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Discworld #10
Moving Pictures
Discworld's pesky alchemists are up to their old tricks again. This time, they've discovered how to get gold from silver -- the silver screen that is. Hearing the siren call of Holy Wood is one Victor Tugelbend, a would-be wizard turned extra. He can't sing, he can't dance, but he can handle a sword (sort of), and now he wants to be a star. So does Theda Withel, an ambitious ingénue from a little town (where else?) you've probably never heard of.
But the click click of moving pictures isn't just stirring up dreams inside Discworld. Holy Wood's magic is drifting out into the boundaries of the universes, where raw realities, the could-have-beens, the might-bes, the never-weres, the wild ideas are beginning to ferment into a really stinky brew. It's up to Victor and Gaspode the Wonder Dog (a star if ever one was born!) to rein in the chaos and bring order back to a starstruck Discworld. And they're definitely not ready for their close-up!
414 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1990
2135 people are currently reading
27721 people want to read
About the author
Terry Pratchett
684 books46k followersSir Terence David John Pratchett was an English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983–2015, and for the apocalyptic comedy novel Good Omens (1990), which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,862 reviews
July 12, 2020
Welcome to the fabulous dream factory, the best place on earth, oh, sorry, wrong promo, I mean Pratchett´s dissection of the superficiality and deception of the mass production of entertainment and media.
Thanks to the alchemists, the Discworld has become so much richer in high quality entertainment fun or the immensely useless waste of human lifetime, depending on the pro or anti movie watching standpoint, I am possibly a bit biased here. Evil movie, go away, don´t force me watching you, I want to read. Puh, now I can, oh, a 4k remake of a classic real time strategy game series. 500 hours later. Damn it.
However, Holy Wood grows and I guess I know too less about real movie history to get all the innuendos, and stars are made, changing Discworld forever and potentially in a way nobody is aware of.
I mean, think about it, the focus, thoughts, life energy,… of million and soon billions of people is directly transmitted into these settings, what better medium could be used by evil, satanic, interdimensional, alien, or PR industry forces to reap huge stockpiles of psi, qi, karma, or pure brainpower, with whatever unit that could be measured, terrathinks, gigaponder, or something
So media perverts and is dangerous, is this what it´s trying to tell us? Well, it again depends on the individual interpretation, but fueling awareness of the dangers and pitfalls of modern entertainment options is something always a bit underrepresented while everybody is just bashing against books of faces, agencies of national securities, of tubes of yous. After getting so used to, not conspiracy theory including, media irrigation this oldfashioned whipping girl/boy seems to have come completely out of fashion, because the meta big brother scheme sells much more clicks and coverage.
I guess I should once watch the satirized movies, or at least read the scripts, but as they mostly aren´t my genre or are overrated classics that just became cult because of a lack of alternatives, I don´t really see a chance of this ever happening. Quite stereotypical, overused plots nowadays, fresh and original the first few times, but best consumed in a humorous format and used to get laughs instead of screams.
Wait until the end to see how the protagonists reflect about what has just happened to them and how this could be interpreted and adapted for real life, especially the social media epidemic Pratchett sadly had no chance to enjoy. How he would have satirized it will forever stay a mystery.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
Thanks to the alchemists, the Discworld has become so much richer in high quality entertainment fun or the immensely useless waste of human lifetime, depending on the pro or anti movie watching standpoint, I am possibly a bit biased here. Evil movie, go away, don´t force me watching you, I want to read. Puh, now I can, oh, a 4k remake of a classic real time strategy game series. 500 hours later. Damn it.
However, Holy Wood grows and I guess I know too less about real movie history to get all the innuendos, and stars are made, changing Discworld forever and potentially in a way nobody is aware of.
I mean, think about it, the focus, thoughts, life energy,… of million and soon billions of people is directly transmitted into these settings, what better medium could be used by evil, satanic, interdimensional, alien, or PR industry forces to reap huge stockpiles of psi, qi, karma, or pure brainpower, with whatever unit that could be measured, terrathinks, gigaponder, or something
So media perverts and is dangerous, is this what it´s trying to tell us? Well, it again depends on the individual interpretation, but fueling awareness of the dangers and pitfalls of modern entertainment options is something always a bit underrepresented while everybody is just bashing against books of faces, agencies of national securities, of tubes of yous. After getting so used to, not conspiracy theory including, media irrigation this oldfashioned whipping girl/boy seems to have come completely out of fashion, because the meta big brother scheme sells much more clicks and coverage.
