Soul Music: A Novel of Discworld

The Discworld grows on you. After reading a dozen or so of Pratchett's marvelous stories about Life, the Universe, and Everything (so to speak), you've gotten to understand Unseen University, and the Librarian, and why you can walk across the Ankh River, and the Patrician's point of view (Sergeant Colon's as well), and the necessity of Death, and why the Mended Drum never closes. More than that, events in the author's world tell you a great deal about our own. This time around, it's the importance of Music in the scheme of things. The universe didn't begin with a Big Bang after all, it began with The Chord, and the Music continues to weave its way through everything. Specifically, thanks to the ancient guitar Imp (a/k/a "Buddy") acquires (or that acquires him), it's Music With Rocks In. And Pratchett, while having some serious points to make, also has a wonderful time playing riffs on the history of rock `n' roll and its devotees ("a felonious monk," indeed . . .). Susan, the sixteen-year-old granddaughter of Death, is also a major player, having had to take over the family business while its proper practitioner is off on another of his vague investigations into humanity. Don't worry about the details of the plot. Just sit back, read, enjoy the music, and try not to laugh too loud.

Soul Music, the sixteenth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, is decidedly weaker then the other books in the Death sub-series. Like the other Death books, Death has taken a break and something must be done in the meantime. This time, however, it results in a disjointed narrative that isn't quite up to Pratchett's standards.
I'm of two minds on Soul Music. It is tremendously funny, with wonderful homages to various rock and roll elements. There are numerous Blues Brothers riffs, lots of Meat Loaf references, along with song lyrics and various band names that are parodied. "'A song about Great Fiery Balls. [...] Couldn't really make out the words, the reason bein', the piano exploded.'" These sorts of references permeate the book, and make it a joy to read. Some of the band names in the book include "We're Certainly Dwarfs (They Might be Giants), "Suck" (Kiss), "The Surreptitious Fabric" (The Velvet Underground). I'm sure you can see where this is going.
On the other hand, the Death aspect of this story covers ground that's already been covered, to an extent. Yet again, Death has decided to walk away from it all and visit humanity. Once again, somebody has to take over his job. Yet again, the person who does so has trouble with the "moral" aspect of it. In Mort, Mort fell in love and couldn't bring himself to "kill" a little girl. In this one, Susan has qualms about "killing" innocents and letting bad people live out a full life. Why can't it be the other way around? It feels very recycled, and it's only saved in Soul Music because Susan is interrupted by the onset of this strange music that's making everybody go weird.
The other problem with the book is the incredibly disjointed feeling that it has. I used that word in my Reaper Man review as well, but that book was so good that it made up for it. This time, however, it's even worse. The Death storyline doesn't get much time, with only a couple of scenes with the Foreign Legion, then a couple of scenes back in Ankh-Morpork before finally being called back. Susan's story takes forever to begin, as she is first approached by the Death of Rats, is skeptical, has it shown to her, explores Death's house, etc. It got to the point at the beginning of the book that it came to a screeching halt whenever the story left the music and went back to Susan.
All of that being said, though, Soul Music is still a very entertaining book. The characters are wonderful, with only Susan being slightly boring. The other characters are either very well developed, or just in there for the sake of the joke (like the band that continually changes its name because, well, they suck and they can't get any recognition). The three main band members (Imp, Glod and Cliff) are great, all being true to their racial characteristics (dwarves love gold, and so does Glod, etc), yet being wonderful personalities as well. The wizards are back yet again, wreaking havoc with everybody and everything. All but the Ridcully seem to be taken over by this new type of music, and the scenes between Ridcully and the Dean are priceless (the Dean acts like a child who is being denied while Ridcully is the father figure who is sending the Dean to his room without any supper). The jokes come fast and furious whenever the wizards are around. Death, when he is around, is as funny as always. There's something about a personification of an aspect of life "trying to forget" that's really funny, even more so in Pratchett's execution of it.
Next to Reaper Man, this book comes up a bit short. It's still entertaining, and you'll still enjoy it. I would definitely recommend it. I would read a few Discworld books in between the two, though. If you don't, you may find yourself feeling worse about Soul Music then you actually should.

Who but Terry Pratchett could seek sympathy for the feelings of the Death of the Discworld? And obtain it? Once again, Pratchett offers readers a rich banquet of deep philosophic questions served with his saucy wit. As usual the repast may be taken lightly, skimming off the quirky characters - the Raven takes the top marks in this book - or the horrid puns emanating from the music [Welsh for Buddy Holly??!! arghh!]. Otherwise, the gourmet PTerry fan may relish fully the issues surrounding life. And death. Pratchett, as always, may be read at many levels. Any Discworld book may be read repeatedly, and this one is no exception.
Death is unique among the Four Horsemen - he's the only one that's inevitable. As an Anthropomorphic Personification, Death is something other than simply a blind force. Small feelings burrow through his consciousness. Without a human frame of reference, he cannot comprehend them fully. He is, however, aware that things aren't quite right. He therefore goes off to determine what is wrong. His departure leaves a void demanding filling.
His replacement is the daughter of his foundling and his apprentice - Susan Sto Helit. With Susan, Pratchett turns away from Death to examine Life. In this instance, Life shows how powerful it can be, even self generating. Life, the universe itself, may be the result of a musical note. Never mind the Big Bang, how about the Big Bong? Life, through Music, shows its universality through Music With Rocks In. Rock music can be performed by everyone. Talent, discipline, training all may be ignored. Music With Rocks In is little more than the fullest expression of human feeling. Even Susan, much detached from her surroundings, is caught up in its force.
In Susan, Pratchett demonstrates the power of his characterisation. She is Death's granddaughter, carrying his "genes" providing inexplicable powers. She can speak with THE VOICE, become invisible, ride Binky. She's human, with a strong sense of justice, vexed by the loss of good people and the survival of bad ones. She wants Death to be "fair", but He can only be what he is - inevitable. Pratchett, of course, must somehow reconcile these views, which he does with his usual panache. Through it all, the Music strives for survival. Pratchett feels that's important because it means survival for us all. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Death is perhaps the most entertaining character in the Discworld series. Though he may be the most stable character, the character's sojourns outside normal duty in various books lead to mayhem in Discworld. In "Soul Music" mayhem yet again erupts in the absence of Death.

As Death takes time to "think about things", his granddaughter Susan inherits the duties of the reaper. Guided by Death of Rats, Susan begins to take to her duties until she must collect the soul of the guitarist of Band with Rocks In. For some reason, his time refuses to expire as the less than talented musician thrives playing the guitar with auspicious origins. Creating more of a conflict, Susan even appears to be falling for him. Readers of the Discworld series, know that Death will return to save the day. Yet learning how Death untangles the twisted mess is the fun of his adventures.

Loaded with wit and great one-liners, "Soul Music" is among the best tales from Discworld. Perhaps the best chuckles or groans come from the Ankh-Morporkian twist on Earthly rock'n'roll. Even the rock'n'roll cliches live in the alternate universe.

I like Pratchett's writing, and would be among the first to say that (unless you had your sense of humour surgically removed at birth) it is hard to go wrong buying any of his Discworld books. However, "Interesting Times" is not his best work. If you are a completist you'll of course want to read it, and either way you are likely to enjoy it. However, if you have not yet read all the others in the series, then getting to this one should possibly not be your top priority.
One reason is that the character of Rincewind had almost exhausted his potential by this time. Successful and likeable an anti-hero though he is, there is only so much a writer can do with one highly eccentric literary character, and (sorry, fans, you can vote against this review all you like) there seems a touch of desperation in putting the running joke of a cowardly, non-magical wizard through his paces once again.
Secondly, TP has not been quite faithful to his own creations. Twoflower, the innocent and bumbling tourist from "The Color of Magic" and "The Light Fantastic" was (please correct me if I'm wrong) the affectionate parody of all those wealthy and gullible American tourists who came to Europe in the '50's and '60's with superior spending power and technology but a dangerous innocence about the way they were being relieved of their cash. It is surely an artistic error to suddenly redefine him as a parody of the supposedly inscrutable Chinese simply because the plot demands a familiar foil for Rincewind.
Don't let me knock this too hard - it's good clean fun as usual - but it's not Pratchett's best.

