the remedy

[Margot]

If you get bogged down in 900 page fantasy novels that take themselves too seriously, it's time for a dose of Terry Pratchett.

He's good for what ails ya.

[Megan]

I hear you, there! My favorite Pratchett's are the Witch series and the Vimes books. How about you?

And have you read the new one, yet? "Making Money?"

[Rindis]

I've read a few Pratchett books, and was distinctly unimpressed. They were... amusing enough, but just not... funny. As in, yes, they were humorous, but the jokes just didn't tickle me.

Personally, I prefer the Myth Adventure series, Hitchhiker's Guide and Illegal Aliens. Now those make me laugh. (Though the first has the unfair advantage of Phil Foglio's illustrations.)

[Margot]

Love the witches and the Night Watch books. Carrot makes me laugh.

And sadly, I haven't read the new one yet. Must!

[Sarah]

I adore Carrot! This summer I started reading the Night Watch series because my husband has spoken so highly of them. I'm currently reading Feet of Clay.

[Megan]

The biggest problem with Pratchett books is that they lack an ending. He does well with certain characters -- Sam Vimes and Granny Weatherwax, for two -- and he can keep the pace going along at a nice clip, but when it comes to the ending, he backs away, circles around it, and then tells you how it happened without actually showing it happening.

They're all let-downs in that respect, but I still enjoy reading them. They're light, they're quick, and for me, they're like literary popcorn.

As for the Myth books ... they were wonderful fun, until he hit his writer's block, and everything after that just hasn't compared. I highly recommend them (and am about to go and put them on my 'shelves') to anyone who likes satires and the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby movies.

And while I'm glad he's over his writer's block, the new ones just aren't that good.

Hitchhikers ... again, how could I have forgotten them? But, like with Aspirin, they're not really in the same category as Pratchett.

And, another opinionated comment ... I don't mind Carrot (though I think he was best in the first book) but I really grew to like Sam Vimes and Vetinari. Jingo was one of my favorites, but Nightwatch itself is among the best written of the Pratchett books, IMO.)