Customer Reviews

Unseen Academicals (Discworld)

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Before I purchased this book I read some of the reviews here and some of them distressed me a little.

After actually reading the book I am a bit puzzled at some of the charges that Alzheimer's is at the heart of a poor book. WTF? This was one of the more complex Discworld books to date, perhaps not as light and fluffy as some would hope, but very dense and meaningful. Yes, football seems to be what the book is about, but that is, excuse me, a very facile interpretation of the story, which IS about prejudice, finding meaning in life, love, friendship, the interaction of social classes, and so much more, football is merely the foil upon which part of the book plays out against. This is a discworld book that follows several narratives until they reduce down to one. It is one of the more challenging discworld books in it story telling, and rewards faithful reading of the series with all manners of small insights into formerly minor (and major) characters.

Those that blame Alzheimer's for a book they don't like are on the wrong track, it is fine to not like the book, it took me longer to engage with this book than many other discworld books, but the not liking is a personal preference and not the result of the disease.

Once I adjusted to the flow and style of the book I was pulled further and further in and by the end it ranks near the top of discworld books ever for me.

It is good, nay.. it is great.

Mr Pratchett has used many of his novels to give a comic fantasy twist to many subjects ranging from Banking, movie making to newspapers. Here he turns his hand to blending football into the Discworld. And the football here is the British Soccer, not football as understood by you chaps in the US.

I have been with the Discworld novels since the very beginning, way before the author turned into a phenomenon and then an official National British Treasure. Recently his much discussed illness has perhaps made us appreciate his genius even more. Now, a slight confession, although I was there from the start, I kind of lost my way about Hogfather - maybe it was my age or my tastes changed, but suddenly the books weren't doing it for me and since Hogfather I have only been dipping in and out of the occasional one.

But I love football and was keen to see how Terry Pratchett would morph our beautiful game into a Discworld version! And would the classic humour and clever writing be there as I remembered it from the days of avid reading. In short, yes.

In essence, the wizards of the Unseen University have to win a football match. And they are not allowed to use magic. So they resort to bringing in some players many of whom, in typical Pratchett fashion, are not quite what they seem. But although there are many amusing digs at the football culture, football and the challenge match are just the framework in which the author places interesting characters and very funny interplay. And there comes a point where you realise that actually this book might be about something that is nothing to do with football as we also get a gentle love story and comments on such maters as diverse as discrimination and fashion!

Knowledge of 'soccer' is not required to appreciate this, but there are two elements of British culture that may be worth explaining. Firstly British football is very tribal and who you support and intense rivalries that can border on hate, are part of the culture. Also part of the culture are the stadium pies. These are no culinary delights but are a stadium tradition, you eat them without asking too many questions - nobody expects decent quality food at a football ground in the UK. These are running themes in the book so worth mentioning for background.

Also towards the end the chapters have titles such as "They think it's all over" and "It is now"...this is from a famous TV commentary from 1966 when England won the World Cup.

It's astonishing that an author who is suffering with a serious illness can still produce such high quality stuff. The word genius was never more appropriate.

Lord Vetinari decides it is time to treat football (soccer to Americans) like crime; if you are going to have it, it should be organized. Ponder Stibbons learns the power of managing the agenda and mastering tradition. Ankh-Morpork finds the Disc's first super-model, and tries to figure out exactly why this should matter to anyone. The power of pie is explored. More insinuations, inuendo, and hints as to the relationship between Lord Vetinari and a mature lady from Überwald. And Mr. Nutt is introduced and acquires worth. Along with the usual cultural literacy exam.

Again, Terry Pratchett has outdone himself. "Unseen Academicals" is a brilliant and complex story with many threads beautifully woven together. The lives of the most powerful people in Ankh-Morpork intersect with the lives of the most humble on the Disc.