If you look at my other reviews you will see my taste tends to stay away from this genre. However a friend of mine suggested that I pick up a couple of Terry Pratchett books. I finally broke down and this is my first and not the last Pratchett novel for me.
This strange story deals with the loveable character Rincewind (who is a few of Pratchett's novels). Rincewind is selected by the professors at Unseen University, to be sent to a far away waring land to act as the great wizard. Rincewind unwillingly goes and is thrown in the middle of a mini-revelution. There he runs into his friend Cohen the Barbarian and his Silver Horde. A group of senior citizen barbarians. Together they embark on an a great adventure in a strange land. Can't give away the ending but the last few pages will fly by, as the very funny ending nears.
If you are a first time Pratchett reader then you must get into the story about 50 pages till you get use to the language and the unusual names that Pratchett uses. The other references to Disc-World novel are well done, allowing a reader to dive in the middle of the series without being left behind in the storyline. What Pratchett lacks in story telling he makes up with humor and great imagery that is needed for a fantasy writer.

I've decided he's too good and too prolific for me to write a brand new review every single time I read one of his books. Discworld currently has 34 titles and every one of them will probably knock your socks off. His mind bubbles and flashes like a boiling pot of electric eels, and I simply can't get enough of his writing.

A reviewer has compared him to Geoffrey Chaucer. He reminds me more of Douglas Adams, or perhaps S Morgenstern. Great company, isn't it? He's an extremely skillful and imaginative writer, damn funny, clever and observant to boot. He's also very easy to read. A master of characterization, and if there's anything else you like about reading that I didn't mention here, assume I simply forgot. He's awesome.

Another reviewer mentioned Jonathan Swift and PG Wodehouse. Why such hallowed company? Because Pratchett belongs there! Truly, I'm enjoying my quest to read every book in the series. You should do the same, and begin your quest at the library because he's got to be there. He's awesome!

Yet another reviewer said Jerome K Jerome meets Lord of the Rings. Yeah, that works too.

Why do we, as reviewers, compare authors to other authors? Because it's easier than thinking. In the case of Terry Pratchett, it's probably because we'd otherwise wind up quoting the guy. He's so unique that we just don't know how else to cope with his greatness. Even this paragraph sounds like foamy drool raving, doesn't it? That's how all readers react to Pratchett. Reviewers simply don't have the good sense to keep it to themselves.

I could call his writing fantasy, but I could likewise call what Douglas Adams wrote science fiction. In both cases, I wouldn't be wrong, but I'd be neglecting so much and just totally missing the point. A rare few authors transcend a genre to such a degree that you know they're shouting out, loud and proud, a big fat "Bite me!"

I love Terry Pratchett's writing, and I completely understand why some folks refer to him as their favorite author. Or favourite, I should say, since we're being British. He's one of those authors that makes you want to grab whoever's in hearing range and start reading passages aloud. I'm simply thrilled that there's such an extremely talented and prolific author who's been working for years without me being aware of him. Now I have much catching up to do, and I will love it.

I've only read about seven of the Discworld books, so I'm hardly an expert, but I know enough to feel qualified to write this review. I feel that this is better than any of the other books of his I have read. While his books are all wildly original, this one wins on the points of comparison.
First off, the settings of Ankh-Morpork and the Counterweight Continent are both well done. Pratchett taps into the same vein of humor underrunning the image of Imperial China that Barry Hughart did in "Bridge of Birds". He also introduces a very interesting linguistic idea, playing off the use of tone in spoken Chinese to create a language with few words but many, many different pronunciations. The other plot ideas, such as the Mandelbrot Butterfly etc., are well done, but the language was such a well-thought yet off-the-wall idea that it beat everything else.
The characters are well done also. Old barbarians are a comic image, but Pratchett is able to really use his old barbarians to advance the plot rather than having them hang around solely for laughs. The Gods play off each other well, and Rincewind's cowardice and fleeing make the places he lands in all the more interesting. The ending wraps everything up well without being too perfect, and Death is funnier than ever.
Hitting nary a wrong note, this book is worth getting out of the library, or buying if you are a Discworld fan. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, and also "Thief of Time", by the same author.

When I began to read this, I was afraid it was going to be a jumbled mess of Asian stereotypes. To a certain extent, it was, but it also turned into a fairly solid defense of Western culture over Eastern. By the end of the book I was proud to be live in a society that values personal freedom over courtesy and politeness, or as Pratchett puts it in the book, slavery without whips.

The answers to those questions and more may be found in Terry Pratchett's hilariously funny and thoughtful Soul Music.

Soul Music consists of two parallel plot lines which, because this is Discworld and not the earth, converge as they reach the story's horizons. First we meet Imp y Celyn, soon to be known to the world as Bud of the Holly or Buddy, as he travels the long and winding road from his home of Llamedos to Ankh-Morpork. Back home, Imp's music always made his people smile and he knew if he had a chance he could make some people dance and maybe they'd be happy for a while. Unable to raise enough cash to join the musicians' guild, Buddy, after picking up a very odd guitar at a strange music store joins up with Glod the dwarf and Lias the troll and form a musical group. In short order the group has a gig at the Mended Drum.

In the meantime, DEATH is in the midst of his nineteenth nervous breakdown. As DEATH walks through his land of broken dreams, he seems unconcerned about what becomes of those who should now be departed. There will be disastrous consequences for the universe (see Reaper Man) if DEATH does not perform his obligations. The Death of Rats and his raven translator Quoth go desperately seeking Susan, DEATH's granddaughter. She is persuaded by Death of Rats to fill in until DEATH can be found and persuaded to return to work. Susan soon finds herself atop DEATH's horse Binky. She's eight miles high and when she touches down in Ankh-Morpork she enters the Mended Drum to meet her first assignment - - - Buddy. And then all heck breaks loose.

Buddy starts to play the guitar just like he's ringing a bell and the world seems to stop. It may be that only the good, like Buddy, die young but in this instance Susan says something DEATH would never say: "it isn't fair". Though no fault of her own, Buddy does not go up to that spirit in the sky, Buddy and his music live on. The obvious question becomes why is he still alive and to what purpose?

"Music with rocks in" it becomes the next big thing. Even the wizards at Unseen University fall prey to these musical magic moments, so different and so new. Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler soon makes an appearance and rapidly transforms himself from purveyor of sausages to greedy rapacious rock and roll impresario. Soon, every kid in Ankh-Morpork wants to be a music with rocks in star. They get electric guitars but don't learn how to play. They think with their hair swung right and their pants too tight it will be all right. Little do they know that in the crafty hands of CMOT Dibbler even musicians with talent will soon be in dire straights.

Meanwhile, Susan, Death of Rats and even Albert, DEATH's loyal man Friday, search Discworld for DEATH. DEATH has been seen sitting on the dock of the river in Ankh-Morpork, drinking whiskey and rye with the good ole boys at the Mended Drum, and standing guard at midnight at an oasis manned by the Klatchian Foreign Legion. His internal dialogue is priceless, funny, and thoughtful.

Events proceed rapidly as Dibbler prepares the band for a huge free concert in Ankh-Morpork. This will be Discworld's Woodstock. Will Susan's sense of justice prevail? Will Buddy survive even though the sands in his hour glass are long gone? Will the Librarian get money for nothing and his chimps for free? Will the wizards ride though mansions of glory in suicide machines? The answers to these questions aren't blowing in the wind but they are in the book.

As far as Terry Pratchett's Discworld books are concerned, Soul Music is near the top of the charts . . . with a bullet.

Elvish has left the building.

I recommend that you read Interesting Times.

Interesting Times is the 17th book in the Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett. You do NOT need to read all the other 16 books, you need to only read The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. This is because The Discworld books are in the same style as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Everyone exists together, and characters are interwoven into the world, but it does not make that much of a difference.

Rincewind is up to his usual antics like - being stuck on an island? Living a calm and uneventful lifestyle? That doesn't sound like Rincewind at all. Luckily, Rincewind is forcefully taken from his peaceful home and thrown into Pratchett's version of China, the Agatean Empire. Here, they worse curse is Rincewind’s nightmare, “May you live in Interesting Times.” Rincewind has only one skill in life, and that is running. He finds he is always right in the center of any problem, which he usually is. This time, his “friend” Twoflower from both The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic is telling stories of “The Great Wizzard”, and the Emperor wants to test Rincewind. Twoflower’s book about his adventures has become a national symbol for freedom, and a revolution is on the horizon. The rebels want Rincewind as their leader, and The Emperor wants to show the rebels how weak Rincewind really is.

Interesting Times is one of my favorite Discworld books. It builds upon The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, and Rincewind’s actions in those books come back to bite him in this book. Rincewind is classic Pratchett, as he was the main character in the first two books. The parody of China is well done, and the characters that Rincewind meets are interesting and memorable.

