It’s over twenty years since I last read ‘Interesting Times’, which is seventeenth in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. I recalled finding it somewhat bland - well-written, and with some amusing references, but really not one of my favourites. I nearly skipped it this time, as my edition is falling to pieces and I didn’t expect to enjoy it much. However I’m very glad I decided to re read it, as I liked it much better this time.
The bulk of the story, as I vaguely remembered, is set in the Agatean Empire, which is the Discworld equivalent of ancient China, with a sprinkling of Japanese culture. There are warring clans, all hoping to replace the current frail and elderly emperor. There’s a huge wall outside the empire, and everyone inside, controlled by rigid obedience, believes that outside are evil ghosts…
Meanwhile Rincewind the rather incompetent wizard, is recalled rather suddenly to the Unseen University. He is told that, if he’s willing to be sent on a quest to Agatea, he will be able to call himself a wizard even though he never managed to pass any exams. He seems to have little choice. The Unseen University’s more intelligent students have invented a kind of prototype computer called Hex, which uses ants and imps to do very rapid calculations. However it’s not always entirely accurate…
And then there’s the barbarian horde. They’re all elderly, but they’ve got through life by fighting, looting and pillaging, and by avoiding being killed. Seven of them have decided to take over the Agatean Empire, accompanied by Mr Saveloy, known as ‘Teach’ because he used to be a teacher. Working with the barbarians is much more pleasant, although he’s having a hard time teaching them to avoid bad language. And he wants them to behave in civilised ways, rather than automatically chopping off people’s heads.
By this stage in the series, Pratchett had become expert at weaving together several plots in his books, moving each story forward until they meet in sometimes dramatic circumstances. And this one is topped and tailed by some of the discworld gods playing dice games, and the involvement of several butterflies.
Although technically this book follows on from ‘Eric’, where Rincewind was abandoned on a desert island, it has more connections with ‘The Colour of Magic’ and ‘The Light Fantastic’; the Agatean Empire was the home of Twoflower the tourist, and we meet him again, this time as the naive and unwitting catalyst for a revolution.
As always, there are plenty of references to earthly culture, and some literature. I smiled several times, but am sure I missed many of them - and it doesn’t matter. These cross-references simply provide an extra layer to the Discworld books, one which can be appreciated, if relevant, or ignored. There’s a detailed list, if anyone is interested, on the Annotated Pratchett site.
There’s a fair amount of politics and some battles in this book, which is possibly why I found it less interesting a couple of decades ago. Indeed it’s a tad surprising that I liked it so much this time - but it’s an engaging story, with some very interesting dialogue. And it makes some excellent points, in a way that only Pratchett could, about blind obedience, and trustworthiness, and the disadvantages of ‘civilisation’. It also shows the need, sometimes, for attack rather than negotiation.
Of course it’s ridiculous - the whole Discworld, travelling through space on the back of four giant elephants who stand on a turtle, is obviously pure fantasy - but that’s the genius of Pratchett, pointing the finger at human nature, while telling an excellent story and peppering it with some clever low-key humour.
Definitely recommended. As with the rest of the Discworld series, this is continually in print, and available in Kindle form too.
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