I guess I should once watch the satirized movies, or at least read the scripts, but as they mostly aren´t my genre or are overrated classics that just became cult because of a lack of alternatives, I don´t really see a chance of this ever happening. Quite stereotypical, overused plots nowadays, fresh and original the first few times, but best consumed in a humorous format and used to get laughs instead of screams.
Wait until the end to see how the protagonists reflect about what has just happened to them and how this could be interpreted and adapted for real life, especially the social media epidemic Pratchett sadly had no chance to enjoy. How he would have satirized it will forever stay a mystery.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
November 23, 2024
This most Lovecraftian of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books (this being number TEN and first published in 1990) and first of the Industrial Revolution books.
Moving Pictures, as a title of course makes me think of Rush’s brilliant 1981 album of the same name (Pratchett even makes droll word play just as in Rush’s cover art).
Like so many of Sir Terry’s Discworld adventures, he liberally sprinkles popular and cultural references throughout and besides the ubiquitous Lovecraft allusions, he also turns The Camera Eye to a Philip K. Dick reference (if the reader is quick).
A Discworld Tom Sawyer, protagonist Victor Tugelbend (stage name Victor Maraschino) is a perpetual student at Unseen University who is a practiced expert in doing nothing. His Vital Signs are honed to being as lazy as possible, working at not working as hard as other people work at … work.
So when Red Barchetta Alchemists (not to be confused with Wizards) figure out a way to make motion pictures, Victor turns out to be a born actor. Pratchett has fun aplenty making fun of Hollywood and he also introduces more fantastic Discworld characters, the best being Cut-me-own-throat Dibbler, Discworld’s capitalistic icon. Sadly there is little Witch Hunting in the Limelight of this fine novel, but still very good.
I recommend reading this while listening to Rush’s YYZ.
*** 2021 reread -
One of his funniest and this time I especially noticed his satirical genius, having Hollywood become Holy Wood and having it be the subject of a Lovecraftian mythos to rule and end the world. Brilliant!
Also, let's give a big shout out to Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler and Gaspode the Wonder dog. Two otherwise minor characters in the Discworld who stole the show in this one, Dibbler for setting down the sausage cart to become a conniving film producer and Gaspode for being - well, Gaspode. Dibbler was front stage for most of the action and stole scenes that he was in with the verve of a backstage shark.
Pratchett has fun making fun of greed and the allure of misguided hero worship.
And one thousand elephants!
*** 2024 reread -
One of the great things about a Discworld book set in Ankh- Morpork is that it is on a trade route and we see a wide variety of Discworld characters. Here we get wizards from Unseen University, City Watch, The Librarian, Vetinari, and actually this is the book that introduces Ridcully the newest Arch Chancellor.
Pratchett describes how the Alchemists uncover an ancient way to make film. Of course it is the Discworld so the images are painted by imps. Amidst the cavalcade of Hollywood references and allusions we also follow our heroes to uncover a Lovecraftian mystery.
Like all of these stories, the real hero is our host and storyteller, the inimitable and irreplaceable Sir Terry Pratchett.
Moving Pictures, as a title of course makes me think of Rush’s brilliant 1981 album of the same name (Pratchett even makes droll word play just as in Rush’s cover art).
Like so many of Sir Terry’s Discworld adventures, he liberally sprinkles popular and cultural references throughout and besides the ubiquitous Lovecraft allusions, he also turns The Camera Eye to a Philip K. Dick reference (if the reader is quick).
A Discworld Tom Sawyer, protagonist Victor Tugelbend (stage name Victor Maraschino) is a perpetual student at Unseen University who is a practiced expert in doing nothing. His Vital Signs are honed to being as lazy as possible, working at not working as hard as other people work at … work.
So when Red Barchetta Alchemists (not to be confused with Wizards) figure out a way to make motion pictures, Victor turns out to be a born actor. Pratchett has fun aplenty making fun of Hollywood and he also introduces more fantastic Discworld characters, the best being Cut-me-own-throat Dibbler, Discworld’s capitalistic icon. Sadly there is little Witch Hunting in the Limelight of this fine novel, but still very good.
I recommend reading this while listening to Rush’s YYZ.
*** 2021 reread -
One of his funniest and this time I especially noticed his satirical genius, having Hollywood become Holy Wood and having it be the subject of a Lovecraftian mythos to rule and end the world. Brilliant!