Despite Rincewind’s status as the main character, Cohen the Barbarian also takes turns in the spotlight. Having appeared in The Light Fantastic, Cohen’s reappearance is appreciated, and his character is expanded in this book. While Cohen is still his old Barbaric self, he wants to settle down. Of course, as a barbarian, he picks the Emperor's castle to be his home. He creates the Silver Horde, which is entirely made up of old barbarians who should have retired years ago.

Cohen has some great lines in this book, which are my favorite quotes from it.
In response to “‘I would rather die than betray my emperor”, he tells him “So be it,” and slits his throat.
“Swords are outlawed here, so only outlaws have swords. And that... suits me fine.”
“May you live in interesting times!” “I always live in interesting times.”

Sorry for spoiling some of the quotes, but if you are reading the reviews you aren't reading the books. So it’s your own fault really.

This is the second book I've read featuring Rincewind (the other being "The Last Hero"). Admittedly, I could be wrong, but I strongly suspect a formula here: Rincewind is always in the wrong place at the wrong time, does everything wrong yet comes out ahead (thanks to outside help) despite himself. Something like that would get old REAL FAST, but fortunately, not all Discworld books are based on that pattern. Plus, I'm early enough in my reading that I haven't surpassed my threshhold for "Rincewind-Ex-Machina."

I called this book a "guilty pleasure" and stick by it. I suspect if a different author had written something like this (without the rich flavor of Discworld to spice it up) I would have been a bit harsher in my review. However, it's Pratchett, who is always a pleasure to read: insightful AND funny. If you like the series as a whole, you'll most likely enjoy "Interesting Times."

Death is easily one of my favorite characters in the Discworld series, and this book is him at his prime. Death is continually evolving into a more complex and humane character, while still maintaining a core 'deathness' about him. His residence is described in here using that great Pratchett mixture of blatently obvious statements and metaphors only he could get away with.
This book is also about music out of it's place. Rock and roll passes through Discworld, and the results are great (great meaning comedically bad). Take a very detailed and complete fantasy world, add the rebellion of rock and roll, and it seems like it writes itself. But the great part about this, and all Terry Pratchett books, is that the joke only begins with the setup, the entire book just keeps getting funnier and funnier. (Compare this to The Onion, where the entire joke is in the headline, and the story is usually just fluff.)
Finally, like all Pratchett books, through all of the ridiculous situations and absurd logic, there is a decent amount of drama at the end.
If you already know and like Terry Pratchett, here's one of his best works on Death. If you don't know him yet, you could easily start with this book. This was the second Pratchett book I ever read, and I haven't stopped since.

My book review on Terry Pratchet's Interesting Times . Last night I was sick on Terry Pratchet's Interesting Times .I would recommend this book to you for these reasons : 1. It is very funny and humorous 2. Terry has a brill style of writing!! 3. It's just generally, all round, brilliant !!!! I would not however, recommend this book to kids under nine years old . The characters are : Rincewind, the wizzard who can't even spell wizard, Cohen, the barbarian who's had a lifetimes experience of not dying, Twoflower, the man who sent Rincewind off on his adventures , and many more. Rincewind finds himself lost without the luggage, on the counterweight continent, where gold is as common as copper and their worst curse is, "may you live in interesting times". I give this book 60/100, and I give Terry Pratchet 95/100. If you ever get to read this Terry, you're my favourite writer Written by Ben Bessey nine years old

In this Discworld installment, PTerry definitely did a great job on the characters, of which there is no shortage. One of my favorites is Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, who is a business enterpreneur. Also, Corporal Nobbs and Sergeant Colon of the city watch shared some pretty funny exchanges. Another of my favorites is the Librarian, an orangutan (don't ever call him a monkey), who runs the University library. This book was also the first time I encountered Mustrum Ridcully. Every character, from the Band With Rocks In roadie Asphalt to Qouth the raven, is done in a way that individualizes them greatly. Next, I'd like to talk about the plot. There are several subplots: Death tries various ways to forget his past, Susan takes on Death's role, Ridcully and the University wizards get crazed for Music With Rocks In, and Imp Y Celyn, a Llamedese bard, gets his life takenover by a magic guitar. PTerry weaves these plots together to form a gigantic plot, which heralds a long, exciting, 300-page book

This is the 18th of Pratchett's Discworld series. Alternatively, it's the 5th in the Rincewind subseries ("The Color of Magic," "The Light Fantastic," "Sourcery," "Eric," "Interesting Times," and "The Last Continent"). It once again brings back Rincewind and re-unites him with Cohen and Twoflower (though Twoflower's role is practically a cameo). Pratchett does an excellent job of intertwining the two multiply-intersecting storylines centering around Cohen and Rincewind. The recurring motifs of potatoes (I almost died while Rincewind was on his desert isle and thought some beautiful women were offering him potatoes) and "Aaargh" were hilarious, so pay attention when they're introduced. The book fleshes out Cohen's character a bit more and does some more development of the Unseen University's "Hex." Very good book. I rate it at 4 stars out of 5.

Rincewind, the worlds worst Wizard and greatest runner-away, returns to get embroiled in the politics of the Counterweight continent. It's a reunion of sort, with a lot of the old Discworld gang.

Usually, Rincewind stories are not that insightful or deep, and sadly less interesting that those of the Lancre Witches, the Night Watch, etc. Fortunately, Pratchett combines his thoughtful insights with the usual story of how-many-times-can-Rincewind-escape. One gets a look at cultures that become too withdrawn and too traditional, and contrasts them with the barbarian honor of Cohen the barbarian and his "horde" of aged barbarians. There are also several charming insights into just how revolutionary things we take for granted are.

Not the best Discworld novel, but definately a cut above some of the other Rincewind tales.

When Imp enters Ankh-Morpork he has no clue that he is on the verge of changing the way people listen to music. In search of good fortune he left his hometown in Llamedos and hopes to earn some money playing harp in the biggest city - or at least the most crowded - of the Discworld. Regrettably no one ever told him that the Guild of Musicians has a rather 'terminal' policy concerning people who play music without a licence, the rather expensive kind that is. But he is not the only one who cannot pay the fee. Together with a dwarf, a troll and an - ook ook - ape, Imp starts an illegal band and together they play 'Music with Rocks In'. The band is an immediate success, certainly now C.M.O.T. Dibbler is their manager. When people start to ask Imp if he is a bit elvish, it must be clear that something dangerous is at hand.
In Soul Music Death gets again a major part, although this time the role is played by Death's granddaughter Susan. But do not expect the witty humour that was dominating Terry's classic novel Mort. The main chunk of funny paragraphs is filled with clever puns to the names of famous music bands. Two examples: Lead Balloon (Led Zeppelin) and &U (U2). At the start of the novel this is quite entertaining, but when you have to digest pun number 50 it has lost its originality. At the end of the story the puns are the only thing that drives the story. A story that on its own is very weak and tends to bore the reader.
Soul Music clearly fails in matching the high standards set by the other Discworld novels.

Terry Pratchett is a phenomenal writer! I'll tell you that any of his books, especially the Disc World series are well worth picking up! In my youth I loved the Lord of the Rings books by J.R.R. Tolkien (and yes, I'm talking pre-movie adolescence, thank you). I read any fantasy/adventure novels I could get my hands on. Eventually I ran out of books worth reading.... In my late teens I even resorted to Harry Potter, which I thought was amusing (but with a very low reading level) until I stumbled upon Terry Pratchett. Oh what a day! It was as if I had been waiting for his writing since the first time I picked up a book! The worlds he has created within the Disc world series are so interesting and entertaining. On each page he has spelled out endless wit, comedy, and enchantment. The characters hook you from the start and in each book you learn more about them and how they intertwine with one another. The imagery Pratchett depicts with his stories is absolutely amazing! And one of the things that I think is the best about this series is you don't necessarily have to read them in a particular order. There are a few here or there within the series that do fit better together read in a certain order but besides those you can just go with the next one that strikes your fancy. Every time I finish one I CANNOT wait for the next! Soon I'll be done with the series and this is sad... But reading them all was well worth it! See for yourself!

Terry Pratchett is the funniest writer in the universe...well, not this universe...there is no one as funny as Pratchett here. He's from a universe in which the world is a disc that rests on the backs of four elephants that are standing on the back of a turtle and in which Death really does ride a pale horse and occasionally stops in at the local pub for a pint. Soul Music is Pratchett's 16th book about this cosmos.

It is the story of a young musician who finds an enchanted guitar, changes his name to Buddy Holly, and introduces "music with rocks in" to Discworld. Buddy is destined to become famous and die young unless he can be saved by Death's teenage granddaughter, who has taken over Death's job collecting souls because Death himself has a bad case of angst, which I suspect he got from the food down at the Mended Drum pub.

