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The Folklore of Discworld (Discworld Companion Books)
Terry Pratchett joins up with a leading folklorist to reveal the legends, myths and customs of Discworld, together with helpful hints from Planet Earth.
Most of us grew up having always known when to touch wood or cross our fingers, and what happens when a princess kisses a frog or a boy pulls a sword from a stone, yet sadly some of these things are beginning to be forgotte...more
Most of us grew up having always known when to touch wood or cross our fingers, and what happens when a princess kisses a frog or a boy pulls a sword from a stone, yet sadly some of these things are beginning to be forgotte...more
Hardcover, 372 pages
Published
October 7th 2008
by Doubleday
(first published 2008)
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This book was a little bit of a mixed bag: if you're familiar with Pratchett's Discworld novels, a lot of this will not be new and the extensive quotations might irritate you after a while (they did me). If you aren't familiar with Discworld, I can't imagine this book making much sense. However, the comic ways in which Pratchett riffs on Earth folklore, mythology and urban legends are explained well, and the style is very amusing. I guess I was looking for something a little more dense, especial...more
The Folklore of Discworld isn't a non-fiction, quite unlike it, actually. It tells us about the uncanny similarities between the Earth's legends and those of the Disc. About myths on the Earth that are actually real on the Disc and naturally, the other way around. You learn about the vampires, witches (and wizards, who are very different, of course) and zombies, the Luggage and the Feegles, the gods and Death. Our world and the Discworld do seem to have a lot in common and some of the reasons th...more
I've been waiting a long time to read this book. I first saw it last year, but decided not to borrow it because I had exams. And then, I didn't go to Jurong Regional Library (where I saw it) for quite some time. And now, I've finally borrowed (and read) The Folklore of Discworld by Terry Pratchett and Jacqueline Simpson.
At first, I was a little disappointed because it kept talking about the folklore of Earth. But gradually, I came to understand that the inside jokes about Discworld (and the folk...more
At first, I was a little disappointed because it kept talking about the folklore of Earth. But gradually, I came to understand that the inside jokes about Discworld (and the folk...more
In a collaborative effort with folklorist Jacqueline Simpson, Terry Pratchett have put to print some of the inspirations (tip: most of them actually derive from our Roundworld, who would have known?) for the tales that take place on the Discworld.
In the funny and quirky way that is common practice for Terry Pratchett we are led through some well known (for us Roundworlders) tales of myth and legend and what role they've had in influencing what takes place on the Discworld. Some concepts of myth,...more
In the funny and quirky way that is common practice for Terry Pratchett we are led through some well known (for us Roundworlders) tales of myth and legend and what role they've had in influencing what takes place on the Discworld. Some concepts of myth,...more
I'm a fan of both Terry Pratchett and folklore. I definitely learnt some things, but also knew quite a lot of it already, which perhaps reflects the four star rating rather than the five one might otherwise expect given my stated interests.
You don't need to have read all the discworld novels to get this book, but you do need to be a discworld reader or a large chunk of it will be lost on you. This book is a reference list that explains how earth's folklore (primarily British, but not exclusivel...more
You don't need to have read all the discworld novels to get this book, but you do need to be a discworld reader or a large chunk of it will be lost on you. This book is a reference list that explains how earth's folklore (primarily British, but not exclusivel...more
This is really a 3.5, but I'm rounding up. If you have read the Discworld novels and have a good working knowledge of folk and fairy tales much of this book isn't anything new. Undoubtably, you made the connections yourself. There are some interesting tidbits, like the ballad about the dragon who was killed by a kick up the rump (must track that down); however, most of the information isn't really new. It isn't presented dully. It is an interesting book to read because of Pratchett's style (yes...more
3 likes · like · see review
The Folklore of Discworld was a lot of fun to read, with a good mixture of the pleasure of being able to think, "I knew that!" and the pleasure of actually learning new things. I found the late origins and development of the triple goddess and Herne the Hunter to be particularly interesting. The book is designed to be a very brief overview of a very broad variety of folklore, and there were times when I found myself thinking, "Yes, I know all about the Discworld version, please tell me more abou...more
This book is such fun to read! The way it's set out makes it easy to dip into every now and then; as there's no plot to follow, you don't lose the plot. However, it would also be just as easy to read straight through - and every bit as enjoyable as any of Pratchett's novels.