Also, let's give a big shout out to Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler and Gaspode the Wonder dog. Two otherwise minor characters in the Discworld who stole the show in this one, Dibbler for setting down the sausage cart to become a conniving film producer and Gaspode for being - well, Gaspode. Dibbler was front stage for most of the action and stole scenes that he was in with the verve of a backstage shark.
Pratchett has fun making fun of greed and the allure of misguided hero worship.
And one thousand elephants!
*** 2024 reread -
One of the great things about a Discworld book set in Ankh- Morpork is that it is on a trade route and we see a wide variety of Discworld characters. Here we get wizards from Unseen University, City Watch, The Librarian, Vetinari, and actually this is the book that introduces Ridcully the newest Arch Chancellor.
Pratchett describes how the Alchemists uncover an ancient way to make film. Of course it is the Discworld so the images are painted by imps. Amidst the cavalcade of Hollywood references and allusions we also follow our heroes to uncover a Lovecraftian mystery.
Like all of these stories, the real hero is our host and storyteller, the inimitable and irreplaceable Sir Terry Pratchett.
August 7, 2024
Series buddy Read with Trish 2024 onwards
Thoroughly enjoyed this story. In fact in the intervening 5 years I'd forgot a lot of it and that made it even better. Some really great parodies of modern life, especially and obviously in this book around the film industry.
I loved Gaspode and of course Laddie, and the film stars Ginger and Victor. Great story ! Is it 5 stars , no but still a really solid 4 and a quarter
Series Read 2019 That I didn't quite finish
Another great Discworld novel, just not quite 5 stars ⭐️.
More tomorrow hopefully.
4.5 ⭐️
So a couple of days have elapsed and I still feel that this is not quite a 5 star read, far enough away to make it a solid 4 stars. It is , as ever with Sir Terry, a fantastic story and a wonderful parody of 20th/21st century life.
This book starts with the death of an old man who was guarding the hill at Holy Wood by the sea. Without his daily chants, strange things start to awaken and attempt to escape from the cave beneath the hill.
The alchemists are drawn to the hill and are strangely interested in starting a moving picture industry, whatever that may be. So "clicks" are born, and people flock to Holy Wood to be a part of this new industry. But all is not well beneath the hill as more "magic" escapes than can be managed and the "click" industry expands at an exponential rate. (getting the picture ??? )
Enter Victor, the laziest of student wizards, Ginger, a farm girl, Gaspode the most scruffy of dogs, but a talker (!) and Laddie, the worlds best acting dog (Good boy Laddie); add these new characters to old favourites like CMOT Dibbler, The Librarian (oook) and 2 cameo appearances from DEATH. The Watch appear briefly as do the senior wizards. All in all a fabulous recipe for a marvellous novel, and Sir Terry does not fail to deliver.
Oh gosh it is just so close to 4.5 stars but I can't keep giving all the DIscworld novels 5 stars, so this is just a 4 star ⭐️ read
Thoroughly enjoyed this story. In fact in the intervening 5 years I'd forgot a lot of it and that made it even better. Some really great parodies of modern life, especially and obviously in this book around the film industry.
I loved Gaspode and of course Laddie, and the film stars Ginger and Victor. Great story ! Is it 5 stars , no but still a really solid 4 and a quarter
Series Read 2019 That I didn't quite finish
Another great Discworld novel, just not quite 5 stars ⭐️.
More tomorrow hopefully.
4.5 ⭐️
So a couple of days have elapsed and I still feel that this is not quite a 5 star read, far enough away to make it a solid 4 stars. It is , as ever with Sir Terry, a fantastic story and a wonderful parody of 20th/21st century life.
This book starts with the death of an old man who was guarding the hill at Holy Wood by the sea. Without his daily chants, strange things start to awaken and attempt to escape from the cave beneath the hill.
The alchemists are drawn to the hill and are strangely interested in starting a moving picture industry, whatever that may be. So "clicks" are born, and people flock to Holy Wood to be a part of this new industry. But all is not well beneath the hill as more "magic" escapes than can be managed and the "click" industry expands at an exponential rate. (getting the picture ??? )
Enter Victor, the laziest of student wizards, Ginger, a farm girl, Gaspode the most scruffy of dogs, but a talker (!) and Laddie, the worlds best acting dog (Good boy Laddie); add these new characters to old favourites like CMOT Dibbler, The Librarian (oook) and 2 cameo appearances from DEATH. The Watch appear briefly as do the senior wizards. All in all a fabulous recipe for a marvellous novel, and Sir Terry does not fail to deliver.
