Discworld #10 – Moving Pictures

Synopsis: From a crack in reality, an Idea sneaks into Ankh-Morpork. One that is Ahead Of Its Time, and takes up residence in the… Holy Wood. And on its heels comes the hungry denizens of the Dungeon Dimensions.

Particles of raw inspiration sleet through the universe all the time. Every once in a while, once of them hits a receptive mind, which then invents DNA or the flute sonata or a way of making light bulbs wear out in half the time. […] Some people are even more unfortunate. They get them all.

Terry Pratchett, Wyrd Sisters

Moving Pictures is one of the rare times I’ve disliked a Pratchett book. (The next one, Reaper Man, is also not the greatest.) These are examples of books where the philosopher and the writer in Pratchett clash horribly, resulting in a lot of confusing prose.

It’s as if all the famous Pratchett Particles of inspiration hit him at the same time, and he had to try and write everything down together and make it make sense.

It’s a game effort – the plot itself being rather original while expertly parodying Hollywood, celebrity culture and the movie industries in general.

The famous Fire during the Civil War had been noteworthy simply because it was started by both sides at the same time in order to stop the city falling into enemy hands.

This is what we get when Pratchett wants a go at Gone With The Wind (and the American Civil War)

Humour is threaded through the book as usual, although what I found more interesting were the amusingly random characters thrown together in Moving Pictures.

Victor, a student wizard from Unseen University, always scores exactly between 80 and 88 on his exams. This way, he can continue to benefit from a scholarship left to him by his uncle (possibly forever.) Ginger is a former milkmaid, and doesn’t really relish the prospect of going back to it. They find themselves answering the call of the Holy Wood, becoming the Disc’s first superstars.

Victor and Ginger aren’t the most interesting characters, but they’re joined by ‘Throat’ Dibbler, Gaspode the talking dog, newly minted Archchancellor Ridcully, Ancient Runes, the Bursaaaar, the Librarian and many other familiar faces from the Discworld universe.

All of them have great comic scenes that are individually enjoyable, but put together, the effect is… exhausting.

There’s too much happening in Moving Pictures. Too many jokes. Too many references. Too many subplots. To be fair, there’s always too much happening in Terry Pratchett novels, and when the subject matter isn’t as confusing, the effect is pretty great. Here, it’s just hard to keep track.

Ultimately, it gives you a convoluted book that you’re likely to forget about as soon as you’re done reading.

Next: The Stormlight Archive #2 – Words of Radiance
Next in this Sub-Series: Discworld #25; Industrial Revolution #2 – The Truth
Next in this Series: Discworld #11; Death #2 – Reaper Man