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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
2nd terry Pratchett book I've read this summer. Definitely recommend this author.
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quirky sense of humor and the story is an interesting approach for examining some philosophical/metaphysical/existential questions.
Mau is on the "Boy's Island" - about to become a Man - when his whole Nation on the home island in the South Pacific - in a parallel universe - is wiped out by a tsunami. The same lethal wave also sweeps the vessel "Sweet Judy" to shore and into the jungle, leaving a sole survivor. Well, two, if you count the parrot. So a young foreign girl and a devasted native boy must try to make a living together. It does not take long before survivors from other islands begin to trickle in. They all fear the same thing: that the Raiders will follow their trail and hit.
This is a very unusual Pratchett read. He is legendary dry wit appears here too, with the more unfamiliar elements of horror and tenderness. It's a book to make you gasp, laugh and cry - in turns and sometimes all reactions together. It's a stunning piece of imagination and the most unusual coming-of-age story I have ever read. It's not about having all the answers, but to never run out of questions. We are all children, playing with pebbles on the beach before a sea of unknown - as Newton put it.
This is a very unusual Pratchett read. He is legendary dry wit appears here too, with the more unfamiliar elements of horror and tenderness. It's a book to make you gasp, laugh and cry - in turns and sometimes all reactions together. It's a stunning piece of imagination and the most unusual coming-of-age story I have ever read. It's not about having all the answers, but to never run out of questions. We are all children, playing with pebbles on the beach before a sea of unknown - as Newton put it.
"Nation" is my choice for my group's book discussion. I can hardly wait to talk about it with friends. Terry Pratchett tells a wonderful tale, with disasters, death, survival, pirates and scientific discovery.
With a style that goes down like smooth whisky, he presents an alternate path for humanity.
When the wave destroys everything that Mau has known, this young man finds the strength to go forward, at first alone, and then with a growing number of companions. He must question everything his culture has taught him and test himself to survive and pull others along with him. Without being too grim, although there are serious and gross passages, we are given a story of hope and promise. Of course there is plenty of Pratchett's humor thrown in for leavening. As much as I love Mau, it is Daphne who is my favorite character. She represents the best of western culture, with a mind and heart that is a match for Mau.
With a style that goes down like smooth whisky, he presents an alternate path for humanity.
When the wave destroys everything that Mau has known, this young man finds the strength to go forward, at first alone, and then with a growing number of companions. He must question everything his culture has taught him and test himself to survive and pull others along with him. Without being too grim, although there are serious and gross passages, we are given a story of hope and promise. Of course there is plenty of Pratchett's humor thrown in for leavening. As much as I love Mau, it is Daphne who is my favorite character. She represents the best of western culture, with a mind and heart that is a match for Mau.
I re-read this for my next shmoop module and enjoyed it more than I did last time, when I was under Library Pressure to finish it in a certain amount of time. That always makes me nervous. Reading performance anxiety. I found Daphne a lot funnier this time around, which gave the narrative some much-needed levity.
This makes for a great 'coming of age' book. Loved it so much!
"Waves happened, people died, and the gods did not care."
Meet Mau and "Daphne". Both victims of a tsunami. The book doesn't actually open with them, it instead opens in what I think is England and the whole opening leaves me with a very disjointed feeling. I had a lot of trouble getting into this book, but as usual Terry Pratchett did not disappoint. Mau was such a wonderfully intricate character and he was fascinating to read. What would you do if your entire world was washed away in a wave?
Mau thought himself to be the only survivor of The Nation. Daphne thinks herself to be the only survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy. The two at first have a strange relationship as Mau is hearing voices in his head and thinks Daphne is nothing more than a ghost and refers to her as the Ghost Girl. The voices Mau is hearing are supposedly that of The Grandfathers, his dead ancestors.
"Who'd want a pony when you could have the whole Universe?"
Ermintrude/Daphne is a girl who doesn't quite fit into the proper lady box her Grandmother tried to force her into. She questions the world around her and doesn't care that she is 138th in line to be on the throne. She was the character I had the most fun with... until she started hearing voices too. I could understand Mau hearing voices of what he believed to be his ancestors. He had just had to put to rest all of the bodies of everyone he had ever known. Daphne though? It seemed a bit extreme. I like fantasy and I can suspend disbelief but something about the Grandmothers talking to her just made me raise my eyebrow. I like who Daphne showed herself to be by the end of book.