Oh gosh it is just so close to 4.5 stars but I can't keep giving all the DIscworld novels 5 stars, so this is just a 4 star ⭐️ read
May 22, 2024
Re-Read 5/21/24:
Ah, how I love Gaspode. And CMOTD. Truly, I love to hate CMOTD. He's everything we are today, and I hattttteeeeezzzz him.
Great re-read. These all tend to get better with every read. 3rd time now? Likely. And always a joy.
Original Reveiw:
This is a re-read and I'm upping my rating because, well, let's face it: this is the start of a brand new chapter in the Discworld and it follows the main style that I have grown to love over all the rest of the books. I was slow to love them at first, but as I continued to see Progress raise its great lumbering head above the trash heaps of Ankh-Morpork (from inside the river, of course,) I can't help but get all bubbly inside.
Memorable moments, and there are a lot of them going well beyond this review, include a certain wild dash of the head magicians, a certain talking dog, Mr. Cut-Me-Own-Throat, and of course the clever use of the old Greek "anamnesis".
And of course the lambasting of old-time Holy Wood. :) It's time has come.
(Sounds rather ominous, right?)
Quite funny through and through, too. And of course, it only gets better from here. The weight of the Discworld about to break the backs of a few elephants and a turtle. :)
Ah, how I love Gaspode. And CMOTD. Truly, I love to hate CMOTD. He's everything we are today, and I hattttteeeeezzzz him.
Great re-read. These all tend to get better with every read. 3rd time now? Likely. And always a joy.
Original Reveiw:
This is a re-read and I'm upping my rating because, well, let's face it: this is the start of a brand new chapter in the Discworld and it follows the main style that I have grown to love over all the rest of the books. I was slow to love them at first, but as I continued to see Progress raise its great lumbering head above the trash heaps of Ankh-Morpork (from inside the river, of course,) I can't help but get all bubbly inside.
Memorable moments, and there are a lot of them going well beyond this review, include a certain wild dash of the head magicians, a certain talking dog, Mr. Cut-Me-Own-Throat, and of course the clever use of the old Greek "anamnesis".
And of course the lambasting of old-time Holy Wood. :) It's time has come.
(Sounds rather ominous, right?)
Quite funny through and through, too. And of course, it only gets better from here. The weight of the Discworld about to break the backs of a few elephants and a turtle. :)
July 18, 2022
Discworld novels never disappoint and this witty parody on Hollywood is hilarious.
March 26, 2018
Can you hear that? It's the sound of a movie reel.
Discworld has it's first foray into the industrial revolution. Here, in form of the last guardian of an old portal dying without anybody being there to take up his tasks. Not long after, some alchemists in Ankh-Morpork develop clicks, moving pictures painted by enslaved little demons. Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, the sausage dealer, isn't gonna miss out on a chance to get rich so he becomes the first agent/film studio executive. Soon, first people and then animals (that can suddenly talk) are drawn to where the portal used to be, Holy Wood, without knowing why they had the intense urge to be there and be in a picture or help make one.
Holy Wood soon is growing, moving pictures are created in colour even (sound is still very complicated) and the place is becoming stronger while at least some people start noticing that something's wrong. Such as Victor, the male lead. From then on, the crack between dimensions gets larger and larger and there is a mad dash for nothing less than saving the entire Discworld - because that is what a male lead does, right?
Some old beloved characters such as the Librarian or Death as well as some new ones like Gaspode or the trolls spice up this story and it's a delight. And let's not forget that the city of Ankh-Morpork itself, technically, is a character, too - just like the Unseen University's library. Oh, and the current Arch Chancellor (who will remain so for quite a while apparently) now is Ridcully, a fantastically quirky addition to the whole bunch of wizzards.
I burst out laughing several times while reading it and could quote over half of the book.
Pratchett, in his usual deadpan humour, parodies product placements, the treatment of cast and crew on a film set, actors' behavior, the making of movies (historically and mechanically), the plot points in movies, fame, the media circus, the power of imagination ... and even more serious topics such as discrimination and racism in the industry.
There is also more than one movie reference in this, such as for Gone with the Wind, King Kong, Ben Hur, and a few others - with a Discworld twist, of course.
Truth be told, I was reluctant to read this at first. I'd heard about the industrial revolution books, of course, that form a group much like the ones about the witches or the City Watch, but I didn't think I'd like them too much because I want my Discworld to stay almost medieval in its atmosphere and feared the changes. However, that fear was completely unfounded, at least in this book. On the contrary: especially because I feared a clash of the good old with the shiny new Discworld, it was all the more funny to read about A Wild Idea arriving and trying to find a place. Thus, it's no surprise this has fast become one of my facourite Discworld books!