Cooks, candlemakers, and the fans and players of foot-the-ball of the neighborhoods of Ankh-Morpork find their lives turned upside down when the Wizards of U.U. find they must play soccer, or limit themselves to only three meals a day. And behind this, a humble and hard working... man, Nutt is trying to gain worth, earn respect, and make friends, none of which come naturally to him. Old characters return, one having substituted 'x' for 'cks', new characters abound. References to Shakespeare and pop culture (for lack of a better word) collide.

I loved it. I read it in a day, and am re-reading it to pick up on the magnificent detail and hints that will only make sense as the story draws to a close. My biggest regret is that "Unseen Academicals" arrived to quickly ending the anticipation, and it will be too long before the next Pratchett book.

E. M. Van Court

As Discworld novels go, some are good, and some are great. But this one is Worthy! It is the best Pratchett has ever done, and that is saying a lot! For the first time he actually uses some Forbidden Words, and delves further into adult territory than he has ever done before. The odd thing is that it works masterfully. It is a bit grittier than previous books, and that surprise alone made me laugh out loud. The book is about Foot The Ball (Soccer), Glenda, Juliet, and Mr. Nutt. And Pies. Mr Nutt has got to be one of his best characters ever, and watching this little goblin grow and find his worth is fascinating. Not since Sam Vimes has there been so great a potential for a character. The Dean's treachery makes a great little side plot, and Lord V. is as Machiavellian as ever. Glenda the night cook cooks up more than just pies, and her best friend Juliet stumbles into becoming the Discworld's very first super model. Trevor won't play 'cause his dad got dead in a game' and 'he promised his old mum'. Of course our favorite orangutan is there, and even Rincewind shows up to play. The subtitles are there in all their glorious lunacy. Arch chancellor Ridcully has a larger part in this book than is usual, and proves to be as likable and devious a lunatic as any we have ever met on the disc. All in all, the biggest problem with this book is that it is far too short, and over far too quickly. If you love Pratchett and his motley crew of .....ahem.....people, then you just gotta read this one.

Kudos to you Mr Pratchett. You are a true genius. May you write forever!

Now I know a lot of die hard Pratchett fans are going to disagree with me in this review. I respect that. But I feel honesty is best. Also, I myself am a huge fan of everything Pratchett has written (and yes, I've read nearly everything I could find). I'll always hold him in high esteem.

So saying...this book, while amusing...while good, is not up to Pratchett's usual excellence. It doesn't even really FEEL like Pratchett. Oh, there are accents of him all over it, but it...feels...like it was written by another. It definitely feels ghostwritten. It doesn't have Pratchett's usual sharp wit and style. Is it worth reading? Definitely. It's a good book, but it's merely ok, instead of the Pratchett norm. I realize I'm completely spoiled by his previous books but there it is.

It pains me to say this but I suspect Mr. Pratchett's announcement of poor health has something to do with it. So, buy it. Read it. Enjoy yet another Discworld novel with a good idea behind it, full of many new and old characters...but take it also with a large grain of salt.

I've read the entire Discworld series as well as several of Prachett's other books, and I must say that Unseen Academicals is his one of his very best Ankh-Morpork books if not the best, period. Without giving anything away, the main theme is very appealing and satisfying one about how people choose to live, whether as a mob or as individuals, and how important it is to direct that potential in ways that bring out our best traits, manage and direct our worst traits, and make us happy. As usual, though the thought-provoking aspects are easily set aside if you just want to enjoy some good, sometimes raunchy fun. The book isn't remotely preachy which is why it works. Well, that and outstanding craftsmanship.

Unseen Academicals also has the largest ensemble cast of Prachett's books, but with many of the Ankh Morpork regulars we know and love (the Watch, Lord Vetinari, the Press, the Unseen University Staff (ook!), and even the original Discworld lead Rincewind). However, they play entirely supporting roles to some fresh but appealing characters. As a result, you don't need to know a thing about Discworld to enjoy Unseen Academicals, but if you know anything about the series, you'll be delighted by your previous reading efforts paying off again and again. By reading this, I feel like I have new insights into his own perspectives and affection for his characters and settings.

