A new stage adaptation of one of Pratchett's best-selling novels
The Discworld's most inept wizard has been sent from Unseen University in An... read full description
reviews
Nov 18, 2008
Seymour
rated it: 
As with all of the Discworld books I have been devouring, this is ingenious, fantastic and very funny. Never a dull moment, and never expected, though also very satisfying when completed, I have to rush to the next one for new means of escape. I am ecstatic to be able to borrow these from Mark, and read them on the bus everyday. I will be quite sorrowful when he runs out . . . though there is yet no sign of that.
I would recommend all of his books, especially the later ones, as the be More...
I would recommend all of his books, especially the later ones, as the be More...
Mar 13, 2011
Cohen's cohort: With some minor magic, seasoned with a touch of quantum physics and a liberal dose of archeaology, Pratchett sends Rincewind the Wizzard across the Discworld. From Ankh Morpork, he arrives at the Agatean Empire on the Counterweight Continent, cushioned by a snowbank. Those studying Auriental history [knowing where the gold is] will recognize the failed wizzard is entering an alien environment. Luckily, familiar faces emerge. The first is the Discworld's most revered barbarian her
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Jan 30, 2009
Kristen
rated it: 
I read this book last year, and just finished listening to the Audiobook (Read by Nigel Planer) with my children. "Interesting Times" is the fifth book in the Rincewind series, in case you want to read them in order here they are:
The Color of Magic
The Light Fantastic
Sourcery
Eric
Interesting Times
The Last Continent
To fully appreciate this book, I would suggest reading at least the first two of the series first since those are the one More...
The Color of Magic
The Light Fantastic
Sourcery
Eric
Interesting Times
The Last Continent
To fully appreciate this book, I would suggest reading at least the first two of the series first since those are the one More...
Jun 26, 2011
Michael
rated it:
I thought I would take another stab at reading a Terry Pratchett novel. While I've never been enamoured with the few novels I've read in the DiscWorld series, I was told by a friend that this was one of the better ones. I've much preferred the Xanth fantasy series in the past.
But I really did like this one the best. One reason was that Rincewind the Wizzard was a main character, my favorite Discworld character. Rincewind is a wizard (much like most of the wizards in Discworld) with s More...
But I really did like this one the best. One reason was that Rincewind the Wizzard was a main character, my favorite Discworld character. Rincewind is a wizard (much like most of the wizards in Discworld) with s More...
May 07, 2010
Cindy
rated it:
The Unseen University needs to send a wizard - make that 'wizzard' - to the Counterweight Continent. But they need someone expendable. That someone, of course, is Rincewind. Using Hex, a complicated new machine that seems to think on its own, they first summon Rincewind from his peaceful island hideout and then blast him into the unknown.
Rincewind, as anyone could have predicted, gets into trouble almost immediately. It seems the Counterweight Continent is in the middle of a Somewhat A More...
Rincewind, as anyone could have predicted, gets into trouble almost immediately. It seems the Counterweight Continent is in the middle of a Somewhat A More...
Nov 17, 2011
Liana
rated it:
I know I've read this book before, but I can't remember when. Still, Terry Pratchett is like reading candy for me. His books are delightful and always such a treat.
Craig was reading this when I went out to Virginia in October, so when I came back and found "Interesting Times" in the book exchange box, I felt it was a good time for a bit of re-reading.
I like that most of Pratchett's books (at least with Discworld) often revolve around a theme. "Interesting T More...
Craig was reading this when I went out to Virginia in October, so when I came back and found "Interesting Times" in the book exchange box, I felt it was a good time for a bit of re-reading.
I like that most of Pratchett's books (at least with Discworld) often revolve around a theme. "Interesting T More...
Jan 31, 2009
Hanna
rated it: 
I simply love Terry Pratchett. I would shout it from the highest tower on the tallest mountain....."I LOVE YOU, TERRY!"
That being said, as a fairly new Pratchett reader (1.5 years and counting), I am reading the books "out of order," which doesn't really matter with his stories. He is able to craft completely new plots every time that will capture any new reader, yet at the same time will use the same beloved characters from books before.
However, More...
That being said, as a fairly new Pratchett reader (1.5 years and counting), I am reading the books "out of order," which doesn't really matter with his stories. He is able to craft completely new plots every time that will capture any new reader, yet at the same time will use the same beloved characters from books before.
