Advantages: Great story, wonderful characters, clever and witty Disadvantages: Only a cameo from Death in this one
...through another Pratchett phase at the moment. I have read three of his novels over the past month or so and the enthusiasm is still there. In fact, I have Equal Rites out already to read next. I finished The Light Fantastic yesterday, about the same time as I began not being able to look at chocolate without feeling sick. I needed to forget about Christmas, to restore some semblance of normality into a house strewn with strange glittery purple things, ... ...over the whole dining room.
Unfortunately, normality for Pratchett involves wizards, ageing heroes, talking trees, walking trolls and a big treasure chest with lots of legs. Perhaps it’s best to read this with a large Baileys for good measure. Well, that was my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
The Light Fantastic is Pratchett’s second Discworld novel and follows on from The Colour of Magic, so I suggest you read these two in the ...
KarenUK 28.12.2002
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Advantages: Quirky, detailed, and very funny Disadvantages: Might be a bit too deep for some people
...little more free time in the evenings, that I'm finally getting chance to get reading again. I've already covered two books in the last month or so (believe me, that's a lot for me!), but before then, I was having trouble squeezing out one in a couple of months! But squash one into my hectic schedule I did, and what other could it be than a Discworld novel? Besides, it was before and after my exams – I needed a little merriment!
- Drop off, ... ...is the second in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books. There's a more extensive introduction to the Discworld in the 'The Colour Of Magic' opinion, if that's what your after, but I'm not about to repeat myself every time I write an opinion on the subject! Which, given my current experience of Discworld, and the amount of books left on my shelf, will be worryingly often.
'The Light Fantastic' is something of a sequel to the original Discworld ...
Excelle 11.08.2001
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Advantages: It won't change your life but at least you'll have a damn good laugh, Better plotted than book one Disadvantages: Need to read book one to get the most from it, Not the best in the series (and I've only read five so far)
Having set myself the challenge of reading and reviewing every one of the thirty or so discworld novels, I am now proud to announce that, after much time, effort and several really deep paper cuts, I have finally reached ... (drum roll please) ... book two. Er ... sorry about that but it's just that I've been a bit busy on the playstation 2 of an evening recently although, thanks to the delights of public transport, I have been able to keep up with ... ...currently reading book five in the series but as far as reviewing is concerned I seem to be lagging behind somewhat. But you don't care about that do you? You'll be wanting to know why you should be reading the book I'm reviewing. Well, I'm about to tell you. 'The Light Fantastic' is Terry Pratchetts' second book in the rather successful and extremely humorous discworld series. Whereas most of the books in this series appear to be stand alone stories, ...
Nomad1970 23.10.2003
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Advantages: Funny | Multi-layered | Ultimate in Re-readability Disadvantages: Not As Good As I Expected
...honest what drew me to the very first Discworld book I ever read was the cover, and this is probably what would catch any new-comer to the series' eye. Bold and exciting with plenty of cartoon characterisations of, well the characters and story held within. I could hardly wait to read the story and must admit I sat in the library for a good couple of hours as I found myself hooked after the first couple of pages. The funny thing is that this book ... ...I hadn't even bothered about the first two books. But just recently I decided to "bite the bullet" and buy my very own copies of all the Discworld books (not all at once I'm not that rich), and began with the foresaid first two.
The first in the series (The Colour of magic) was quite good, although nowhere nearly as good as the later books, and The Light Fantastic is the second, and very unusually is actually a sequel to the first. As such it doesn't ...
sandemp 28.06.2005
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Advantages: Such an addictive read Disadvantages: You can't put it down
...fabulous author this guy is. The Light Fantastic is the second book in the discworld series,second to The Colour Of Magic. Terry Pratchett's writing style is like no other, he is purely and simply a literary genius and if I was given one last book to read before I died I would choose a Discworld novel. He plays with words like Beckham plays with his balls, style, grace, and superior acuracy (pardon the pun!) Although sometimes you feel like you have ... ...it always makes sense in the end so don't worry. You have to just persivere sometimes and the story will become crystal clear, and you get used to his way quickly. Then he has you in the palm of his hand and you become a prisoner to a book that you just can't seem to put down. Anyway onwards with the review at hand.
