Rating: Summary: Thin Discworld book, thick with hilarity Review: I don't think "Faust" (or, rather, "Eric") deserves the scorn it has received. It is only a lesser Discworld novel because it is so short. Call it a novella, get over your preconceptions, and dive in for the fun.The chief element of fun here is the welcome return of the (ineffectual) wizard Rincewind. He is my favourite Disc-denizen. When last we left him in "Sourcery", he was in a curious predicament, trapped in a dimension he couldn't run away from. Summoned to our world by a 13-year old demonologist (the title character), Rincewind must figure out how to grant wishes. This is all a very curious set up, kind of flimsy and flaky. Fortunately, Pratchett uses it as a diving board into a grand pool of hilarious satire. Pratchett touches on some large issues in this slender volume. We get a sarcastic retelling of the Trojan War, and then a dip into the Odyssey. There's a section that concurrently examines both the beginning *and* the end of the universe (this is Douglas Adams territory Pratchett is treading in, and he more than holds his own). And we get a neat trip to Hell, that satirizes both eternal damnation and corporate culture (not a groundbreaking comparison, I know, but still a funny bit in Terry's hands). Eric (the character) is nothing more than Twoflower-lite. But that's okay, because the relationship between Twoflower and Rincewind in the first two Discworld books ("The Colour of Magic" and "The Light Fantastic") was golden. Eric continues in this tradition, his youthful ignorance and passion meshing perfectly with Rincewind's cynicism and cowardice. My one complaint is that I wanted to spend more time in each location with these characters, and for the life of me I can't figure out why Pratchett didn't stretch this book out to usual length. I guess he wanted to leave us wanting more. I did.
Rating: Summary: If read out-of-context, this book is odd, but still Discworl Review: I found the book enjoyable, but too short. It reminds me, for some reason, of Pratchett's "Johnny Maxwell" trilogy. I found "Eric" amusing, slightly stereotyped in its description of Hades, but with references which definitely tie it into the Discworld series. Why shouldn't Hell be similar to a large corporation? That was the unsupportable objection of one reviewer who may not have followed Pratchett from "Strata" forward, as he has matured into a very good, probably excellent, writer of fantasy with a terrific sense of fun and overall humor. Yeas, he does, at times, moralize, but who doesn't, given the chance?
Rating: Summary: The Dregs of Discworld Review: I have enjoyed most of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, so the very poor quality of this one came as quite a shock. _Eric_ has no real depth and includes no substantial development of Discworld or any of its inhabitants. Yes, there are occasional humorous elements, but they all feel like cheap rehashing of material from earlier in the series. I wouldn't exactly say that I disliked the book; it was more of a "null" experience that didn't make any noticable impression on me at all. That's far below par for Pratchett, and it makes reading the book a waste of time (even though it is mercifully short). In all honesty, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. Even if you want to read the whole Discworld series, don't bother with _Eric_. Rincewind is back in the primary world, and the rest of the story is just filler.
Rating: Summary: Superb! Review: I have read 10 of Terry Pratchett's books and I have to say this is one of the best so far, its short and sweet and is not to boring. I especially like the bit in hell, but Iam suprised to see that the luggage wasn't used more in the story, anyway, I say read this now!
Rating: Summary: Almost unrealistic... Review: I mean that it would be almost plausible for me to have not read this book. It's short, and it was written in a hurry. It did have good parts, like all the Discworld books, and was important for the Rincewind line of adventures. But other than that...
Rating: Summary: Almost unrealistic... Review: I mean that it would be almost plausible for me to have not read this book. It's short, and it was written in a hurry. It did have good parts, like all the Discworld books, and was important for the Rincewind line of adventures. But other than that...
Rating: Summary: What a Disappointment.... Review: I picked up Eric, utterly delighted to be able to find a Pratchett (any Pratchett would have done, I thought) and 45 minutes later put it down with the heaviness of utter discouragement. Yeah, the jokes are there; the humor is there; but the plot (whups, didn't see one of those in there, sorry) was pitiful and so much more could have been done with Eric!!!! A lustful 13-yr old demonologist that happens to get successful? sheesh! C'mon, Terry--we all know you can do better than this. Let's get the older ones back in print; Equal Rites, Guards!Guards!, and so forth!
Rating: Summary: better than what you've heard Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this story and found it quite humorous. No, it's not as "in depth" as most of Pratchett's books and it is quite short. However, I found this to be very refreshing. It was a nice change of pace from the other Discworld stories. It is a great "light" read and a good story.
Rating: Summary: Point being??? Review: Im not too sure what the point of this book was. OK, we needed to get Rincewind out of the Dungeon Dimensions, but this book seemed like a filler so PTerry had more time to write Moving Pictures. The Pratchett magic wasn't in this one, but I did like some of the bits with the demons.
Rating: Summary: The best Pratchett book I have ever read Review: It is great, funny, and had a good plot. All the other books by him are good, but this one's the best.
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