I'm not a laugh-out-loud kind of person. I greatly prefer to hold my laughter in and let it rot and fester until it spontaneously boils out in socially unacceptable behavior. But with Soul Music I couldn't help myself. This may be Pratchett's most hilarious novel ever.

If you don't love this book, you just don't have a sense of humor.( I don't mean to be harsh, but I thought you needed to know.)

[This rating is relative to Discworld books as a whole. It does not mean it numbers amound my favorite books of all time. Amoung all books, it ranks a 4]
For Discworld lovers, this is just about as good as you can get. Following the failed "wizzard" Rincewind (See Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcerer & Eric) who gets recruited into teleportation to a mysterious Asian continent on the Disc. There he teams up with Cohen the Barbarian in an attempt to do little but survive in a land of a hostile Empire facing equally hostile (though better with slogans than swords) revolutionaries.
For continuos humor, its hard to beat this book. Unlike some Pratchet's, it never dips down into seriousness even for a moment. Even death is funny, but this doesn't translate into meaningless. This isn't deep philosophy here, but Pratchet can go deeper with humor than most authors can do in any style.
For those familiar with the Disc, its refreshing to see Rincewind in his element (running away from danger at high speed). Rincewind is much less a complete and utter failure in this book than in the previous ones, but he is still Rincewind to the core (unlike in books like Sourcerer when he suddenly sprouts courage and deep emotions).
This book is also commendable for an understandable plotline. Unlike books like Hogfather, you will get this whole book the first time you read it. The plot itself is funny beyond the jokes.
For anyone who wants to get involved in the series, this is a great place to start as well. No Pratchet book is hard to get into, but anyone will understand the character's from this book within minutes of starting. The very beginnign is a slightly confusingtransition from Eric, but still funny, so get right into it.

Anyone who has read Terry Pratchett knows that Discworld is an upside down sort of place where anything can and will happen if the author deems it so. It's sort of like viewing Earth through a fun house mirror after a couple shots of Wild Turkey.

In this particular incarnation of Discworld, Rincewood, a not very good magician finds himself teleported to a country sort of like China where he wishes to only survive. The only problem is that he meets Cohen the Barbarian,(you read it correctly) sometimes call Genghize Cohen, the octogenarian berserker. Cohen is there to take over the country with his six equally ancient associates. There is also the overly polite, sort of revolutionary Red Army, an evil grand vizir, thousands of brutal guards, and a walking travel trunk with legs that follows Rincewood wherever he goes. There's also an army of giant clay warriors that Rincewood almost learns to control.

Rincewood thinks the gods are against him, but the reality is even stranger than that.

The story is a breezy ride through an alternate history that is far more entertaining than the stuff foist upon us in school. I heartily recommend this to anyone who enjoys whimsey and appreciates the wry twist that Pratchett gives to his heroes and to world history.

Maybe I had too much of an expectation for this one, but I found it lacking ... something. Of those I've read with Death in the forefront, I certainly enjoyed Mort and Reaper Man better than this.
Perhaps it's Susan. The way she goes through most of the story, just accepting whatever comes her way with the same rational and impassionate stance starts to grate after a while. I think the true her shines when she lets some emotion come through while talking to her grandfather. And the story definitely got more interesting as it neared the last third and tested her limitations more and more.
Death (did I tell you I'm a fan?) is quite amusing in places while he seeks out a way to forget through joining a foreign legion, then drinking and finally joining some of Discworld's more eccentric homeless people. And I loved the change of manner when we meet a younger, haughtier, version of him. One that hasn't been through all he did in Reaper Man. The whole swing in the apple tree mindset seems totally plausible.
And there's the Grim Squeaker. How can you not love him?
Then there's Imp y Celyn, otherwise known as Buddy, and his Band with Rocks in. I get what it's all about, but I found it a bit of a chore to read through these scenes when it reached the middle. After being warned something dire would happen to them, I got bored waiting for something to happen. Which isn't a great attitude to be in when half the book is about them. Though their affect on the wizards, especially the Dean, was amusing.

they first make mad." So said Euripides and so say the small gods of Discworld who set the plot in motion for Terry Pratchett's hilarious yet thoughtful "Interesting Times". The title of the book is based on the curse "may you live in interesting times" and because the phrase is reputedly of Chinese origin (its actual origin remains a mystery) the story is placed squarely in the Discworld equivalent of Asia - the Aurient. A group of gods, including Fate and Lady Luck are engaged in a pleasant evening of gambling. They decide to play "The Fall of Great Houses" and pick the Agatean Empire as the playing ground.

The game requires a Great Wizard (actually a Great Wizzard) and the spectacularly un-great Wizard Rincewind is elected to play the role. Rincewind is packed off to the Aurient. Bluesman Albert Kings sings that "if it wasn't for bad luck you know I wouldn't have no luck at all." That is also what Rincewind has to say for himself: "Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad." Upon his arrival in the Aurient Rincewind finds, through no fault of his own, himself working with a cadre of young revolutionaries known as the Red Army who are determined to overthrow the Agataen Empire. They recite some extraordinarily obstruse and silly slogans in support of their cause. The Red Army seems based on Chairman Mao's cadres of the same name. On the other hand, this could be a sly reference to the supporters of the Aberdeen (Scotland) Footbal Club who refer to themselves as The Red Army, after the colors of their team. With Terry Pratchett you never know for sure.

Apart from Rincewind, Interesting Times features two other recurring Discworld players, Cohen the Barbarian and Two-Flower. All three rank as some of my favorite Discworld characters. I have a particular fondness for Rincewind. He comes across as a mild, inept figure who gladly accepts the mantle of `coward'. But after he gets knocked from pillar to post, after he has been slammed and slammed again, after he has tried every conceivable means of escape from danger a transformation occurs. In Rincewind's case the gods don't make him mad as in crazy but mad as in really, really angry. Once he gets angry he explodes in a fit of righteous indignation at the evil that men do. Cowardice is left behind and Rincewind becomes a fierce fighter for truth, justice, and the Ankh-Morporkian way. In short, he is transformed from mouse to mensch.

Here is Rincewind setting his young cadres straight on the issue of "leaders": "I know about people who talk about suffering for the common good. It's never bloody them! When you hear a man shouting "Forward, brave comrades!" you'll see he's the one behind the bloody big rock and the one wearing the only really arrow-proof helmet!" It may not be the most profound thought in the world but it is certainly one that bears repeating.

In another angry moment of clarity Rincewind comes to realize what Cohen knew instinctively when Cohen said that the Empire had something worse than whips to keep people in line: "The Empire's got something worse than whips all right. It's got obedience. Whips in the soul. They obey anyone who tells them what to do. Freedom just means being told what to do by someone different."

As with all of the Discworld series the plot develops quickly and the story line picks up speed as the plot thickens until it reaches a dramatic conclusion. It would be a shame to reveal any plot details as one of the most satisfying parts of any Discworld book are the suprising twists and turns along the way. Sufficie it to to say that Pratchett continues to do an excellent job mocking gently some of our cultural and political icons. Pratchett gives revolutionaries and political leaders the same treatment he gives, for example, the press (The Truth), religion (Small Gods) and the movies (Moving Pictures).

Chairman Mao once said that "a revolution is not a dinner party." That may be so, but in the capable hands of Terry Pratchett a revolution on Discworld makes for a heck of an enjoyable read.

As a humor writer and as a novelist, Terry Pratchett has his ups and downs, with ERIC being the most complete failure among his 20-odd novels. SOUL MUSIC is not at the bottom, but it is not far above. Generally, any Pratchett novel featuring the character Death is disappointing, but this one has major problems with ALL its characters, none of whom ever come to life even for a moment. There is really no plot, no characterization, no meaningful action, and at the end there's a non-ending perilously close to "why, it was all a dream."
Each of Pratchett's novels takes on a specific feature of our own world, and the closer the feature is to mass media, the worse the novel is. MOVING PICTURES (about the film industry) was bad, SOUL MUSIC (about the popular music industry) is even worse. The satire has little bite and almost no point, as if Pratchett were so offended by these media (as am I for that matter) that he can hardly bear to dissect them effectively.

This is probably the most readable book in the Discworld series. It fouses on Rincewind the failed wizard's attempts to escape from Hunghung, capital of the Agatean Empire. Fans of the series should be delighted, as the book contains Dibbler (Dhblah?), the wizards of the UU and Death in minor but significant roles. On his way, Rincewind meets Cohen the Barbarian's Silver Horde, the cream (or cheese) of barbarian fighters, who have been avoiding death all their lives (it's all they've ever done). Aargh!, potatoes and the mythical room 3B occur throughout, as well as the extremely polite Hunghung "rebels" who think that putting up posters constitutes a revolution. Funny, witty, infinetly detailed and endlessly re-readable, Interesting Times is a classic.