In short, I loved the book.

I suppose I especially loved it especially both because it is so well done and knowing that we won't see many more from Prachett because of his early onset Alzheimer's disease (though I hope I am wrong -- though not nearly as much as Prachett himself, I suspect). I hope he gives us another similar book in the Lancre setting.

Here's to hoping he stays ridiculously healthy.

As I found the reviews somewhat mixed I held off buying this book for a long, long time. Previously I had taken every masterful Discworld book on pre-order. However, with Mr Pratchett becoming a victim of Alzheimer's I feared the worst for his writing. I did not want to be disappointed, I did not want the last 'new' Discworld book I read to be a disappointment. Really, I should have paid more attention because this book is about soccer. I eat, drink and sleep soccer. I love this book, it is truly both brilliant and hilarious. I would venture to suggest that any failure to enjoy this book is not the fault of the author but the fault of the reader. The book is funny in a smart way. All Discworld books are funny in a smart way. If a reader does not know the topic being satirized then it is really just too bad for them. Anyone not enjoying this book should look at themselves first and the book second when wondering what went wrong.

I'm a huge fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. The tongue-in-cheek parodies are guaranteed entertainment. This time, in Unseen Academicals, Pratchett takes on football. This is, of course, British football, although the antics of players and spectators are little different to those of their American counterparts. But, as Pratchett says, football is never just about football.

When the overweight, overindulgent wizards of Unseen University discover a clause in an endowment that states they must play football or lose a tidy sum of money--that means they would have to pare back spending on food, and worse, reduce the size of the cheese plate--they have no choice. They must form a team and take part in Ankh-Morpork's popular sport of Foot the Ball, and being Unseen University, they must win. Without using magic.

We find many old friends in Unseen Academicals: successful tyrant Lord Ventinari, Archancellor Mustrum Ridcully, the Librarian, and more. As per Pratchett's m.o.d., we also meet new characters we hope to see in future Discworld novels. Trev Likely, son of Ankh-Morpork's most famous footballer, who died on the field. Trev promised his old mum he wouldn't play the game, but he's a whiz with a shiny tin can. Sensible, intelligent Glenda, pie-maker supreme in UU's night kitchen. Glenda's friend and total opposite, the stunning Juliet; beautiful, romantic, illiterate and dimmer than a 25-watt light bulb. And then there is Mr. Nutt. Everyone thinks Nutt is a goblin, but Pratchett lets us into the secret of what Nutt really is early on. Thugs, dwarf couturiers, rivals from another university, all make their appearance; not to forget Mr. Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, who always manages to weasel his way into a scene, albeit briefly.

As UU tries to research the game of Foot the Ball, a gold-colored urn mysteriously comes to light. This urn conveniently lists the original, goddess-given rules of football. And just in time, too, before the UU team has to participate in the current knock-em-down-and-stomp-on-em street version. This new game of football will be civilized, and with Mr. Nutt to tutor them in strategy and technique, how can they lose?

But, as said before, football is never just about football.

The Terry Pratchett trademark footnotes are back. One takes up almost half the first page and true to form the footnote is itself footnoted. The blithering idiocy of the footnotes which sprinkle the pages of the book fails to disguise the grace and depth of the superb fantasy novel that floats above them. The plot moves faster than a kicked soccer ball and the humor has edges that cut right down to the heart.

This is a book about Glenda, the young lady who runs the Night Kitchen at the Unseen University. She's got a way with pastry and a kind heart for anyone in trouble. It's also about Mr. Nutt, a little goblin who makes candles in the basement--the wizards like them to be properly dribbled and deformed because the magic doesn't go right if the candle is straight. It's about Trevor Likely who promised his old mum he wouldn't play football since his dad died in a scrimmage. It's about the lovely Juliet--her family cheers for a rival football team so although she and Trevor are in love they can't be seen together. It's a book about teamwork, about finding worth in oneself and about taking chances.