The folklore of Discworld takes all the myths, legends and rituals of Pratchett's now famous discoid world and links them all back to their "round world" counterparts and holds the reader's interest from start to finish - per...more
The folklore of Discworld takes all the myths, legends and rituals of Pratchett's now famous discoid world and links them all back to their "round world" counterparts and holds the reader's interest from start to finish - per...more
I started off getting a little bored. I mean, I wasn't really used to reading non-fiction about the Discworld (you know considering it's a fictional world n all). But as I got more into it, and started learning about some of the bizarre customs on Earth, or rather, in Europe, the book got more much more interesting. And I think my understanding of both the Earth and the Discworld has strengthened. Of course, since I've only read about 5-6 of the Discworld books, I barely know the characters and...more
First things first: this is (obviously!) not a novel, but is instead a look at how the folklore of Discworld reflects that of our world (or should that be vica-versa?). It's split into various sections, each of which deals wiith a different topic (there's an entire section on Death, for instance, or on Witches and Wizards).
Personally speaking, I found the information contained within to fall into 3 broad areas: that which I already knew, that which I didn',t and that which (to me) the co-author...more
Personally speaking, I found the information contained within to fall into 3 broad areas: that which I already knew, that which I didn',t and that which (to me) the co-author...more
I love Sir Terry Pratchett's work and I am very interested in folklore, so this book hit all the right buttons. Sir Terry and Jacqueline Simpson have written an interesting, fun, and informative text which tells of the myth, legends, and lore that inform the Discworld series. No dry, dull scholarly work here, oh no. The usual wit and levity Sir Terry brings to his fiction is reflected in this volume, enhanced by Simpson's expert knowledge of her field. A jolly good read.
I can't say I was overly impressed with this. Some parts of it were very interesting, but at times there was almost too much focus on the source material; for example quotes included that only echoed a point that was previously outlined, or detailed plot summaries taken from particular books. For someone who knows the books well (or in my case the majority of them, since there are some I don't care much for) it at times gets boring since it's just going over what you already know and/or assumed....more
This I quite liked. I thought that it would either be a dry and dull record of the real folklore behind Terry's world, or an entirely silly mix of tales made up to explain certain happenings in the Discworld universe.
Instead, I found a pleasant blend of the two that somehow erased dull and dry and silly from the vocabulary. Easy to follow though I've only read the first four novels, and the lore behind the folk, both his and ours, is an interesting read.
Instead, I found a pleasant blend of the two that somehow erased dull and dry and silly from the vocabulary. Easy to follow though I've only read the first four novels, and the lore behind the folk, both his and ours, is an interesting read.
Jul 28, 2011
John somers
added it
Shows the real world folktales that influenced Terry Pratchetts creation of Discworld. Took me a while to get into but really enjoyed it. The conceit that folktales here influence beliefs in Discworld, and vice versa was slighly annoying and repeated as little too often but that minor complaint aside a good informative read. Not vital for any discworld collection but a nice intrduction to real world folktales.
I love Discworld. I love Folklore. Put them together, and what do you get? Pure goodness. Be warned, though, this isn't REALLY a Discworld book; rather, it uses the mythos of Discworld to explore the origins of our own past, to uncover our ancient stories, and explain (or attempt to, at any rate) or legends. I found this to be very informative on all counts. For fans of either genres, a good pick up.