However, More...
Aug 26, 2011
Zach
rated it:
I'm going to just say right off the bat that the Rincewind novels are not my favorite. I realize that it is Discworld blasphemy, but hear me out. Out of the entire Discworld main character cast, Rincewind makes the fewest decisions and has no desires other than to flee from trouble. As sort of a Forrest Gump/Scooby Doo hybrid (Forrest Doo? Scooby Gump?), his misadventures consist of finding himself in trouble, trying to escape, and then lucking out in some grand fashion. While it makes for good
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Aug 11, 2011
Helen
rated it:
This one reunites Rincewind and Twoflower.
After Twoflower (the disc's first tourist) returned home, he wrote a small tract (which sounds remarkably like the first day back at school) entitled "What I did on my holidays". As usual where he's concerned it has taken a life of its own and a strange set of consequences results in a mild mannered revolution being set in motion. However, there's an emperor (who's about to die) and Grand Vizier (never trust a grand vizier) in the offing, alon More...
After Twoflower (the disc's first tourist) returned home, he wrote a small tract (which sounds remarkably like the first day back at school) entitled "What I did on my holidays". As usual where he's concerned it has taken a life of its own and a strange set of consequences results in a mild mannered revolution being set in motion. However, there's an emperor (who's about to die) and Grand Vizier (never trust a grand vizier) in the offing, alon More...
Jun 30, 2009
Ariel
rated it:
I find that Pratchett's earlier work (mostly featuring Rincewind) leaves me cold.
His later works are far more sophisticated, with more clever jokes and pointed satire - the ones published at the beginning of his career definitely show his progression from an amateur humorist to a novelist of the highest calibre.
Sadly, Interesting Times is at the lower end of the scale. It feels like he kind of just crammed as much as he could of all the Oriental stereotypes in fantasy li More...
His later works are far more sophisticated, with more clever jokes and pointed satire - the ones published at the beginning of his career definitely show his progression from an amateur humorist to a novelist of the highest calibre.
Sadly, Interesting Times is at the lower end of the scale. It feels like he kind of just crammed as much as he could of all the Oriental stereotypes in fantasy li More...
Sep 29, 2011
M
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 25, 2011
Sally
rated it:
Following the initial Discworld stories, "Color of Magic" and "The Light Fantastic," this is another one that tells of events in the life of the character, Rincewind. A few other characters which were introduced in the first Discworld books return and are also major players in the story. (I'll not add any spoilers.) I'm not sure this is one of my favorite story lines so far in my reading of Discworld books, but the reputation of Terry Pratchett's skill with humor and satire
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Oct 21, 2009
Jonathan
rated it:
This book is not a good place to start if you are new to the Discworld. Like most of the books in Prachett's sprawling and branching series, it makes enough sense on its own but you won't enjoy it nearly as much without some context. I recommend reading--at a minimum--"The Color of Magic" before beginning this tale.
And as for the book itself? Classic Prachett: cynical yet still somehow optimistic, ridiculous yet still page-turning, and of course full of satire and laughter. More...
And as for the book itself? Classic Prachett: cynical yet still somehow optimistic, ridiculous yet still page-turning, and of course full of satire and laughter. More...
Oct 01, 2011
Witchy
rated it:
I was so pleased to see my most beloved characters from The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic returning in this novel. My one complaint is that there wasn't nearly enough of the Luggage eating people, but that's okay, because there was a very adorable surprise instead.
Once again Terry Pratchett has managed to be humorous and satirical while crafting an adventure that is also not what you would normally expect; the heroes are old men and our protagonist is the luckiest/unluckiest More...
Once again Terry Pratchett has managed to be humorous and satirical while crafting an adventure that is also not what you would normally expect; the heroes are old men and our protagonist is the luckiest/unluckiest More...
Dec 12, 2010
Iain
rated it:
This is a Rincewind Discworld book, set in the Counterweight Continent - the Discworld's equivalent of eastern Asia, particularly China and Japan. The empire is a harsh feudal aristocracy, with various factions vying for the emperor's position. The front-runner, the machiavellian Lord Hong, has crafted a fake revolution that he intends to use to seize the throne, and based it on Twoflower's book about his travels over the rest of the Disc. However, he doesn't count on having to deal with Rincewi
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May 08, 2011
Ahmed
rated it:
The edge of the world, dangling dangerously on top of a disappearing dragon, the Dungeon Dimensions.....Rincewind the Wizzard always seems to have an adventure waiting for him everywhere he goes. But just when it looks like he'll be living the rest of his days in a small and blissful island, he's chosen by Lady Luck, in a game of chess between the gods, as a pawn in what turns out to be a war of Discworld-ian proportions.