A little disappointing
SOUL MUSIC introduces the reader to Death's grandaughgter Susan (Maybe Pratchett saw Mort as a losing proposition as I did) and gives her chance to step into the family business as Grandad's gone missing again and she's called into duty. While there are a lot of clever bits here (I particularly like the Death of Rats a wickedly funny idea) and Susan is a nice addition to Discworld, this is another example of Death takes a holiday that I found to be a bit tired. I also wasn't enamored with the birth of rock and roll in Discworld which just seemed a bit lame in execution. Pratchett is always a fun read but I didn't find this up to his usual standards.

I have enjoyed several of Terry Pratchett's discworld novels, most notably "Guards!Guards!" and "Small Gods", but I have found that his most recent books, particularly "Interesting Times", are not in the same class. Rather than being humourous, his latest novels, including this one, seem to be plain ridiculous instead. I hope Pratchett will raise the standard of humour in his novels in the future, as I'm still a fan. However, I would like to say, at the risk of sounding arrogant or presumptuous, that Pratchett needs to recognize that fantasy of this nature is based upon it's humour, not on how wacky it is, particularly when the line of the plot is so thin. I advise any readers thinking of picking up a Pratchett novel to stick with the older ones

I love Terry Pratchett, I love Discworld, and I love Rincewind. He's always been my favorite character, and the books revolving around him are my favorite.

I just read "Interesting Times" for the second time, and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than I did the first time around.

Rincewind gets sent to the Agatean empire, because the rebels need a "Great Wizzard." He gets pulled into a conflict between the rebel army, the incredibly perfect Lord Hong, and a group of elderly barbarians.

It's Pratchett, so it's funny. I giggled all the way through. Rincewind is just as cowardly as usual. The rebels are very polite. The Barbarians are trying to learn civilization. There's a lot of fodder for jokes here, and Pratchett takes advantage of it.

Twoflower comes back. He's a bestselling author. New characters are introduced. Mr. Saveloy is a former teacher who joins up with Cohen the Barbarian and Company. Lord Hong is a frightening villain. Twoflower has daughters, including a cynical revolutionary by the name of Pretty Butterfly.

And yes, there's a plot. A good one, too.

This is a five-star novel. Read it. You'll love it.

If you've read any of Terry Pratchett's other books, you know pretty much what to expect from this one. Most of his books are built around a satire of something, and as you have most likely figured out, this one is primarily about rock music. The more you know about music, the more of these jokes you are likely to get. There are plenty of good jokes here, as there are in most Discworld books, but there are also some dull sections, and the conclusion is a bit weak. If you haven't read any Pratchett, don't start here. This isn't his strongest effort, and it is a sequel to Mort. If you are already a Discworld fan, you won't be blown away, but you'll find that it's as good as most of his books.

Rincewind the non-magical wizard is a stock character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Rincewind (one knows he is a wizard because it says so on his pointy hat) specializes in cowardice and running away. He is the complete anti-hero, the ultimate pawn of Fate and whatever god is having a bad day in Discworld's home of the gods, Dun Manifestin. Any book with Rincewind in it is sure to be fine satire.

Rincewind began his career in a double novel story THE COLOR OF MAGIC and THE LIGHT FANTASTIC at the end of which he is presented with the Luggage. I always picture the Luggage as an old fashioned steamer trunk with a lot of little feet along the bottom edge. The Luggage is vicious. Anyone who has ever wrestled with a suitcase will understand.

In INTERESTING TIMES, Rincewind is summoned to the Discworld's equivalent to the Orient. Terry Pratchett seems to have consumed a whole series of "samurai" novels combined with a course on Chinese history and regurgitated it back up as this very funny tale of how the five noble families of the Counterweight Continent contend for the Empire: the Hongs, the Sungs, the Tangs, the McSweeneys and the Fangs.

Yes, you heard me right. The McSweeneys. In this fine satiric fantasy the reader can learn about the Art of War and also how Luggage gets made. This is wicked fun for literate readers!

This is my first venture into realms of Terry Pratchett and his Discworld. And, well, I'm not sure what to think. Explaining the plot is also difficult because, well, any plot about a band where the pianist is a orangutan (..a librarian by profession!) and the Grim Reaper joins the Foreign Legion leads one to believe that the novel Soul Music and the term 'plot' are mutually exclusive. No one will ever confuse this book as being an example of literature.
It seems that Terry Pratchett has written lots of silly jokes and satiric observations, some of which are quite funny, loosely tied into a very absurd story. Either you'll love it or hate it. I'm perhaps the exception where I think the likes of Terry Pratchett are best served as a humour columnist (satirist) for a newspaper, for example, rather than as a novelist. Soul Music does drag on. It's sort of like listening to the class clown in grade school; in small doses it's great, but after a while .. SHUT UP!!
Perhaps Soul Music is the best way for you to decide on whether you think Terry Pratchett is a god or a man with a misplaced talent.

A spoof on China, the Great Wall, and what was really going on with all those terra-cotta soldiers. I like Rincewind's talent for languages; given that Chinese is a tonal language, it takes him three or four tries to correctly pronounce each new word he learns. Includes Cohen the Barbarian, and the various attempts to teach the Silver Horde to be civilized are very funny, if not exactly the stuff of serious fiction. I read this out of order, and was not familiar with Twoflower from previous books so some of the characters are not familiar; if you're going to read it, it would help to have read at least The Light Fantastic first (but I just can't recommend that book).

[For context's sake, I have been reading the Discworld books in publication order. Interesting Times is #17.]

I quite enjoyed Interesting Times. It was nice to revisit and find out what happened with our friend Rincewind, and while there were aspects of the plot that I could see coming from far away, there were some clever twists and turns that kept things interesting. I wish there had been a little bit more dialogue from some of the parties, but overall it kept moving rather well and was a solid read.

With "Interesting Times" Terry Pratchett can truly lay claim to be "the best satirist in the field". Rincewind's return, after prolonged absence, is simply hysterical. Everything works in this book, from the villainous Lord Hong, to the Wizards of UU, to the Silver Hoard (one of the funniest twists ever. Who can't see the movie version with Schwartzenegger, Stallone, Kirk Douglas, Charleton Heston, Clint Eastwood...) There is not a single awkward piece in the book, and the sheer mayhem is enough to delight for hours. Probably the most inspired Discworld book, and easily the best Rincewind novel. Pratchett has never been better.

This book is really good if what you want is a follow on of the first Discworld books 'The colour of magic' and 'The light Fantastic'. It involves the return of Rincewind the wizard who can't even spell wizard, who is transported to the Agatean Empire to assist an army made up of children to overrun the emperor. But the best part about this book is the Luggage who returns which the same great character that only a box on leg can have. But in this he thinks that he is free and so he does what all free animals do, needless to say this involves a Lady Luggage.
A great story!!!!!
Five exclamation marks that means I'm mad about it!!!!!

Rincewind's tales may be one of my least favorite sub-sets of Discworld lore, but this is one of my favorite books (I've read all but maybe 2 of the Discworld series). Pratchett does a remarkable job making you believe in these elderly warriors. The whole idea that they're capable because they've survived so long is amazingly clever, and it's even better in execution. It simultaneously plays off old-people and Asian stereotypes in a loving yet hysterical way.

Interesting Times is a great one-off Discworld book for those unfamiliar with the universe. If you like humor, it's a must-read.

A sequel of sorts to "The Color of magic" and "The light fantastic", even if happening long after those events. Here we meet again Twoflower and the revolution he unknowingly fired by describing in a book the wonders he saw in the external world, forbidden to Agatean nationals. The emperor asks Ankh-Morpork for a wizard to fight the rebels and Rincewind is sent, eventually getting involved with the revolution on the side of the oppressed. Here we meet again Cohen the Barbarian and his Silver Horde.

When Buddy decides to enter Ankh-Morpork and become a musicion he meets Clif and Glodd. Other musicions. Buddy finds a guitar with strange music and an even stranger power. Soon the trio are playing Music with Rocks In. Later all of Ankh-Morpork is in a music franchise.

In another place, Susan a girl of reason finds out that she is the grandoughter of Death. She realizes that she must take over the family business because Death wants to forget the future by, drinking, going into a pitt, and joining a bunch of beggars.

A story full of music with rocks in, Bone Motorcycles, musical guitars, a lot of money and neverending spirits.