This book has everything a folklore book should have...filled nautical lores. Fascinating accounts on Hogswatch, Kings and Heroes. Legends of Phoenix, sphinx, vanishland, vampires, Werewolves, witches and elves. What an awesome read! If you are into folk tales, legends and mysticism, pick it up,read.
P.S I also loved the way its written, very vivid, descriptive and funny at times!
P.S I also loved the way its written, very vivid, descriptive and funny at times!
I've always found folklore fascinating and this book, which focuses on the bizarre folklore of the fictional Discworld, is an interesting read. Though not as fun to read as Pratchett's novels, I definitely picked up a lot of myth and folklore (both from this world and from the Discworld) and was interested to the very end.
As with any Pratchett book, this compilation of folklore inspirations and imaginings is witty and interesting. The big problem seems to be that it feels like nothing new, which makes sense considering what it is, but made me feel that I could just jump around and get what I wanted. And then, there was so much covered that no individual topic got much attention.
An enjoyable journey through Discworld, reminding the reader of the parts of the novels that he may have recognised from somewhere else and providing insight on other aspects that had gone un-noticed. For someone that's read all of Pratchett's Discworld novels, this is a must-read
Awesome book everything you could ever want/need to know about the creatures in discworld and the mythology around which they are based this isnt a story book more a reference book still i couldnt put it down absoulutely fascinateing
I REALLY wanted to like this book. I'm fascinated by the real world basis of Discworld events and objects. But this is terrible.
The author has tried to do too much, leaving you with only a couple of sentences about the actual folklore. This isn't helped by her retelling the Discworld concept she's about to elaborate on. Of course give us a refresher but casual fans arent the ones picking up this book, the people picking up this book know their Discworld and don't need paragraphs retelling the s...more
The author has tried to do too much, leaving you with only a couple of sentences about the actual folklore. This isn't helped by her retelling the Discworld concept she's about to elaborate on. Of course give us a refresher but casual fans arent the ones picking up this book, the people picking up this book know their Discworld and don't need paragraphs retelling the s...more
Definitely some interesting tidbits in this book that is really a set of essays. However, it lacks cohesion and proceeds from topic to topic. It is an interesting book but would have benefited from more cohesion. A fun take on the Discworld and folklore written in an interesting way.
A great and interesting companion to any Discworld fan. The book draws many parallels between Discworld folklore and the folklore of Earth. Some of the connections are a little weak, but all in all it was a pretty good book.
It was interesting reading the origin stories of Earthly legends that found their way into the Discworld, but without a pithy narrative and the denzins of Ankh Morpork driving the stories, I found it a little dull.
Mar 11, 2009
Amy
is currently reading it
SO far, it's wonderful...although I was hoping for something structured more like the Science of Discworld novels. But still a fascinating look at the folklore of roundworld...and it's early pages yet.
Woud have preferred something a bit more in depth with more on the origins and meanings of the folklore featured (much like the science of Discworld series). But still enjoyable and informative.
A very interesting book for those who take their Pratchett seriously. We all recognise the folkloric parallels between the Diskworld and Earth but this book puts them into perpective.
a fun supplement to Discworld. Pratchett's co-author here is a respected folklorist, and adds great background information on the "sources" of Discworld myths and lore.
Excellent and very interesting stuff. Now only if I could remember even half of what I read I might be able to appear as somewhat smart person.
Entertaining with the satire of the Discworld novels, but with insight into origins of our own worlds folklore.
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Sir Terry Pratchett sold his first story when he was thirteen, which earned him enough money to buy a second-hand typewriter. His first novel, a humorous fantasy entitled The Carpet People, appeared in 1971 from the publisher Colin Smythe. Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, including his first Discworld novel,...more
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“Needless to say, they refused to submit to the Empire, conducting such a persistent guerrilla war that the Romans gave up hope of conquering Scotland, and the Wee Free Men remained both wee and free.”
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“Legends don't have to make sense. They just have to be beautiful. Or at least interesting.”
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updated Dec 06, 2009 05:38am