Once again, I've read this in the audio format; once again, the narrator was Nigel Planner; once again, he was brilliant. From the sound effects like the movie reels to the accents (especially of the trolls and CMOT), he nailed it!
August 18, 2022
The Discworld is constantly evolving, mainly courtesy of Ankh Morpork's guilds of something-or-other. The Alchemists Guild's latest bout of explosion for example, has produced the raw material for moving pictures (i.e. movies). Pretty soon, Ankh-Morpork becomes too cramped for the more "extravagant" movie directors, so cue a surprisingly fast and steady exodus to Holy Wood, a long abandoned dwelling in the desert.
Holy Wood however, is not a normal place, housing some rather sinister things in its long-forgotten ruins. Unfortunately for the Discworld, the only one whose sixth sense is tingling here, is a flea-ridden dog named Gaspode. I mean, he can speak, and think faster than most intelligent humans, however he lacks a certain... charm, to prevent the inevitable boot in its hindquarters.
Luckily, he meets Victor, perpetual wizarding student, whose minds is open-enough to comprehend the existence of a real-life wonder dog.
The overall reading experience of Moving Pictures was a very weird one. When I started, I felt completely disconnected from every character, action and even the general idea of the plot. All I could really appreciate were the occasional funny bits.
I took a month-long break from reading it when I went on holiday, mostly because I didn't feel like carrying any physical books with me. When I ended up picking up the story again, things just... clicked. I suddenly got all the subtle nuances, and the funny references. I started enjoying the creepy atmosphere of the mysteriously moving sands in the desert. And most importantly: I was finally getting invested in the main characters' adventures, and stopped waiting for the cameos from other more familiar ones.
Score: 3.7/5 stars
... is it a good book? At times, the story felt like it was criticizing the workings of a very remote place, that had nothing to do with me. Other times however, I could totally see it as part of one of John Oliver's tirades in one of his current... ugh... crusades.
For anyone who likes to read the gossip magazines, gets invested in Hollywood stars' romances, finds themselves taking up a pitchfork against a celebrity or two, this book can be a truly entertaining read. Otherwise, just browse the funny quotes list, and skip this novel.
Holy Wood however, is not a normal place, housing some rather sinister things in its long-forgotten ruins. Unfortunately for the Discworld, the only one whose sixth sense is tingling here, is a flea-ridden dog named Gaspode. I mean, he can speak, and think faster than most intelligent humans, however he lacks a certain... charm, to prevent the inevitable boot in its hindquarters.
Luckily, he meets Victor, perpetual wizarding student, whose minds is open-enough to comprehend the existence of a real-life wonder dog.
The overall reading experience of Moving Pictures was a very weird one. When I started, I felt completely disconnected from every character, action and even the general idea of the plot. All I could really appreciate were the occasional funny bits.
Of course, it is very important to be sober when you take an exam. Many worthwhile careers in the street-cleansing, fruit-picking and subway-guitar-playing industries have been founded on a lack of understanding of this simple fact.
A small crowd was collecting. A small crowd collected very easily in Ankh-Morpork. As a city, it had some of the most accomplished spectators in the universe. They’d watch anything, especially if there was any possibility of anyone getting hurt in an amusing way.
“Did I hear things, or can that little dog speak?” said Dibbler.
“He says he can’t,” said Victor.
Dibbler hesitated. The excitement was unhinging him a little. “Well,” he said, “I suppose he should know.”
I took a month-long break from reading it when I went on holiday, mostly because I didn't feel like carrying any physical books with me. When I ended up picking up the story again, things just... clicked. I suddenly got all the subtle nuances, and the funny references. I started enjoying the creepy atmosphere of the mysteriously moving sands in the desert. And most importantly: I was finally getting invested in the main characters' adventures, and stopped waiting for the cameos from other more familiar ones.
Score: 3.7/5 stars
... is it a good book? At times, the story felt like it was criticizing the workings of a very remote place, that had nothing to do with me. Other times however, I could totally see it as part of one of John Oliver's tirades in one of his current... ugh... crusades.
For anyone who likes to read the gossip magazines, gets invested in Hollywood stars' romances, finds themselves taking up a pitchfork against a celebrity or two, this book can be a truly entertaining read. Otherwise, just browse the funny quotes list, and skip this novel.
November 2, 2022
Movies take the Discworld by storm.
