Moving Pictures (by Terry Pratchett)

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When I started re-reading Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books a few years ago, I didn’t get as far as ‘Moving Pictures’; so the last time I read it was back in 2004. I remembered that it was one of my favourite of the early Pratchett books, and of course I recalled that it was a kind of Discworld spoof of Hollywood. But I had entirely forgotten the actual storyline.

But this time I'm getting further into the series.  I re-read 'Eric' back in February, and was quite looking forward to getting to this one, the tenth in the series.

The hero of the book is a failed wizard called Victor. Having said that, he has to work pretty hard to fail his exams every year, and he’s probably more knowledgeable than many successful wizards as a result. But the wording of a legacy means that, so long as he’s studying - and so long as he fails by only a certain margin - he can continue at the wizarding university for as long as it takes.

But, the night before another final, when the wizards have finally worked out a way that will force him to pass with 100% - or fail with zero - he sees something that makes him forget entirely about his exams. Instead, he travels to ‘Holy Wood’, to find out what’s going on.

The alchemists have discovered how to make what they call ‘moving pictures’. Cameras in the Discworld work by having a lot of imps painting pictures inside. Moving pictures have these imps painting ultra fast, coerced to do so by rather a cruel method, and then the resultant ‘click’ is projected on a screen by the light of salamanders. It’s all very clever pseudo-science, Discworld style, and I was impressed, once again, by Pratchett’s brilliance at this kind of satire.

Naturally there’s a heroine too, a girl called Ginger, who plays the starring role in all the clicks. There are some trolls who dress up as various monsters or aggressors, and there’s Victor, who seems to know how to act, and what to say, and even how to kiss Ginger… because of the magic of Holy Wood.

One significant character in this book is 'Cut-my-own-throat' (or CMOT) Dibbler, seller of sausages-in-buns and other dubious produce, he too is caught up in the magic of Holy Wood. He develops significantly in this book, becoming an almost three-dimensional entrepreneur with some visionary ideas...

There are lots of clever references to classic films, many of which I probably didn’t get; but more than once I found myself smiling, even slightly chuckling as the significance of a throwaway line became clear to me.

It’s a good story, with a dramatic conclusion. Since I wrote quite a comprehensive review of ‘Moving Pictures’ last time I read it, I’ll leave this one shorter rather than risk spoilers.

Definitely recommended to anyone who likes Pratchett’s writing, or if you’d like a light-hearted read set in the unique and intriguing Discworld. It stands alone, so there's no need to have read any of the earlier ones beforehand.

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