New Discworld Companion
- Thread starter Who's Wee Dug
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Wow! That's a great deal, raisin. If I wanted to order it in one of the only remaining bookshops here, it would set me back A$ 70 (US $50 or 37 Pounds), which I think is way too much.On Amazon/Book Depository it'a $50 (US $35 or 26 Pounds). On Booktopia, it's even less - $27 (i.e. (US $19 or 15 Pounds).
Someone was trying to pull the wool over my eyes, I think ...
Rath - the new companion has arrived here, and although I've not read through it as yet, the internal illustrations are all by Paul Kidby (Stephen Briggs's ones are not there), and I expect a few of them are new, but most are probably from earlier sources.
The book is pretty much just the A-Z of entries - there's no extra material at the back (as per the very first printing of the Discworld Companion), although there are introductions from Stephen Briggs and Paul Kidby.
Given that the previous edition (Turtle Recall) came out before the final few Discworld books were published, there's definitely going to be new entries related to those books and spin-offs that came out afterwards. Briggs's introduction also says that he's tried to add back in some earlier entries that got cut from revised editions as well.
The book is pretty much just the A-Z of entries - there's no extra material at the back (as per the very first printing of the Discworld Companion), although there are introductions from Stephen Briggs and Paul Kidby.
Given that the previous edition (Turtle Recall) came out before the final few Discworld books were published, there's definitely going to be new entries related to those books and spin-offs that came out afterwards. Briggs's introduction also says that he's tried to add back in some earlier entries that got cut from revised editions as well.
Rath this was the text in full at the top of the screen above the picture.
Well, I weakened and bought one I thought it would be larger in size length and width wise, 424 pages but small print, lots of little pictures of artwork heading the entries, some never been in print before after a quick look through looks to be comprehensive. £16.99 from Amazon UK £25.00 full list price.
Well, I weakened and bought one I thought it would be larger in size length and width wise, 424 pages but small print, lots of little pictures of artwork heading the entries, some never been in print before after a quick look through looks to be comprehensive. £16.99 from Amazon UK £25.00 full list price.
Sorry, Molokov - what do you mean by "arrived here"? Do you mean you've got your copy, or that shops in Adelaide now stock it? None of the bookshops in Melbourne (that I've seen) will have it until February.
If you don't mind me asking, where did you get it? How much was it? Just wondering.
None of the bookshops in Melbourne (that I've seen) will have it until February. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get it? How much was it? Just wondering.
I just got it the other day and my reaction is...mixed. I like the addition of new Kidby drawings, and many of the "new entries" since the last version I have (the one from the late 90s) are pretty good. But for some reason, Briggs feel a new to insert himself into many of the entries in a way that Pterry never did. For example, for the entry on the visiting Professor with the many titles in Unseen Academics (forgot his name), Briggs inserts a line about how taxing it was for him to have to read that long name three times on the audiobook version. I found this completely unnecessary. And maybe because I'm on several FB Discworld groups where the worship of Pterry gets to a level that's often unbearable, but I didn't see any need for Briggs to include Pterry himself as an entry. Everyone who buys this book already knows who Pterry was. There's no need to deify him in a book that's supposed to illustrate Pterry's inventiveness. But that's just my 0.02.
Professor Bengo Macarona (parody of Diego Maradona). But I agree with you: it would be taxing, but that's part of the job. There are good and not-so-good aspects to any job.
That does sound odd. As you say, no-one who buys this book would have never heard of Pterry. (If they are, why are they buying this book? Put it down and buy Pride and Prejudice instead).
But I agree with you: it would be taxing, but that's part of the job. There are good and not-so-good aspects to any job.That does sound odd. As you say, no-one who buys this book would have never heard of Pterry. (If they are, why are they buying this book? Put it down and buy Pride and Prejudice instead).
The more I get into this, the more sloppy editing and egotism and irrelevancy I see on Briggs's part. For example, after making a big deal about adding entries back into it the Companion that were left out of earlier version, he has to use the entry of Aktar to point out this this is the first character to be brought back into it. Who cares? Also, with many of the new entries he doesn't use the ALLCAPS cross references to other entries that were used in other books. Nearly six page are unnecessarily devoted to the post office. Three pages are unnecessarily devoted to the Way of Mrs. Cosmpolite. Nearly two and a half pages are unnecessarily devoted to Roderick Purdeigh. I get the feeling that in many cases Briggs wanted to show off the stuff that he wrote (or co-wrote) in the non-novel books. In some entries about people who died in the books he uses the past tense to describe them while for others who died he uses the presence tense and never alludes to their demise. I mean, the man had six years to do this right, and what's here is really a mishmash. The earlier version I have from the late 90's was much leaner and succint and consistent.
Likes:
Tonyblack
Hmm ... the Post Office and the Way of Mrs Cosmopolite get their own many pages in the Diaries. Maybe Stephen was drawing on these?
As for Roderick Purdeigh -- we know almost nothing about him (except that he's a neo-Victorian explorer), so a bit of backstory sounds interesting.
I agree, using the past and present tenses for characters who die in the books sounds sloppy.
Which earlier (late 90s) edition are you referring to, raisindot? *curious* Do you mean "The Discworld Companion" (1994, 1997)?
As for Roderick Purdeigh -- we know almost nothing about him (except that he's a neo-Victorian explorer), so a bit of backstory sounds interesting.
I agree, using the past and present tenses for characters who die in the books sounds sloppy.
Which earlier (late 90s) edition are you referring to, raisindot? *curious* Do you mean "The Discworld Companion" (1994, 1997)?
I know he was drawing on the diaries, but why so much? The Diaries are quite available now in reprints. No need to use so much from them. Mrs. Cosmopolite literally appeared in one book.
And why mention Purdeigh at all? I don't even remember where he was mentioned in a book and if he was it was just a reference. He's not important to the canon. But a lot of ink is devoted to him the Discworld Atlas. That's fine, because it's supplemental. But why include so much supplemental stuff that Pterry himself probably didn't write?
My early companion is the one written in 1997.
And why mention Purdeigh at all? I don't even remember where he was mentioned in a book and if he was it was just a reference. He's not important to the canon. But a lot of ink is devoted to him the Discworld Atlas. That's fine, because it's supplemental. But why include so much supplemental stuff that Pterry himself probably didn't write?
My early companion is the one written in 1997.
Mrs Cosmopolite appears in Moving Pictures, and in Lu Tze's memory in Thief of Time (and of course, we hear a lot more about her "Way" in that book).
Roderick Purdeigh was introduced in The Discworld Mapp, and presumably further expanded on for the Atlas. Although, as Raisindot says, they are supplemental and likely not written directly by Terry, but by Stephen Briggs and the Discworld Emporium team (with Terry's approval, of course).
Roderick Purdeigh was introduced in The Discworld Mapp, and presumably further expanded on for the Atlas. Although, as Raisindot says, they are supplemental and likely not written directly by Terry, but by Stephen Briggs and the Discworld Emporium team (with Terry's approval, of course).
Thank you for the correction about Mrs. Cosmopolite. But my point about Purdleigh stands. He wasn't a major Discworld novel character, so why give him so much space? Again, I think this is because Briggs wanted to put so much of his own writing in these things. Put it this way: In the 1997 edition, he merits one paragraph, and the reference is to the Map, not a novel. In the new version he gets two a half pages. Again, I think this is because of Briggs' ego. He wanted to get more "credit" for ideas he either made up or expanded on in the side works. Stuff that was not in the no vels.