On the same side is a group of ancient barbarians - The Horde - More...
On the same side is a group of ancient barbarians - The Horde - More...
Nov 14, 2009
Jim
rated it:
Interesting Times is Terry Pratchett's take on China, which here he calls the Agatean Empire, with its capital at HungHung. At first I was taken aback because much of the action involved my least favorite Diskcworld characters, the undynamic Rincewind and Cohen the Barbarian. (I have always felt that Pratchett is more comfortable with the stews of Ankh-Morpork than in the outlying lands such as Klatch, Lancre, XXXX, Ephebe, and Howandaland.) But fortunately, the story picked up ... because Pratc
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Feb 08, 2012
Pedro
rated it:
El protagonista vuelve a ser Rincewind, el que inicia la saga. El imperio de Agatea pide a Ankh-Morpork su gran "echicero" y la universidad invisible decide enviar a Rincewind. En esta entrega descubrimos que el baúl con patas no es único y que el efecto mariposa es algo más de lo que pensábamos. ;)
Otro personaje que me encanta y es protagonista de esta historia es Cohen, un bárbaro ya mayorcito que con su "horda" de abueletes despacha ninjas y samurais como si de c More...
Otro personaje que me encanta y es protagonista de esta historia es Cohen, un bárbaro ya mayorcito que con su "horda" de abueletes despacha ninjas y samurais como si de c More...
Feb 09, 2011
Sarra
rated it: 
I can't believe I'm giving a Pratchett book only 2 stars, and wondering if that's not actually one star too many. This book overflows with sour notes. The gentle, sly mocking of an entire nation (something Pratchett is quite good at, usually) veers a little too close to hurtful stereotype at times. And why did he think that the frequent jokes about rape and sexual assault (mostly made by Cohen and his crew - Cohen admonishes their scholar to allow one of the men his "wishful thinking"
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Aug 15, 2010
Arlene
rated it:
Okay, I didn't actually read this. But having listened to the audiobook (read by the enterprising Nigel Planer) twice already and considering myself addicted to Mad Hamish's hilarious bouts of "WHUT?!!" I think I can safely put this under the "read" category.
The geriatric barbarians are, literally, a riot — especially their barbed observations regarding civilization.
Some notes:
* Working curse in the book: May you live in interesting times More...
The geriatric barbarians are, literally, a riot — especially their barbed observations regarding civilization.
Some notes:
* Working curse in the book: May you live in interesting times More...
Oct 13, 2011
M
rated it:
To live in interesting times is somewhat of a curse, but Rincewind is used to ill luck. No sooner is he saved from a desert island approached by beautiful women than he is pulled back to Unseen University and notified that he has been summoned to a continent resembling Asia. Barbarians, the Red Army and would be assassins abound as Rincewind pursues his primary motivation- running away. As fate would have it, however bad things may seem, events seem to come out of the woodwork to leave Rincewind
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Oct 02, 2010
Mjhancock
rated it:
After the usual series of unfortunate events, Rincewind is sent to the Counterweight Continent (which bears a certain similarity to the Oriental cultures) just in time for a "Great Wizzard" to arrive and lead a revolution. In terms of quality, I'd rate this as an average to pretty good in comparison to the rest of the Discworld series, and perhaps the best of the subset of books featuring Rincewind as the main character. It's got a good balance of humor, a fairly straightforward plo
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Feb 08, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
I mixed up the order on this book and The Last Continent, reading the later first. Oops. In Interesting Times Rincewind is back again and this time flung into the Agatean Empire, a thinly veiled parody of ancient China. Add in some aging barbarians (the only highlight of the book for me), the eponymous sapient pearwood trunk and the occasional wizard intervention.
I've said before that the Rincewind books are my least favorite and this book didn't change that attitude. I'd call the e More...
I've said before that the Rincewind books are my least favorite and this book didn't change that attitude. I'd call the e More...
