h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I thought that there was some extreme hinting in the book that 'The Fray' was someone walking across the carpet.
It's been a while since I read it, but isn't there some references to the pattern of 'The Fray' striking in a line?
And didn't the main character travel throughout the different shades of carpet colour? Perhaps the area of the book is substantially larger than that of a book...
Terry Pratchett's books carry a lot of hidden or not too obvious meaning. So much in fact that I've found myself pondering over things that just weren't there all too often...a wierd name is often just a wierd name, not an anagram or corruption...
Kidsturk

Hi Kidsturk,

I remember I really had to think about what Fray was but in the end I arrived at the same conclusion: sombody walking over the carpet (makes me think what would happen if the carpet was vacuumend... .)

I know what you mean about the "hidden" meanings. But even more often the other way around. Sometimes I read a sentence for the umpteenth times before I grab the underlying meaning. I'm German but I read Pratchett in English (the German translator makes me !!!) so I think a lot of things simply escape me. Be it because I just don't understand the language or because the joke references to something in British culture I just don't know about.

I understand enough though to have a lot of fun with these books!!!! I LOVE to read Pterry!!!

@

If you can't see the little hidden jokes and references in pratchett books, you are really missing out. They are funny! But tricky to spot. you have to read each book maybe 3 or 4 times and be looking out to notice the well hidden ones, and a lot of them are references to british culture as well so it could be tricky to notice them if you are not british.

I DO read the books several times!!!! And part of the fun IS to see how every time I understand a new joke.
But don't get me wrong: I do understand quite a lot to start with (when I sometimes have a look into the german translations I think I understand a lot more than the translator...). And I think that nobody (with the possible exeption of Pterry himself! ) understands EVERY joke. And certainly not first go!

But I discovered that I developed a certain feeling where jokes are hidden. And when I suspect a joke in a scene I can always ask my boss - who's british and likes to help me with those things.
If they are word jokes I usually have a fair chance of spotting them, but cultural references are often beyond me!

On the whole I think I'm doing quite alright on the Pratchett books - for a non-native-speaker.
Of course I wouldn't know about the jokes I'm missing, so my impression could be totally wrong... .

@

I do like the fact that they're different books every time you read them.
With some of my favourite ones, I think I know pretty much all the jokes, but I still read them...that's the magic.

It's not just jokes though. Quite a lot of the Pratchett storylines are open to interpretation too.
Like; The Fray, does twoflower have four eyes (as portrayed on some book covers) or does he just wear glasses?
There are loads.

I like this, 'cos it leads to great conversations when you chat to people about it!
Kidsturk

Many Pratchett jokes are open to multiple interpretations but TWOFLOWER HAS TWO EYES! Yes, on the cover of 'the Light Fantastic' He does have four eyes but I read where Pterry himself said how it was just the cover artist getting overexcited. Plus, it says in one of the books, either 'The Light Fantastic' or 'The Colour of Magic' that he wears "circles of glass in front of his eyes"

Many Pratchett storylines are open to multiple interpretations but TWOFLOWER HAS TWO EYES! Yes, on the cover of 'the Light Fantastic' He does have four eyes but I read where Pterry himself said how it was just the cover artist getting overexcited. Plus, it says in one of the books, either 'The Light Fantastic' or 'The Colour of Magic' that he wears "circles of glass in front of his eyes"

oops sorry for the multiple posting

Fair enough!
I think I get that too...I remember now.
It was just an example that popped to mind when I had a few spare minutes.
What else is there?
There's also a lot of contradictions, but you'd have to be outside of the books more than an author can be to be able to spot those...

Kidsturk
Can anyone think of one or two?

I think Pterry knows about the contradiction in his books.

I was at one of his readings a few weeks ago and there he said that one of the next books ("The thief of time" I think it was - please correct me if I'm wrong!) will explain all these little things that "don't really fit"... .

I rhave to admid I was pretty much at a loss in "the last continent". I have never been to Australia and I didn't get quite a lot of the(cultural) jokes. But I'm working on it. You can find some very helpful annotations on the web.

My all time favourite Pratchett book by the way is not a Discworld book at all but "Good Omens".
I think I read that book at least ten times, but I still like to read it frequently.
And every time I discover something else. (Not just in Good Omens". This goes for all the Pratchett books!) Not just jokes but little things early in the book that relate to things that happen later. And you can't understand these things when you first read the book because you don't know what will happen later.

