The Last Continent

Rating:
Summary: The Last Continent Loses the Plot
Review: Being an avid fan of Terry Pratchett I bought this book confident that I was in for a good read. Pratchett's track record for producing quality fantasy fiction is second to none as his sales figures would suggest. You are often reminded that his fantasy world perhaps is not too far removed from our real world. Nevertheless, the Last Continent was disapointing. The plot of the book does not seem to develop so much as just plod along and suddenly ends in a way that leaves you a bit bemused. I felt either there was a really big joke in the book I had failed to see or that I had missed the point completely. The main thing missing from the book in my view was the can't-put-down factor that is usually to be found in Pratchett's work. The way the story moves sharply from one location to another almost every three quarters of a page doesn't help as you lose continuity very easily. I finished the book almost out of a sense of duty. If this had been my first Pratchett book it may well have been my last (or maybe I have been spoilt by Pratchett's excellent offerings up to now). I hope for better from Pratchett and hope this was just a blip.

Rating:
Summary: Flogging the dead horse
Review: I love Terry Pratchett. The Colour of Magic holds a prize place on my shelf, with Good Omens and Equal Rites not far behind, but The Last Continent? It's in a box in the garage. In The Last Continent we once again meet the inept wizzard Rincewind and his many-legged Luggage. In this adventure they end up in a place that is the Discworld equivalent of Australia. And just to make sure you know what continent he means, Pratchett rams our (the reader's) faces in cliche` after cliche`. Some of the abused Australian cliche`s are amusing, even to me, an Australian, but enough is enough. Terry Pratchett is a good writer and it shows in the fact that I was able to finish this book. Had it been a less readable author, I would have stopped half-way through. Definately not Pratchett's finest hour and I hope he stops churning novels out in such a manner. He can only rely on his name for so long. And a name and a few good one liners are not enough to make a novel.

Rating:
Summary: Not classic stuff
Review: In the mists of time I was a committed Pratchett fan, from the glory days of the mid 80's when the only titles published were the 'Colour of Magic' and the 'Light Fantastic' (I bought my first Pratchett in 1986)- and when only real fans had actually heard of the man. After introducing many other readers, I fell by the wayside, (I haven't read a Pratchett since Reaper Man), so reading The Last Continent was a bit like going back in time (strangely time travel features greatly). I regret to say I was not impressed. Mr Prachett's cauldron must be running down to the last black sludgy bits. At the rate he's producing them, I'm not surprised. Oh, don't get me wrong - it's funny. The same little footnotes, the wry character observations, the humorous situations created by word associations etc (the 'Oz' jokes in particular were fun - converted into a 'fantasy' setting nicely). But the punch is rather flat, the jokes are more one-liners than subtle funnies which prey on the mind with the sly wit that Pratchett is famous for. Not classic Pratchett as I remember it from those early heady days ... sigh. Fun but not great.

Rating:
Summary: another good discworld read
Review: As usual Terry Pratchett delivers the goods. The wizards never fail to raise a smile and who could find fault with a novel containing Rincewind. While it is not Pratchetts best, I would have to put Small Gods in that category, it is definately worth reading at least once.

Rating:
Summary: Pratchet at his best!
Review: I read some of the other reviews. Could it be the UK and OZ share a sense of humour? I was worried our Antipodean friends might find the caricature too broad. I thought this was one of the best, galloping along and going out with a bang rather than the wimper as some do. The structure was more coherent than some of the others. I havn't even seen Mad Max, but I got the references. There were lots of out-loud laughs for me. Nice to see some old friends back and the continued satire of academe. This one snuck up on me - I was awaiting Carpe in paperback and was delighted to find another in the mean time. I find the witch and Death novels slight beside those with the Wizards. Unless you come from the US - ignore the carpeing and buy it. It only lasted me one evening - but they're all like that. I think a town call (if I remember) Djabringabeeralong is wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: Okay, but not great
Review: This was funny, but far from Pratchett's best. He tried to cram too many jokes into one book, and didn't give any of them enough play! I would have loved a whole book with the Mad Max parody ... not fifteen pages or so.

Rating:
Summary: Damn funny!
Review: How can anyone not like this book? From the hilarious 'drunk-food' scenario to the usual excellent dialogue that we have come to expect from Pratchett, this book is more than simply funny. It might help a bit to understand Australian culture and it may help to have read other Pratchett books first, but I can't help thinking that if you don't enjoy this book, it is simply because you don't understand it. This book, like so many other Pratchett books, drips with style, and of course it brought on the usual 'laugh out loud like a deranged lunatic in a public place' syndrome. Who could ask for more?

Rating:
Summary: Another good read
Review: Keep them coming please. I enjoyed this trip to the world down under - or down over, or almost to the edge or wherever it ends up on the Discworld. I enjoyed the language from "down under". Terry Pratchett is always entertaining and I look forward to his new book Carpe Jugulum which should be out soon.

Rating:
Summary: Not up to standard.
Review: Personally I have read every one of Terry Pratchett's books. Each and every one I would rate 5*'s (I would rate Men at Arms as the best, followed by Small Gods). During each and everyone of his books I have laughed (usually out loud) at least once every page. In this book however I did not laugh once, which was disappointing. His style was very flowing, and I read the book in one sitting, but it was dull. It would seem as if Pratchett went to Australia, and went to his local library and got every piece of information about Australia, and then wrote a book around the information, throwing in characters and events at random in order to portray a Discworld-esque scenario. There is no plot, there is no greater good, there is no objective... TERRY you don't have to write about something if it's not funny. Next time, if you write an unfunny book, throw it in the bin and tell your publishers your dog ate it, just don't publish it! This was a sorry disappointment. Buy any other of his books and laugh till your jaw hurts and read until you realise that the clock says AM instead of PM, just leave this one on the shelf. Go and find another of Terry's books and prop in up in front of this one when you see it in a shop...

Rating:
Summary: Classic Pratchett, not as good as Guards! Guards! but close
Review: As usual Pratchett suceeds in lampooning his characters and subjects gently and sympathetically. He clearly has an affection for FourEcks, its inhabitants and beer if not its food! I particularly enjoyed the FourEcks place names.