The Story
*****************************************************
As all of the Discworld novels this one starts out in the same way, ...
KRISPY13 31.05.2004
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The Light Fantastic is the second novel in Terry Pratchett's enormously successful Discworld series. It is also the only 'sequel' in the entire series pretty much continuing on from where the last left off although I can't really say why without ruining the ending of the previous novel 'The Colour Of Magic'(see my previous review on that novel).
Do I need to explain about the Discworld? Probably so here goes again...
The Discworld is a large flat ... ...themseles standin gon top of the giant turtle A'tuin who is flying through space on an age old quest to...well probably to self destruct. The world itself was apparently inspired by a table of all things which the author saw in India and is probably the most bizarre you are ever liely to come across. The Discworld is a world populated by wizard's, elves, vampires...you name it, it lives here and is a world in which all of the natural laws of this ...
wampyrii 22.11.2001
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Advantages: another good discworld book, finishes the first story Disadvantages: none
...i did a review of the first book and thought i would carry on now with the sequel to the first, well it makes sense to go 1st to last :P
THE STORY CONTINUES:
In the last book we saw an untiming event happen to our dear fellow RINCEWIND, but luckly in this book he is back and now he muct save the discworld from the red star (believe me it gets more confusing unless you read the book). Now it seems every race on the discworld is trying to keep the ... ...it is alot better then the first book.
CHARACTERS:
Well in this book their are some other rather important characters we come across like my all time fave DEATH :D
DEATH:
Death is the discwords grim reaper and one of the most funniest characters you will come across his dry wit humour and his lack of understanding for humans is so funny.
COHEN THE BARBARIAN:
An aging hero who still has brute strentgh and fast movement, even if he does have ...
grimworld 12.08.2005
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Advantages: Well written, better than previous book. Disadvantages: Well... it helps if you've read the other books in the series. But that's not really a biggie.
"The Light Fantastic" is the sequel to Terry Pratchett's first Discworld novel, "The Colour of Magic." At the end of "The Colour of Magic", Rincewind, a hopelessly inept wizard was left falling off the edge of the Disc. To his surprise, he's very much alive in the next book. This book. It turns out that the Octavo (a book that the Creator left behind) was quite anxious not to lost the eighth Great Spell. Which was residing in Rincewind's head, hence ... ...University summon Death using the Rite of Ashkente, who tells them that if all the eight spells aren't said next Hogswatchnight, the Disc will be destroyed. Wizards, although when the possibility of promotion for someone below them arises, drop like flies, don't especially like dying. Hence the rush to find Rincewind. Meanwhile, Rincewind is in the Forest of Skund where a tree seems quite happy to talk to him and a gnome is showing him around a candy ...
sy2kgbr 12.08.2000
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Advantages: Very funny and enjoyable Disadvantages: Different from the later Discworld books
This is the second book in the Discworld series and so it carries on from where The Colour of Magic finishes. It is about the continuing adventures of an incompetent wizard called Rincewind, who has NEVER successfully cast a spell, and the naïve tourist Twoflower, who is almost terminally trusting. Twoflower still has the Luggage (a vicious chest on legs that is probably the reason that Twoflower and Rincewind are not dead). They were last seen plunging ... ...Rincewind has one of the eight great spells in his head and The Octavo (the Creators spell book that contains them) is not about to let Rincewind die, as the spell will escape. So instead of plummeting to his death over the edge of the world he finds himself hanging upside-down in a talking pine tree. The senior wizards of the Unseen University have no idea what is causing the strange events, demons are unhelpful and even crystal balls are clouding ...