"And Sometimes you laugh because you're alive, when you really shouldn't be."
I was originally only going to give this book three stars because of how long it took me to get through. It couldn't hold my interest. But those last 100 pages? Had me up all night. As survivors of the surrounding islands start to show up things being to get interesting as The Nation reforms itself and Daphne and Mau discover their roles in this new society they created. I found myself once again caught up in Terry Pratchett's wonderful world building wondering why I ever though this was a silly book. This was a wonderful book! I highly recommend it.
"Somewhere out there, flying to him from the edge of the world, was tomorrow."
Meet Mau and "Daphne". Both victims of a tsunami. The book doesn't actually open with them, it instead opens in what I think is England and the whole opening leaves me with a very disjointed feeling. I had a lot of trouble getting into this book, but as usual Terry Pratchett did not disappoint. Mau was such a wonderfully intricate character and he was fascinating to read. What would you do if your entire world was washed away in a wave?
Mau thought himself to be the only survivor of The Nation. Daphne thinks herself to be the only survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy. The two at first have a strange relationship as Mau is hearing voices in his head and thinks Daphne is nothing more than a ghost and refers to her as the Ghost Girl. The voices Mau is hearing are supposedly that of The Grandfathers, his dead ancestors.
"Who'd want a pony when you could have the whole Universe?"
Ermintrude/Daphne is a girl who doesn't quite fit into the proper lady box her Grandmother tried to force her into. She questions the world around her and doesn't care that she is 138th in line to be on the throne. She was the character I had the most fun with... until she started hearing voices too. I could understand Mau hearing voices of what he believed to be his ancestors. He had just had to put to rest all of the bodies of everyone he had ever known. Daphne though? It seemed a bit extreme. I like fantasy and I can suspend disbelief but something about the Grandmothers talking to her just made me raise my eyebrow. I like who Daphne showed herself to be by the end of book.
"And Sometimes you laugh because you're alive, when you really shouldn't be."
I was originally only going to give this book three stars because of how long it took me to get through. It couldn't hold my interest. But those last 100 pages? Had me up all night. As survivors of the surrounding islands start to show up things being to get interesting as The Nation reforms itself and Daphne and Mau discover their roles in this new society they created. I found myself once again caught up in Terry Pratchett's wonderful world building wondering why I ever though this was a silly book. This was a wonderful book! I highly recommend it.
"Somewhere out there, flying to him from the edge of the world, was tomorrow."
Surprisingly for a Terry book, it took me a while to get going with the story. It is a good read and clearly the author is looking at what life means to us all. Aimed at children young & old but makes you think about creation and industrialisation.
Dear Terry Pratchett,
It is entirely unfair that every book of yours I read increases my estimation for you. At some point, you will no longer be able to live up to my expectations, and on that day I am probably going to cry.
Sincerely, Cait, who is *EDIT* thinking about getting got a hermit crab tattoo.
I kind of don't want to talk about the plot, because: "Native boy and English girl survive tsunami, build empire of survivors and create a nation of science!" does not convey how awesome it all is.
Guys, this book is fantastic. It's about coming-of-age, religion, science, culture, exploration, tsunamis, the South Pacific, mysterious powers behind the throne, and also (and if you needed an also, I am going to point out that you and I might not be able to be friends anymore) there are tree climbing octopodes. )
Listened to the audiobook May 19, and this book is still fantastic. (The footnotes are awkward in audio, but otherwise, no complaints.)
Seriously, what more can you ask?
It is entirely unfair that every book of yours I read increases my estimation for you. At some point, you will no longer be able to live up to my expectations, and on that day I am probably going to cry.
Sincerely, Cait, who is *EDIT*
I kind of don't want to talk about the plot, because: "Native boy and English girl survive tsunami, build empire of survivors and create a nation of science!" does not convey how awesome it all is.
Guys, this book is fantastic. It's about coming-of-age, religion, science, culture, exploration, tsunamis, the South Pacific, mysterious powers behind the throne, and also (and if you needed an also, I am going to point out that you and I might not be able to be friends anymore) there are tree climbing octopodes. )
Listened to the audiobook May 19, and this book is still fantastic. (The footnotes are awkward in audio, but otherwise, no complaints.)
Seriously, what more can you ask?