Interesting Times: A Discworld Novel

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Harper Collins, Oct 13, 2009 - Fiction - 416 pages

“Discworld is more complicated and satisfactory than Oz . . . has the energy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the inventiveness of Alice in Wonderland . . . brilliant.” —A. S. Byatt

When war, magic, politics, and one deliciously inept wizard collide, zany mayhem ensues in this delightful satire in Sir Terry Pratchett’s internationally bestselling Discworld series.

To the fine denizens of Discworld, the phrase “May you live in interesting times” is a curse. No one wishes to hear those words, especially not Rincewind. The distinctly unmagical sorcerer has barely survived more than a few “interesting times” and he isn’t looking to experience any more. But when a request for a “Great Wizzard” arrives in Ankh-Morpork via carrier albatross from the faraway Counterweight Continent, Rincewind is named emissary.

The Agatean Empire’s current ruler is on the brink of downfall, and chaos is all but certain to arise in the wake. For some incomprehensible reason, someone believes Rincewind will have a mythic role in the war and the ensuing bloodletting. Cohen the Barbarian and his extremely elderly Silver Horde are already hard at work planning for the looting and pillaging.

Anyone can be a hero, but there’s only one Rincewind—and he believes he owes it to the world to keep that one alive for as long as possible.

The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Interesting Times is the fifth installment in the Wizards collection (and the 18th Discworld book). The other books in the Wizards collection include:

  • The Color of Magic
  • The Light Fantastic
  • Sourcery
  • Eric
  • The Last Continent
  • Unseen Academicals

From inside the book

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Page 14 - And therefore education at the University mostly worked by the age-old method of putting a lot of young people in the vicinity of a lot of books and hoping that something would pass from one to the other, while the actual young people put themselves in the vicinity of inns and taverns for exactly the same reason.
Page 38 - You know you're in trouble when you realize that the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train...
Page 202 - But there are causes worth dying for," said Butterfly. "No, there aren't! Because you've only got one life but you can pick up another five causes on any street corner!
Page 5 - Its outstanding feature is its ability to create weather. This presumably began as a survival trait, since even an extremely hungry bird would find itself inconvenienced by a nasty localized tornado...
Page 49 - They opened their meeting by singing revolutionary songs and, since disobedience to authority did not come easily to the Agatean character, these had titles like "Steady Progress And Limited Disobedience While Retaining Well -Formulated Good Manners.
Page 4 - Wheedle, chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought. It always defeats order, because it is better organized.
Page 335 - For a moment there was silence, broken only by the sound of the rain. "Y'know, lads," he said, in a voice so suddenly full of weariness that Mr.
Page 102 - Necessarily Extended Duration To The Red Army! Regrettable Decease Without Undue Suffering To The Forces Of Oppression!
Page 99 - On the other hand, right at the top of the list of things a citizen didn't do was get their head chopped off. "That's better. That's good. How did you know you ought to tremble?

About the author (2009)

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was the acclaimed creator of the globally revered Discworld series. In all, he authored more than fifty bestselling books, which have sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.

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