Literature Saying goodbye
Picking up the book was like hearing that Terry Pratchett was dead all over again.
I was not a fan of the last coupe of novels, although on the re-read my appraisal of them went up. This book reminds me a lot of Raising Steam, in that the plot kinda just happens and the threat, while better threaded through the novel, also just sort of appears and is dealt with. There is no tension, but that isn't fatal, because what this book may lack in suspense it more than makes up for in heart. The theme is deep and well constructed and, well at one point I found myself muttering to myself "that glorious, wonderful and manipulative bastard".
That's the heart of it I guess. The reason I feel this book really works is that the theme, of death, new beginnings, stepping into the shoes of another, grieving and moving on, are all the more poignant because this is the last Discworld novel. Pterry has managed to turn his own departure into part of the magic of the book, a flair of art that is pure and bitter genius.
I don't mean to imply that the story isn't any cop. It is. Thew new characters are interesting, Nanny's subtle decent into grief and depression is wonderfully handled and moreover never directly addressed, because it is a natural reaction, rather than a plot point. All through the book we are shown moments like these, things that just are rather than things that are important, and they work.
Its not the best Discworld novel, its not the best Tiffany novel, but is is a wonderful, magical, beautiful and bittersweet send off for a titan of the art of storytelling. If you have ever been a fan, this book is one you should read.
Mind how you go Terry.
Literature The Epilogue
Terry Pratchetts last book is hard to read, not because it's bad - it's brilliant; but it's sad in a way I never expected
Terry Pratchett is my oldest and longest literary experience. Guards! Guards!! is one of the first books I truly loved. It's weird world that somehow felt like a truer version of our own.
I was soon scouring second hand bookshops to see if there were Discworld novels that I could afford with my pocket money. It was easy to find them too, there's no avoiding that Kirby discworld artwork which stuck out like a sore thumb amongst all the dull covers. Book by book I fell in love with every aspect of the world that I was shown. I saw Vimes from Guards Guards! put his life together and become someone amazing who changed and was changed by everything. That's part of the reason why the Night Watch stories have always been my favourite, because Vimes was someone who grew with me even as I stopped being a kid and I could now afford every Discworld book as they came out.
That's what makes The Shepherds Crown special as Terry Pratchett's last book too. It has Granny Weatherwax, the one character there since almost the beginning and who has never changed and never would change. Her bones are harder than mountains and this book is about her legacy and what she meant to the world. And it's also about Tiffany, who like me grew from a kid into an adult along with the Discworld and that makes her special to me in the same way Vimes is special to me.
I felt myself choking back as I read the beginning of this book and at some points I had to stop reading for a minute. The news of someones death feels unreal but it was when I was reading these pages that I realised just how much Terry Pratchett has meant to me. And the beginning of the book is an almost spookily perfect way to say goodbye to that and remember who he was. The writing is a perfect reminder of all that I have loved about the Discworld since I started reading and it's a brilliant tribute to it.
For those who didn't like Raising Steam, they might find some fault here too. There's almost zero tension anywhere in the story, but there doesn't need to be, it's a celebration of the past and a chance to know that the future is bright and good. The ending may be rushed, but it doesn't matter when the beginning is the perfect ending.
This is the epilogue.
Literature And the Turtle Moves On...
When all is said and done, this last Discworld book is a beautiful, poignant, and ultimately satisfying ending to the long-running fantasy series.
It's a book about endings, but it's also about new beginnings, about change and about new life and hope. And though we'll never get to read the future adventures on the Discworld, we know that they will happen, and our favorite characters aren't really gone at all — they're still there, and will be, as long as we remember and enjoy their stories.
My one major criticism of this book is also the one that I really have to forgive because I know the reason for it: It's much too short. There should have been more of it — more jokes, more characterizations, more funny asides, more quirky dialogue, more Nac Mac Feegle making nuisances of themselves, more of everything that made Pratchett's writing so special. But sadly, he ran out of time. And it's at times very clear that this book wasn't completely finished; several scenes feel extremely rushed, almost like outlines and summaries more than what belongs in a finished novel. As such, it feels like a bit of a "bare-bones" story, kinda like an adequately-cooked meal with no condiments; it's tasty enough on its own but you kinda wish there had been some salt or pepper or Wow-Wow Sauce, just to make it perfect.
Make no mistake, though: the story itself is very good. In fact, plot-wise this might be the best Tiffany Aching story. Everything comes together in a spectacular way and when the book ends, it's on a satisfying note. The major new character, Geoffrey — the boy who wants to be a witch — is very likeable and even if he's not the most memorable Discworld character out there, he's still a good addition to the roster and comes into his own in a very nice way. And a number of the old favorites are back (Magrat returns and gets a brilliant moment to be a leader of witches, and Nanny Ogg is still Nanny Ogg!), and some of them get unexpected developments.
Is it Pratchett's best? No. But it's still a great read, and if some segments seem rushed, there are still a lot of them that shines with truly great writing and creative turns of phrases. It's a book that in the end you are happy to have read. And you can't say fairer than that.