Jul 09, 2011
Linda
rated it:
Rincewind is back and this time he's off the Counterweight continent which is apparently China with a bit of Japan thrown in.
Twoflower and the Luggage are back though both play minor parts. The big player is Cohen the Barbarian and his Silver Horde.
It's full of the typical Pratchett humor though Rincewind seems a bit grumpy in this installment. I'm less fond of the Rincewind stories but this introduces many new characters and new places. Hex looks like it is shaping up to get More...
Twoflower and the Luggage are back though both play minor parts. The big player is Cohen the Barbarian and his Silver Horde.
It's full of the typical Pratchett humor though Rincewind seems a bit grumpy in this installment. I'm less fond of the Rincewind stories but this introduces many new characters and new places. Hex looks like it is shaping up to get More...
Feb 06, 2012
Amanda
rated it:
I'd have rated this 4 stars (it has a better storyline than earlier Rincewind books + the characters are old men), but I found the rape jokes pretty tasteless. Maybe I'm overreacting, but yeah. Otherwise the last part of this one was actually pretty satisfying. I like the sentiment that Pratchett chose to go with here, ie. the whole thing about 7 old men vs 700000 soldiers (plus the East Asian perspective on the elderly); "They say, if they're so foolish and foolhardy... how did they manage
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Jan 15, 2012
Suzanne
rated it:
Heh. Good to see things come full circle for Twoflower after the events of The Colour of Magic. This time, we’re transported to the Agatean Empire, otherwise known as the Counterweight Continent, where revolution is afoot. Kinda. Sorta. A little bit. If it’s not too much trouble.
This get muddled as Cohen and his Silver Horde are added to the fray. There’s just something about a ninety-year-old barbarian that is rather amusing. Maybe it’s because they’re still being barbarians even now. Or p More...
This get muddled as Cohen and his Silver Horde are added to the fray. There’s just something about a ninety-year-old barbarian that is rather amusing. Maybe it’s because they’re still being barbarians even now. Or p More...
Nov 07, 2011
Zorena
rated it:
I had wondered when we'd see Rincewind and The Luggage again. While I find Rincewind a bit bland I can't say the same for his Luggage. Unfortunately we see little of our many legged sapient pear wood friend after he's done baiting sharks. It is kind of worth it though, when The Luggage makes an appearance close to the end that's full of surprises.
We do get to see a few other old friends and a host of new ones. The host being Cohen and his ancestor aged barbarians. Whut??? Can you t More...
We do get to see a few other old friends and a host of new ones. The host being Cohen and his ancestor aged barbarians. Whut??? Can you t More...
Dec 24, 2010
Jason
rated it:
"May you live in interesting times." This was a reread for me, I read it around 10 years ago. This one features my second favorite Pratchett character, Rincewind the wizard, Death being my favorite. This is a fun, fast paced, Pratchett book that is funny from start to finish. Cohen, TwoFlowers, and the Luggage are great and colorful side characters. East meets west, young and old, bright and inept, all come together in a farce of an adventure. I love Terry Pratchett, Rincewind, and a
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Oct 11, 2009
Cynthia
rated it:
This DiscWorld book plays off of what I see as my favorite "self-help" book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu. It is satire at its very finest...what more can I say! And this book has Rincewind and Luggage and TwoFlower is back! Here are some favorite quotes:
"According to the philosopher Ly Tin Wheedle, chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought. It always defeats order, because it is better organized."
"His policy was to find More...
"According to the philosopher Ly Tin Wheedle, chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought. It always defeats order, because it is better organized."
"His policy was to find More...
Apr 20, 2009
Nicolas
rated it:
Je n’aime pas dire du mal, mais Terry Pratchett n’écrit pas toujours des chefs-d’oeuvre de la littérature. Une fois posée cette évidence, force est de reconnaître que ce tome des Annales du Disque-Monde quoique très intéressant, n’est pas inoubliable. Non parce que les personnages n’y sont pas à la hauteur.
Avec Cohen le barbare(1) et Rincevent(2), le quota de personnages fascinants est atteint sans problème, d’autant plus que le méchant de l’histoire a un je-ne-sais-quoi de tout-à-fait dé More...
Avec Cohen le barbare(1) et Rincevent(2), le quota de personnages fascinants est atteint sans problème, d’autant plus que le méchant de l’histoire a un je-ne-sais-quoi de tout-à-fait dé More...