I loved this book so much. It was hillariouse and was just plane great. The big thing about this book was that when ever Terry Pratchett would dscribe the music with rocks in, I would go into a trance. So if you want to relax with a book that is also funny Soul Music is your book.

I took one star away because the book sometimes dragged on.

For those of you who don't know, the Discworld series is proken up into little subcycles. This is possibly the best in the ongoing Rincewind cycle. Possibly. What the plot boils down to is, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork has recieved a very strange message from the ancient and very, very rich Agatean Empire, on the Counterweight Continent where gold is as common as dirt, asking for the Great Wizzard. No, I didn't misspell it. Rincewind is sent off to the Empire and ends up in the middle of a revolution which- this being the Agatean Empire- is being done politely. For the established PTerry readers, who recall the first two books, Twoflower's back (Rincewind is not all that happy about this fact) and he's brought daughters!

This is my first encounter with a Disc World novel so maybe that is why during the first 30 pages I was absolutely lost trying to discover what was going on and not laughing at all. ... luckily I got a grasp about the concept of the novel and kept on reading.
More important than the plot - which in any case intends to be silly - is the irony and mockery that Mr. Pratchett makes of people obssesed with power and control. Humor will always be the best tool to show to us how ridicul they are and how senseless is their perception of the world. It is worth reading for all iconoclasts.

They can't all be great, I guess. Interesting Times let me down. It's disjointed and repetitive, thus boring. Where other TPs contain several story threads each entertaining in its own right, Interesting Times seems to have a few storylines whose relationship is muddled. The vividness of the other novels (distinctive names, smell and texture of The River Ankh, etc.) is lacking in this one. Interesting Times is just a political hammer over the reader's head. Not enough creativity here.
Interesting Times is not up to the standards of Wyrd Sisters, Lords and Ladies, Equal Rites, Feet of Clay, and others.

I really liked Soul Music. Death holding open a place in children's minds and hearts for 'Santa' struck me as both very amusing and touching, since we all know that Terry's ultimate Anthropomorphic Personification has a soft spot for humanity. 'Uncle Heavy' was having way too much fun complaining about the Death's role reversals. Susan is wonderful, and funny in her serious, sometimes ironic view of life. The Watch follow their familiar paths, and CMOT Dibbler is more himself than I've seen since Moving Pictures. (snik, snik) Good to the last 'drop', and beyond.

I have an intense feeling of tender affection and compassion for this book! It was the first published work of literature, science, or reference, or one intended for publication I ever read by Terry Pratchett! I am soooooo glad that I read it, for the reason that follows; I have now gone on to read all of the books by him that I can get my parts of the human arm below the wrist, consisting of a thumb, four fingers, and a palm and capable of holding and manipulating things on! He is SUCH a writer of a quality that excites admiration or amazement! I can't wait till his next book comes out!

Pratchett is easily one of the greatest writers of our time with an inventive style that has enough fireworks keep a six year old amused(though i wouldn't recomend it for content) and provide food for the thought for the most learned of our kind. This was the third discworld book i had read but my favorite still after 12. An excelent starting point in the seris of a world that lets us laugh at our selves and every respect of our cultures, without embarresing anyone openminded enough to look twice.

Terry Pratchett is without a doubt one of the most gifted writers to grace the world of literature. His Discworld novel, 'Soul Music', is the most entertaining book I've read in many years. This is the story of Susan Sto Helit- boarding school student, granddaughter of Death, and acting CEO of the family business. When Death joins the Klatchian Foreign Legion to forget (in general), Susan has to take up the scythe and fill in for a time. Not particularly well suited for the job, Susan refuses to collect the life of Imp Y Celyn- a young man who along with a dwarf trumpet player and a troll percussionist, has introduced Music With Rocks In to the good people of Ankh-Morpork. Imp has been influenced by a magical guitar with a life of it's own, and given birth to 'Rock' music. Susan feels it's not right for Imp to 'live fast and die young', and this upsets the balance of nature on Discworld. Assisted by Albert- Death's manservant, and the Death of Rats- Susansets out to find her grandfather and try to set things right. Music With Rocks in has upset every aspect of society in Ankh-Morpork, much like rock'n'roll in 1950's America. The wizards of Unseen University are under a spell like nothing anyone has ever seen. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the whole fantasy/sci-fi genre, but Pratchett's Discworld novels are more akin to flights of fancy... enjoyable on many levels. His works leave the reader with a pleasant sense of fulfillment that few authors can approach. You never find yourself wishing things turned out differently than Pratchett's vision, like so many other novels today. This splendid work has to be read to fully grasp the beauty of it's complex fluidity, and the humorous footnotes are fantastic. I would recommend Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' series to anyone- they are a pleasure to read and finished far too soon.

While I've known Terry Pratchett's name for some time now (his collaboration with Neil Gaiman in Good Omens is fantastic) I'd never read one of his books before. I was familiar with the world from an old graphic novel of one of his books (I think Color of Magic) so I didn't feel obligated to start at the beginning.
Interesting Times follows the character of Rincewind on a journey through the Counterweight Continent, the discworld version of the Orient. Rincewind is an interesting character and Pratchett plays him well as a rather powerless wizard who just happens to get by through a sheer amount of luck, and the quickness of his fleeing legs. A pessimistic character, I liked him through the beginning of the book, though by the end his uneagerness to help anyone grew a bit tiresome (though unconciously he tends to help out a great deal.) Rincewind shares the stage, however, with a group of aging barbarians called the Silver Horde who steal the show really. The best bits of the book are the ones involving the Horde. Their lessons on how to be civilized and inability to change their habits.
While I can't rate this in comparison to other Discworld books, I found it highly entertaining, and though, probably not the best place to start the series off. Read some other Pratchett books to aquaint yourself with the world, and work your way up to Interesting Times. It's worth the time.

Pratchett never disappoints me, and as usual, this book was hilarious from start to finish, and you almost never see the jokes coming. I would find myself laughing out loud, then turning back a few pages to see just how long he'd been setting up a joke, then realizing that he hadn't been setting it up, it just appeared there. I'd reccomend brushing up on your Rock and Roll history before reading this, as those who are unfamiliar with the early days of Rock music may miss many of the jokes.

More of the same... Pratchett's Discworld series is sumptuous. My earlier comparisons (in my reviews of Mort and The Truth) with P.G. Wodehouse's fictional world seem pretty apt. Both Pratchett's and Wodehouse's worlds are utterly pleasurable places to immerse oneself in. Both are dreamlike fantasies which nevertheless maintain strong connections with the so-called `real' world. Both are peopled with a wide variety of grotesques/caricatures/stereotypes which are, somehow, utterly compelling and utterly believable. Both weave fantastically complicated plots and sub-plots and employ many of the devices of farce and sitcom. I think Pratchett's world, characters, themes, philosophies etc are much more varied in scope - Discworld is, after all, an actual, literal world as opposed to Wodehouse's much more limited, self-enclosed, metaphoric world of the English upper classes/landed gentry etc. Pratchett wins, hands down, for the sheer breadth and depth of his imagination. But I think Wodehouse is far superior in his use of the English language and his works have a far higher laugh rate than Pratchett's. Typically with Wodehouse, I'm archly amused several times per paragraph, doubled up with laughter several times per chapter and swooning at the sheer brilliance of the writing and story several times per book. With Pratchett, most of my response is arch amusement and I'm only doubled up with laughter a handful of times per book (so far) and rarely swooning at the sheer brilliance of the writing or story. This sounds like I'm really laying into Pratchett. I'm not. I think it is well worth any reader's while to spend significant chunks of their life ploughing through the Pratchett oeuvre. Just make sure you allocate enough time to simultaneously consume plenty of Wodehouse too! Anyhow, back to Soul Music. Highlights include... the highly sympathetic characters of Susan Death, Buddy, Cliff, Glod, the Librarian... a plethora of groan-inducing puns... fantastic pastiches of the music industry... the loving evocation of the unique magic of rock music... and the fact that I wished the story were twice as long (yet again, Pratchett's ending is poignant, hopeful, just plain good!) I had more fun with this Discworld novel than the others I've read so far (Mort, The Truth) and I was quite moved by it. It had less flab than The Truth and was more meaty than Mort. (Though, curiously, Death himself was a bit washed up - difficult third album syndrome, no doubt!) So, tentatively, I'd say it's my fave so far... but that statement is subject to change... Feet of Clay next...