Has any of you already read "The Truth"? I've read it twice and I liked it very much. (Although - of course - I didn't get everything! )

@

Yeah- here in the uk we get a lot ofAustralian made soap operas, so those jokes a lot more familiar to us Brits, I'm afraid.

I'M NOTALLOWED TO READ 'THETRUTH' YET!
It'sgreat having great parents, butat21 not being allowed to read a book 'becausewe have to wait and see what Father Christmas brings...' is a little trying!
Iknow what you mean about'Good Omens' Me too
Kidsturk

Comparing "The Last Continent" to Neighbours and Home and Away was funny! I have to say that Good Omens is AMAZING! It is the detail of the characters and the coolness/deep and meaningful nature of the lot that I like.

The Truth is really good. Learn from an astute teenager: Go find, unwrap, read, rewrap, and put back your christmas presents. I wasn't going to wait two weeks for the new Discworld book.

What: are you implying that I hadn't thought of that?
It was one of my first thoughts...but was dismissed instantly because the aforementioned Christmas tree is 200 miles away!
I live at university, but my parents still know how to drop threatening hints about what presents I'm getting!

My last message was a bit garbled - quick stop with a crap keyboard in the uni. resources room!
Good Omens is my favourite ever book. There is no contest!

So, apart from buying it, reading it and then giving it to someone as a present myself(...now THERE'S an idea!) I'm going to have to wait!
Ho hum hee.
Kidsturk

Okay, so out of the four of us that have chipped into this conversation, we agree on one thing:

Good Omens is the best Terry Pratchett book.

Why don't we team up and write the definitive guide article?

It only seems right and proper, seeing as there aren't any entries pertaining to it...
Well? What do you say, guys?
Kidsturk

Okay, so there's only three of us, but we could still do it!
Kidsturk

Sorry, I answer so late: I like the idea!!!!!

Aurora

Coming in rather late in the thread, but here at last.

Re: The Fray. I agree, too, that someone's foot is the most likely suggestion of what the phenomenon really is. However, that would be conjecture that I wouldn't care to place into an official entry. I would also note that it seems likely that the Carpet People live their lives at a considerably accelerated rate - the fact the Fray strikes in a straight line almost suggests that this is a single footstep. However, conjecture again.

Re: The Size of the Region. Remember that Ware is noted as being this big - '.' - so it's quite possible we're talking about an area the size of a paperback book never mind a hardback!!

I would disagree that Good Omens is Terry's best book - I won't be drawn on a choice at the moment for myself - however, I'd be happy to contribute to any effort on writing an entry. Or providing worthy feedback.

Yes I'm new to this conversation but I have to say I couldn't stand 'The Truth' and I wan't very fond of Good Omens (I kept hoping that Adam would get killed; can't stand know it all kids). My favourite Pratchett book is 'Interesting times'.

Hmmmm, I liked "The Truth" very much myself! AND I liked "Interesting Times"!
The only book I didn't like too much was "Carpe Jugulum".

OK Rehash - tell us what you didn't like about "The Truth" and I'll try to explain why I didn't like "Carpe Jugulum"!

Aurora

Actually I didn't like 'carpe Jugulum' either. Why didn't I like 'the truth'? Several different reasons, firstly the plot.
The plot didn't interest me much at all, it seemed like nothing important happened. The setting up of Ankh-Morporks first newspaper should really have been a footnote in another book, the plot itself was too contrived/forced.
Secondly I didn't like any of the characters. No particular reason I just didn't like them.
Thirdly the book showed signs that Pratchetts beginning to make mistakes. In his pursuit of a funny situation hes making characters do things which are out of character and out of tune with the laws of the disk. eg. The bursar flying. The amount of energy required to do this (as has been said in previous books) is simply too great to make it a practicable possibility.
I also don't like the use of 'undead' characters. No I'm not some screaming religous fundamentalist. Its just that there appears to be far to many of them and no way to make them properly dead. (In my opinion 'carpe jugulum' was a VERY bad mistake. He made the vampyres FAR too powerful.) If theres no way to get rid of them then why isn't the disk populated soley by the undead? You would have thought that vampyres would have bitten all the 'living' years ago and turned them all into mindless zombies.