Azurel 10.04.2002
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Advantages: This is more like it - I'm starting to see the reasons I love the Discworld novels starting to appear... Disadvantages: Though better than 'The Colour of Magic', this is still essentially a protoype for later, better books.
'The Light Fantastic' picks up the literal cliffhanger at the end of 'The Colour of Magic' and runs with it. Rincewind has just dropped off the edge of Discworld, a flat planet drifting through space on the backs of four giant elephants, which in turn stand on a gargantuan turtle called Great A'tuin. The tourist he was guiding, Twoflower, has also dropped off the planet, more sensibly in a proto-spacecraft. Things don't look good.
The second of ... ...the magic Pratchett can conjure. Where 'the Colour of magic' was really four short stories, here we have a full novel. The longer narrative gives the author more chance to display his customary wit, and you'll laugh out loud a good deal more here than with the first book. As to the plot - the Discworld, or rather the turtle that carries it, seems determined to collide with a malevolent red star, and it's up to our favourite wizard, accompanied by ...
RichardW 09.12.2000
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Advantages: very funny Disadvantages: TP still learning
The 2nd discworld novel starts where the colour of magic left off with Rincewind, Twoflower and the luggage tumbling off the edge. They are saved by magic, or shall we call it a corny plot device, to allow the adventure to continue. We find out why rincewind can't remember any spells, meet Cohen the barbarian and find out more about wizardry - oh and Rincewind saves the world.
In terms of story this is a big leap forward from the 1st book in that ...
brownp1 18.12.2000
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This is the second novel in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett (Corgi ISBN 0-522-12848-1) and is a must read for anyone who hates fantasy or anyone who loves it.
Rincewind, a failed wizard from the Unseen University, and Twoflower, the Disc's first tourist, currently falling off the edge of the Discworld, are charged with having to save their strange planet from the on coming "red star" that approaches their part of the universe that they inhabit.
... ...still chuckle when I remember the analogy with the chameleon and the confetti....buy the book if you want to find out why.
Compared to his first offering, Pratchett's The Light Fantastic for me produced more laughs, which I didn't think was possible, but any author who combines Pythonesque humour with Lord of the Rings style storytelling is guaranteed a laugh every few pages or so. Try it and see..... ...
MikeScoates 05.09.2000
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Advantages: Very funny, like the rest. Disadvantages: Very much like the first book. Comparitively speaking.
...to yourself as you read the Title.
Well, hear me out... I have read all the Discworld novels and thoroughly enjoyed them all, including this one.
The funny thing is, I can remember quite vividly the storyline, characters, twists on other literature in every other book in the series, except this one. When I try to remember the plot of the Light Fantastic, its always intermingled with subplots of other books - I can't quite get the story right until ... ...sequel if you will. Whereas, the other books in the series can be considered as self-contained - each has its own discreet subject it focuses on, which is often varied.
I would recommend this book, but I would encourage any new reader to the series to either start from The Colour of Magic and read the series in order, or pick another book for an insular sampling of Pratchett's work. ...
simonsta 11.02.2001
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Advantages: a nice follow-up to The Colour of Magic Disadvantages: still not as good as the later ones
This is the second in the Discworld series and is not much better than the first when you compare it to later books. This book follows directly on from The Colour of Magic as it picks up the story of Rincewind and Twoflower where we previously left off. We follow the duo around meeting up with famous characters like Cohen the barbarian, unwittingly saving the world and generally causing chaos, mayhem and destruction. Although this isn’t the best ...
TimothyC 17.07.2000
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Advantages: what can I say hillarious, cleverly written Disadvantages: none
...I thought i'd quote from the book! This I believe the second in a seies of hillariously clever novels based on the 'disc-world'.
In this enthralling episode, so to speak the young and somewhat inept and cowardly wizard has to leave the safety of the 'unseen university' to save the disc world from a seemingly inevitable collision of a malevolent red star.
This and all others in the series are rib ticklingly funny and definately well worth a go - ...
leah 26.06.2000
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