This is another great Discworld novel. It's about the birth of Music With Rocks In on the Disc. I just finished it, and was left with a very profound feeling that, somehow, I'm quite NORMAL next to this guy.
Anyway, it's about the granddaughter of Death, who has gone on a philisophical journey. Susan Sto Helit climbs aboard Binky (Death's white horse) and kills a lot of folk-until she meets Imp y Celyn. Imp, whose full, translated name is "small shoot of the holly" is the birth of Music with Rocks In on the Discworld. With a new name ("Buddy"), he and Glod the Dwarf ("We're on a mission from Glod") and Cliff the Troll start a band called The Band With Rocks In, and get the entire faculty of Unseen University in an uproar, even the Librarian ("Oook.") What follows is, well, hilarity. Read this, then go read Small Gods, and you'll be hooked for live on Discworld.

This is a verry intertaining book, chalked full of "Interesting Times". After I had read hogfather,another great novel with death posing as the Hogfather (discworld's version of Santa Clause), the same day I began reading "Interesting Times", and couldn't put it down if I wanted to, Naturrally I didn't want to. This book is about Rincewind, the mild-manored average coward, (he prefers the term inept or incompetant wizard) who is pitted against two nations at war with one another by the gods. And who can forget that in the middle there is the "silver horde" (a small band of venerable barbarians) who want all the riches to be made by war all for themselves, and to put Cohen on the throne. Rincwind is beleived to be this great and powerful wizard who is destined to raise the "red army", unfortunatly, he as we all know, cant make a butterfly out of a caterpillar if he had all the time in the world and the power to make it happen. Heaven help the nations at war!!!

Soul Music is absolutely my favourite book of all time. There's not much more needed to say about it. Terry Pratchett outdid himself writing this one -- it's even better than Maskerade (my second favourite book of all time). Soul Music is brilliant, witty, clever, splendidly written, and fantastically funny, yet despite the hilarious humour, it manages to have a certain poignance, too. I read Soul Music in one sitting -- took me two and a half hours -- without moving, save to turn the pages. I was completely unaware of time passing. After I finished it -- I turned to the front and read it again. In one more sitting. Five hours, total. I had expected this book to be brilliant and hysterical -- I was not disappointed. It was much, much better than I expected. Terry Pratchett is a genius, and Soul Music is his greatest.

I have read with great enjoyment all of the Discword books I could get my hands on, but of them all, Soul Music is my favorite. It contains all the usual Pratchett trademarks, such as clever allusions, bizzare footnotes, and an underlying message which is as serious as the actual writing is silly. Needless to say, it's one of the funniest things I've ever read. It makes room for all my favorite Discworld characters (i.e. Death and his granddaughter Susan, the Librarian of Unseen University, and the various odd residents of Ankh-Morpork). Anyone who has read any other of the Discworld books with enjoyment needs this one as well, and anyone who hasn't needs this one to start with.

I can still vividly picture a guy being thrown ON to the river... Terry perfectly illustrates what the world would look like if it were much more fun. Death-of-Rats with his little rat-scythe. A wizard with a leather jacket bearing the words "Born to Rune" on the back. Rock and Roll sneaking in a few hundred years before its time. As soon as I can find a bus going there, I'm buying a ticket.

I didn't read all books by Pratchett but really a lot and until now I gotta say that Interesting Times is the best I read. It has a nice story, all the great characters (Rincewind, Twoflower,Cohen and of course this little, funny and... dangerous thing (Pratchett reader's know what I mean)) and - most important - it's very funny! You'll enjoy reading it if you like funny fantasy! I guarantee that!

I really like all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld (fantasy) books, including this one. You will best enjoy reading them in the order published, but they're good on their own. They have a unique, fey humor: I expect you will like all or none, so if they're new to you, get just one to begin with.

I really like all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld (fantasy) books, including this one. You will best enjoy reading them in the order published, but they're good on their own. They have a unique, fey humor: I expect you will like all or none, so if they're new to you, get just one to begin with.

As my second Discworld book, I didn't like it as much as "Hogfather", but as a professional musician I found many more things amusing than some non-musicians may. There is some very subtle humor (or humour) for musicians in here.
It was nice to follow Death on one of his journies to find himself and it is always great to hear from the Grim Squeaker (Death of Rats) again.
Good book.

This isn't my favorite of the Discworld series, but it's still a solid read, and a very funny take on the world of rock and roll. (Or rather, the world of Rocks that Roll.) Another in the Death series, not quite as wonderful as "Reaper Man," but worth a look if you're a fan. Or even if you aren't; because, let's face it, Pratchett is still a cut above the rest, even in his more minor efforts.

This is really a good book and got me hooked on the series. It's really not that bad, and if you think it's confusing, think, do you ALWAYS understand a joke the fist time you hear it? If you're not keen on Sci-fi/Fantasy, well, you probally won't like it, but this is on par with Xanth, Pern, and Valdemar. Alot of the book has to do with rock and roll, so you may want to brush up on your history. I would definately recommend this book to a teenager or someone who lived throughout the time of rock and Roll's beginning. If you don't care for anything like this, then you won't like this book. It's that simple.
Personally, I love it, even if it's just due to my dislike of most non-fiction. I find it boring, but this book is definitly NOT Earth, it's more like a new, improved version of Xanth, Valdemar, and the world's of David Eddings.

I heard about Terry Prachett on a web site and decided to try his books. I'm glad I did! this was the first Discworld book I read and it's not the last. I was hooked on mysteries but not anymore! If you want a good laugh, this is the book to read! Rincewind is the funniest character I've ever read about, (But the Librarian comes in at a close second). All I can say is, Keep up the good work Terry!

Brilliant stuff, as usual. An original idea, a pun or a twist on a long-held assumption in almost every paragraph. Where does Pratchett get it from? This book explains the Discworld history of the Chinese revolution, the orgin and purpose of the terracotta army, and the ultimate fate of Cohen the Barbarian among other things. Plus a few observations on the sex life of luggages.

As with all Disc World books this is a fun read. Seeming mindless, however crammed with ironic situation, persona and ideology fittingly significant with 20th Century history, mores and political thought. A great thought provocating satire with nothing off limits.

I am about to finish up the book and this book is great. this is my first discworld book, i have played the games which brought me too this author. I am now going to have to get all the books in the series, I especially like the stories dealing with rincewind but almost certainly will love everyone not dealing totally with him too. all in all a great book

It hardly gets any funnier than this: DEATH (skeleton in black robe) has a teenage granddaughter named SUSAN who gets a crush on a young musician Imp y Celyn (which translates Celyn = Holly, Imp = Bud). Ructions in reality ensue when Susan tries to save Buddy from his appointment with Fate.

If there is a musical catchphrase that Pratchett fails to warp, pun or riff off of, than it isn't an important one. Pratchett's characters are lively and engaging; his plot runs on rockets and his humor, whether you find it satiric or merely slapstick, is truly funny. As always, Discworld holds up a warped mirror to our world and shows a true picture. This is one of Pratchett's best. Highly recommended.

This book is extremely hilarious. Rincewind, who is the only known wizard to have gotten a negative matk in basic firemaking, is one of the funniest characters Terry Pratchett has ever created. This book is great for anyone who wants to eat a foot, listen to Mr. Purple Cat think 'Hello', or has a strong desire for boiling oil.

Masterful puns, entertaining characters, family business, wizards, guilds, music and Death -- it'd have to be Pratchett -- who else could weave such a collection in any one book. I found this a hard slog at times, but all-in-all it was great fun and I loved the exploration of Death and the Death business.

If you do, the novel will grate and grate and grate on that point. Other than that it is a hilarious Rincewind story. Essentially, if you can not care or grit your teeth through the Japanese/Chinese equivalent of "Bonjour, Fraulein. Merci-schoen" then it's a funny read.

Interesting, and strange!, times indeed. Cohen and the Silver Horde are a wonderfully odd group, always good to see Rincewind and his luggage in action [and the luggage has some interesting "action" of its own!]
As always, wonderfully entertaining, which great twists on historical facts.

This book cannot be described without using the word excellent. It is the first Pratchett Novel I ever read and it got me hooked. The Silver Horde are incredible. Interesting Times is non-stop, laugh a miunte stuff and never gets boring. I cannot recommend this book enough and everytime you read it, it gets better.

Discworld anti-hero Rincewind and one of its heroes - the Luggage :) - are back. With the support of Cohen and his horde of elderly co-barbarians, they stir trouble in the Discworld equivalent of China, where politeness keeps the People's Army from getting on with their revolution. Well-written, funny, nice to read!

Oversimplified biased view of the east notwithstanding, this book has lot to teach our young people (and the chronically old) about correct outlook on life and poeple and teaches it with out pissing the reader off. If only these bloody English authors can get it in to their heads that the world has non-Anglo Saxon saviours....

