Yes, my review section is slowly filling up with Pratchett books. That should say something of my opinion of his work by itself. Moving Pictures is, like most of his novels, a Discworld book, set on a fantasy world that moves through the universe carried by four elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle. Once you've got in the right frame of mind to accept the absurdity of the setting, you're ready for the story.
Pratchett's stories are comedies, though this doesn't mean the plot or characters fall short in any way. You get a good story with a lot of jokes along to way. Some of the jokes are bad puns, others are clever ideas and the majority just look at the world we're used to in a slightly scewed way. I know his style isn't to everyone's tastes, but I think everyone should at least try one of his books. Moving Pictures is a good one to start with because although some of the characters have turned up in earlier books, this one works as a stand-alone.
~~~
The Plot ~~~ The alchemists in Ankh-Morpork discover away to make movies. Lots of people are caught up in the craze, rushing off to nearby Holy Wood where the light is perfect for filming. Student wizard Victor and former milkmaid Ginger are two of those who get signed up as actors, becoming an instant sucess. But it's not just humans that are involved. Gaspode the Wonder Dog was given the ability to speak and to think like a human.
But as the films are being shown and Holy Wood is getting more sucessful, a sinister secret is beneath it all. Unless Victor, Ginger and Gaspode can work out what's under Holy Wood hill, it could be the end of the world.
~~~ The World ~~~ The Discworld series is set on a flat, circular world that rides through the universe on the back of four elephants who are standing on a giant turtle. This is largely irrelevant to this story. All that is necessary to know about the background of the world is that it is one of fantasy, where magic is possible.
Large parts of the story take place in Ankh-Morpork. This is the largest (and smelliest) city on the Disc. It's population is mostly human, but with plenty of trolls, dwarves, undead and other minority groups. This is the home of many guilds, including the alchemists, and the Unseen University, the major college of magic.
~~~ The Characters ~~~ Dibbler: He turns up frequently in many of Discworld books, usually selling sausages unless he can cash in on the latest craze. He always comes up with a scheme to make himself amazingly rich. And always fails. A humorous character that just pokes fun at businesses and the way there is always someone willing to make money out of any situation.
Victor: The laziest man in the world. He's so lazy that he puts enormous amounts of effort into doing less work. I don't think Victor is one of the best characters Pratchett's created, which might explain why he's only ever turned up in the one book.
Ginger: She's determined to be the greatest film star ever. She doesn't exactaly have much prior competition. Some of the interactions between her and Victor are good, but again I can see why this is her only appearence.
Gaspode the Wonder Dog: A brilliant creation. Gaspode is a dog who is enabled to talk by the magic surrounding Holy Wood. Unfortunately, only Victor can hear him. Gaspode is torn between being fiercely independent and wanting to have master and a good home. Frequently he is more sensible than the humans, and he ends up as an agent for Laddie, the dog hired to star in the films.
There are also several other characters in this book, some of whom are seen in the other books in the series. This book contains the first appearence of Ponder Stibbons and some of the wizards who become main characters in later stories.
One of the things I think makes Pratchett's books so great are the characters. He writes people who are varied and believable. Many are slightly exagerated versions of people you might meet in everyday life. He just puts them into utterly absurd and unbelievable situations, which creates some great humour. Stories are always better if you can believe in the people they're about.
~~~ Overall ~~~ This isn't my favourite of the Discworld series, but it's still an enjoyable read. Film fanatics might like it because it's full of movie references. There are jokes made about King Kong, Gone with the Wind, even Tom and Jerry.
It's a good one for people who haven't read any Discworld before, because it doesn't expect any prior knowledge of the world. It contains Pratchett's usual style of humour, though I don't think it comes anywhere close to being as good as some of his later work.
I would recommend to everyone to at least try some of the Discworld books, and Moving Pictures is a good one to try at first, but I prefer Small Gods and Pyramids, which are also standalones.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: film jokes, atrocious puns, great characters, a serious message. Disadvantages: atrocious puns. Some of the jokes will be lost on the non-movie fans
Advantages: Uses everyday situations and objects in a very abstract and humourous way Disadvantages: Need to read other Pratchett books to understand where author is coming from
Apr 7th, 2006
very helpful by (96%):
helpful by (4%):
