseman for a game of Bridge ["You tell me humans do this for fun?"] seeks out War, Pestilence and Famine: they have to Ride Out. Their evasive excuses are high points of the book, brief as they are. War, henpecked by a Valkyrie spouse, is pitifully real. Only Death, though never married, has a granddaughter, Susan Sto Helit, who finds herself again aboard Binky on a quest of dubious result. Susan must confront one of Pratchett's finest creations, Nanny Ogg, midwife and witch of renown. Susan must learn what Nanny knows about an unusual birth. Then there's Ronnie Soak, Ankh-Morpork morning milkman. If the Hogfather can clamber down all those chimneys in one night, how long to deliver Ankh-Morpork's cream and yoghurt? And what does it take for an auditor to learn to be human? Most significantly, Pratchett has surpassed every previous effort with this book. He's achieved a fresh level of artfulness in his people and the background to the story. He shares insights in ways few can equal, none surpass. He's not pandering to any imposed labels of "humorous fantacist," but firmly establishing he's without peer. Always unique in his writings, this book works in new ideas and threads of thinking. If you're just looking for laughs, go back to Rincewind. If you are willing to have your mind challenged and your thoughts enlarged, buy this. Pratchett will take you into a new world, and the trip is
delightful.
|