Again we encounter Cohen the Barbarian and what a show we are invited to. I personally adore Cohen the Barbarian and this book clearly shows him as a GREAT hero, even if he can barely spell his own name. Rincewind and Two-Flower give a great addition as well. I think it is time for Pratchett to write a story of Cohen only and soon, 'cause the old bugger won't be living for much longer 8he's got to b over 90 by now).

Rincewind, as the 'Great Wizzard' is sent to the Agatean Empire as the legend goes with the great wizzard summoning the red army. Features the Archancellor, Twoflower, Cohen and the Silver horde. Very interesting, with a good storyline and the book 'What I Did on my Holidays'

Rincewind returns. Great. I like Rincewind. We get to see the High Energy Magic geeks at U.U. in action again. Even better. Twoflower comes back...I liked Twoflower...but this isn't good. The disturbing return of Twoflower and other elements of this novel indicate that Pratchett has turned from a humorist into a cynic. Wonder if the Chinese government has banned this book...if they have it's no wonder why.

Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett is worth reading. Like Jingo, Feet of Clay, and other Discworld novels, each of its characters deserves a biography of their own. Allthough all of Pratchett's books are very funny, this is the only one that made me laugh out loud. It is very crazy, which characterizes Discworld novels. Take for instance 6 old men, one in a wheelchair, but able to take on armies. These and other odd characters appear in this book. I only give it four stars because the plot could be better.

This is wonderful. It's the first Discworld book I've read, and, though now I've read 'em all, it's still my favourite. Not only is it bloody hilarious, but it's also quite poignant, in places--perfectly demonstrating the dichotomy that makes Pratchett so great.

Well, he had to come back one way or another, and once again Pratchett wheels you into a story that will make you laugh out loudlyfor a few seconds, only to realise that you're in a packed train on your way to work... Highly recomended to all Chaos Theorists >=o

Discworld is a highly entertaining mickey take on the most ridiculous industry known to man. No corner escapes Terry Pratchett's wicked humour:performers, managers, agents and especially the fans (the image of the Dean in his leather cloak with the words "Born To Rune" on the back still makes me chuckle). Well done Mr. Pratchett! Long Live Music With Rocks In!!!

I really enjoy Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, although I prefer more time being spent in Ankh-Morpork. I've had this book on the shelf for a while and just got around to reading it. It's good and a must for all of those who enjoy the Discword series.

This is another great book from Terry Pratchett, that will give you a good laugh. However, I don't think the description of the book (Sex, Dwarves, and Rocks that Roll) tells you much about the book, so read it and find out for yourself!

Rincewind the Wizzard is back, and more hilarious than ever! Fans of Discworld, beware: long periods of helpless laughter due to the riotous nature of this book may ensue upon reading. Readers are in for a side-splitting, spirits-lifting good time.

Having read this book only in English although being a German didn't make it less funny!!!
Interesting Times definately belongs to the 3 best books of Pratchett (along with Guards!Guards! and Small gods).
Pratchett fills another part of the Discworld with live (the Counterweight Continent), but still manages to keep the spirit of the series alive. The reader meets old friends like Rincewind, Cohen or the Council of Wizards, and has (like in all of the other novels by Pratchett) the opportunity to laugh and think at the same time throughout the book.
Definately a book to buy for any Pratchett- fan or anybody who likes humorous fantasy.

I gave this a 5-star rating on principle...but be careful when you buy Soul Music...some copies were misprinted and are missing 50-100 pages (well, actually,when I say "missing", I mean replaced by 50-100 pages of Patricia Cornwell's Black Hornet). Make sure you check for this when you purchase it!

Very Pratchett, this is a wonderful Disc World adventure that makes a great addition to the Pratchett collection or as a stand alone humorous story.
Interesting Times

The Kindle is NOT the book. It must be a glitch in the system, but as of 9/22/2014 if you order the Kindle version you get the screenplay adaptation, not the real book. Hopefully this is fixed soon.

I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I did Pratchett's Mort, but I still spent most of the book giggling to myself. More than some of his other novels, Pratchett worked in real-world tie-ins. Many of them are in pun form, some of them are just allusion, but I plan to read this several more times to see if I can find more. I recommend this book to anyone already familiar with Pratchett or anyone who enjoys Piers Anthony's punniness.

Four Words: The Death of Rats, yes I know that He's not one of the main charecters in this book but the whole idea just works for me.

This books takes us on a tour of nothing and yet still manages to teach us alot about everything. (sort of like Dougles Adams

We have several new friends, (including Death's Grandaughter, who feels that her school should just leave her along and stop messing with her education) and a number of old ones as well.

I utterly adore Pratchett's books. The nice thing about them is that they are easy reading but also witty and cleverly written. He is certainly an impressive writer. He turns out satire smoothly but without any trace of bitterness. This makes his books light hearted, funny and relaxing. I can not wait for his next book.

Of the eight Discworld novels I've read so far, this is the best. It reminds me of Monty Python, but produces Pythonesque absurdity while keeping the characters a good deal more realistic than Monty Python.

Out of all the Discworld novels I have read, the books pertaining to Rincewind are my favorite. However, out of the 'Rincewind' books, Interesting Times was my absolute favorite. The allusion to Asian culture was hilarious and I have never found Rincewind funnier. I also liked the fact that he met up with his friend Two-Flower again, whom we met in Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic. Pratchett is to be commended, he is a most excellent author!

Of the eight Discworld novels I've read so far, this is the best. It reminds me of Monty Python, but produces Pythonesque absurdity while keeping the characters a good deal more realistic than Monty Python.

Out of all the Discworld novels I have read, the books pertaining to Rincewind are my favorite. However, out of the 'Rincewind' books, Interesting Times was my absolute favorite. The allusion to Asian culture was hilarious and I have never found Rincewind funnier. I also liked the fact that he met up with his friend Two-Flower again, whom we met in Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic. Pratchett is to be commended, he is a most excellent author!

I'm telling you, I've read all the rincewind books and this is by FAR the best discworld book you'll read, possibly along with Sourcery and The fifth elephant, maybe just maybe the last Continent. Terry Pratchett is my FAVE writer and always will be. I can't wait to read the next book. If your looking to get another book this should be the one you'll buy because its a class A book. Definately a good read.

The book itself is wonderful as all Pratchett's work is. But the digital version is riddled with typos and scrambled passages. You would be much better off spending the extra 36 cents and buying a hard copy, as seems to be more and more true of older titles the publishers are trying to automate into digital form. Anybody ever heard of quality control, for heaven's sake?

Since I plunged myself into the Discworld universe, I have not been disappointed once. Interesting times is as funny as ever and no Discworld's fan can pass on this one.
For those who do not know Terry Pratchett's work, go for it or try the first novel "The Color of Magic", you'll get hooked for sure.

One of my favrite Discworld it has everything in it. I have read every Discworld book writen so far. It has everything,Rincewind,Cohen the Barbarian,The Luggage,Ridcully evan Twoflower. This book is so funny that my brother shout at me to be quite and that how can i laught out loud at a book.A MUST READ!!!!

I stopped counting typos after 50, that's not hyperbole I literally counted and bookmarked all the misspellings up to fifty(less than quarter-way through the book) before giving up, not just misspelled words either about halfway through several pages are out of order, and that's in addition to the standard shoddy formatting we've all come to know and love harper collins ebooks for. I got my money back and I recommend you don't waste your's.

If you are going to spent some time in China, read this !! It is hilarious, witty, passionate and one of the best guides to Chinese mentality available. After this, even the standard behaviour of Chinese cab drivers and street vendors cannot surprise you any more. May you live in interesting times ...

Terry Pratchet has done it again, with Soul Music. This is the best Discworld novel yet published. Trolls, dwarfs, humans and music with rocks in, it's a really funny book, with action, satirical jokes and a true observation on human nature. Just read it!

I was told that this was his best. Perhaps this is true, but I will not be wasting my time reading any of the others. "Cult" writers are often over-rated, yet I cannot understand why apparently intelligent people want to read this trash. Most science fantasy is terrible. Even Tolkien was much more enjoyable when I was 9. "The Silmarillion" is shockingly bad at any age. The only joke I laughed at (and not out loud) was the one about Thelonius Monk. Also, I think that Susan's character has definite paedophile connotations, and is generally implausible. Watch some bad TV instead and save your money.

How this got printed I don't want to know.
I will read anything, from milk cartons to Richard Feynmane to bodice rippers. I could not get through this drivel.
And what, pray tell, is with a character that always speaks in CAPITAL LETTERS.
Don't go here, unless you are in desparate for the paradigmatic example of <profanity ommitted in deference to common decency>