Most of our old Ankh-Morpork friends turn up in the melee--Archchancellor Ridcully and his faculty are delightfully in evidence as the university decides that what they need is a football rivalry with a team from the town. Lord Vetinari manipulates everything in a way that makes Machiavelli look like an amateur. Rincewind runs; Sam Vines threatens to throw the lot of them into jail. And yet things at old UU have changed (but no spoilers--I shall say nothing more about the treachery of the Dean!)

Terry Pratchett manages to enchant us with his new characters and keep us laughing at his old ones. Mr. Nutt with his philosophical discourses, his desperate desire to become worthy and the dark mystery that surrounds him might just be Pratchett's finest creation to date. Good satire has an edge; great satire wields a scalpel; only Pratchett can write the kind of satire that can give the patient a complete heart transplant and a new chance at life.

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" series there was an episode called "Lower Decks" that focused on a group of young people serving in minor positions on the Enterprise instead of the usual group of head honchos. That is essentially what happens in "Unseen Academicals" which focuses on the people who work in the Night Kitchen and the candle vats of Unseen University, the school for wizards in the city of Ankh-Morpork.

Ostensibly though the book is about the game of foot-the-ball or football (or soccer as we call it across the Pond). In Ankh-Morpork, the game of foot-the-ball is actually more like rugby, with a lot of tackling and fighting and very little scoring. Young Trevor Likely's father was a legend because he scored 4 goals.

Trevor works in the candle vats of Unseesn University with Nutt, a very learned goblin who talks like a shelf of self-help books. Nutt has a Mysterious Past that not even he remembers. Eventually though Trev and Nutt go up to the Night Kitchen, where they meet the plain, fat Glenda and the beautiful, ditzy Juliet.

As it happens Juliet is from the Stoops family, who are sworn enemies of Trev's family because of their foot-the-ball allegiances. Trev & Juliet doesn't play out like Romeo & Juliet because tragedy is not ever really on the menu in the Discworld. Nutt does a little Cyrano in writing a poem to help woo Juliet, which would work better if Juliet could read words of more than one syllable.

Oh yes, there is a football game in there too. The wizards of Unseen University discover that they have to play a game of football in order to keep a bequest that keeps their Night Kitchen stocked. (If there's one thing wizards really like it's their kitchen.) When some new old rules are "discovered" from a museum, a new brand of foot-the-ball is born with Nutt taking the lead as coach.

This book utilizes two recurring theme-like items in the Discworld series. One is equal rights/tolerance, which is embodied by Nutt. Goblins (or what Nutt really is) being the latest in a line that includes dwarfs, trolls, werewolves, vampires, and golems who break the racial barrier in Ankh-Morpork. The other theme-like substance is modernizing the city. The police force, post office, bank, and Unseen University itself have all been dramatically remodeled since the earliest Discworld novels. As well football joins other modern things like newspapers, movies, the Internet, and rock music to become part of the fabric of Disc society. So really while the book is entertaining (as most Discworld books are) it's not anything fans of the series haven't really seen before.

What bugged me about the previous book "Making Money" was that there was no money made in it; the actual printing of money seemed like it would be taking place off the pages. I feared that Pratchett was going to do the same here and have the football game take place off the page, but he does at least manage to get it in, even if it is a bit underwhelming. While it was nice to see Rincewind (with a cameo by The Luggage) and the Librarian again, I wish they could have been used more.

That the book doesn't focus on any of the major characters in the end means that this can be filed away as "Minor Discworld" along with one-offs like "Pyramids," "Small Gods," "The Truth," and "Monstrous Regiment." Since football (soccer) hooliganism isn't a big thing here in the States, I'm sure some of the jokes in this one went over my head; British readers would then probably enjoy this more.

Still, it's not a bad entry in the series, but not an overly important one either. You could do a lot worse.

That is all.