The Last Continent
 | von Terry Pratchett
ISBN: 0061059072 |
Astoundingly great for most authors. Very good for Pratchett
The Last Continent was hand made some time after the rest of the Disc (as seen in Eric). Named XXXX by the people of the Circle Sea, who believed it to be mythical, it is explicitly _not_ Discworld Australia. It is however vaguely australian.When Rincewind the "Wizzard" enters this mileau, he finds he has caused it to be dry for thousands of years. In XXXX, you see, time turns into space and space turns into Vegemite. The beliefs of the Aborigines are combined with cutting-edge quantum mechanics as the assembled wizards of UU cause a time paradox I really can't say too much about. Suffice to say that our magic-impaired coward is destined to become the Great FourEcksian Hero. I know Terry Pratchett is fond of Australia, and it really comes through. Some of the jokes may come across as national stereotypes, but surely not more so than Genua (Southern US) or even Lancre (Northern England). In fact I want to know why there's no country on the Disc that's "vaugely scottish"! A real beaut of a book, mate.
No Worries
It probably is strange to see how some people only give the book 2 stars and find it a big disappointment, while others say it is his best one yet... Terry writes far more than 1 book-a-year which sometimes shows in his work. If you are a die-hard Discworld fan, you can't help noticing that Pratchett is getting less original all the time. But he has to repeat things, because non-Discworld fans have to be able to read the books as well. It is pretty weird to assume everone knows about a world standing on the back of a turtle; these things need to be explained over and over again. BUT in this book Mr. Pratchett doesn't write about most of his 'clichees', but about an entire new continent (XXXX for the fans) and still people (Discworld-fans!!) complain. A bit australianish as the cover says, but still very nice to read. Still no worries eh?
Damn funny!
How can anyone not like this book? From the hilarious 'drunk-food' scenario to the usual excellent dialogue that we have come to expect from Pratchett, this book is more than simply funny. It might help a bit to understand Australian culture and it may help to have read other Pratchett books first, but I can't help thinking that if you don't enjoy this book, it is simply because you don't understand it. This book, like so many other Pratchett books, drips with style, and of course it brought on the usual 'laugh out loud like a deranged lunatic in a public place' syndrome. Who could ask for more?
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