Since my post of sorts was published (it’s at the end of my Making Money write-up), I have seen a few defend it.
Horrible flabby monologues, a plot that just crawled and an overwhelming feeling of sadness that the Embuggerance had damaged such a bright brain.
It was the only Discworld novel not to get a full Pratchett Job exploration and that’s because the book was unreadable. Not a lot to add about this, unfortunately. Or decide to lead some sort of Twitter lynch-mob against me. I’ll try and include some of their defences of books I don’t like, or criticisms of those that I do. The reader reaction to this whole Pratchett Job thing has been a surprising joy, either on this site or via various conversations I have had with Discworld fans. I’ll also make a stab at justifying my choices and discussing what, if anything, has changed since I first read them. Until The Shepherd’s Crown is published in a few weeks, I am going to spend that time bending the Discworld into some sort of order. Finding someone you disagree with, and finding out why they found joy in something you didn’t is arguably even more rewarding. Finding someone you agree with, and talking through what you loved about something is fun. ‘ is better than ’ is at the heart of what we read, what we watch and what we listen to. I know there are high-falutin arguments about the subjectivity of art and how your opinion should be no more valid than anyone else’s because of the unique way each and every one of us sees the world etc etc etc.