The magic of moving pictures altering reality in a way so that it opens an ancient portal to the Dungeon Dimensions is an interesting concept. The plot isn’t exactly the strongest you’ll find in the Discworld series though. The strength of the plot lies more in poking fun at the film industry, with lots of witty references to pop culture and the early days of cinema in particular.
There’s a reason why the main characters never return in other Discworld novels. But there are other interesting characters in this novel who do return later on like Detritus the troll, Cut-me-own-Throat Dibbler and the real star of this novel: Gaspode the talking dog.
While I would recommend starting with other books if you’re new to the Discworld series, this is quite a fun and interesting stand alone novel with a cool concept.
The magic of moving pictures altering reality in a way so that it opens an ancient portal to the Dungeon Dimensions is an interesting concept. The plot isn’t exactly the strongest you’ll find in the Discworld series though. The strength of the plot lies more in poking fun at the film industry, with lots of witty references to pop culture and the early days of cinema in particular.
There’s a reason why the main characters never return in other Discworld novels. But there are other interesting characters in this novel who do return later on like Detritus the troll, Cut-me-own-Throat Dibbler and the real star of this novel: Gaspode the talking dog.
While I would recommend starting with other books if you’re new to the Discworld series, this is quite a fun and interesting stand alone novel with a cool concept.
September 22, 2024
The 10th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series and the first about the industrial revolution coming to the Disc (though that is a very loosely connected inner-series serie).
One reason why I decided to re-read the series is that I can never just indulge in one of the volumes. The other is that the audiobooks were newly produced and the casts looked amazing.
Reading this 10th book (in chronological order) are:
This volume has a strange idea taking root in Ankh-Morpork. The alchemist's guild is developing pictures that move and tell a story at a weird old place named Holy Wood Hill. Suddenly, very weird things are being invented. Like this mysterious snack that tastes of cardbord and is called banged corn. Surely, the (disc-)world has gone mad!
And how could it not what with all those poor tiny demons being ensaved to produce clicks like that. Not to mention that this means the beginning of the industrial revolution.
Best of all, an almost entirely new cast (excuse the pun) of characters (such as Gaspode, the talking dog) met some of the best old ones (DEATH, the Watch). First and foremost, Gaspode became one of my all-time favorites after this book. However, I also adored the quirky and overdrawn look at the movie industry and everything that entails - from all manner of unlogical "food" to advertising!
Weirdly, while I do enjoy CMOT Dibbler, he never became a favorite of mine. Mostly, I always wanted to see him get his. *chuckles*
So many classic movies get made fun of in here but in the best and most erudite of ways, perfectly holding up the mirror about the silliness we humans get up to on a regular basis (I marked plenty of quotes in case you need proof). Looking at the writer's strike we had only recently, all that commentary on how the industry treats actors/writers/crew hit especially hard. Typical Terry.
Rounding off this romp was Jason Isaacs (yes, him!) as the narrator of this new audiobook version and he was absolutely nailing it! :D Such a fantastic entry in the series, made all the better by this rendition.
One reason why I decided to re-read the series is that I can never just indulge in one of the volumes. The other is that the audiobooks were newly produced and the casts looked amazing.
Reading this 10th book (in chronological order) are:
This volume has a strange idea taking root in Ankh-Morpork. The alchemist's guild is developing pictures that move and tell a story at a weird old place named Holy Wood Hill. Suddenly, very weird things are being invented. Like this mysterious snack that tastes of cardbord and is called banged corn. Surely, the (disc-)world has gone mad!
And how could it not what with all those poor tiny demons being ensaved to produce clicks like that. Not to mention that this means the beginning of the industrial revolution.
Best of all, an almost entirely new cast (excuse the pun) of characters (such as Gaspode, the talking dog) met some of the best old ones (DEATH, the Watch). First and foremost, Gaspode became one of my all-time favorites after this book. However, I also adored the quirky and overdrawn look at the movie industry and everything that entails - from all manner of unlogical "food" to advertising!
Weirdly, while I do enjoy CMOT Dibbler, he never became a favorite of mine. Mostly, I always wanted to see him get his. *chuckles*
So many classic movies get made fun of in here but in the best and most erudite of ways, perfectly holding up the mirror about the silliness we humans get up to on a regular basis (I marked plenty of quotes in case you need proof). Looking at the writer's strike we had only recently, all that commentary on how the industry treats actors/writers/crew hit especially hard. Typical Terry.
Rounding off this romp was Jason Isaacs (yes, him!) as the narrator of this new audiobook version and he was absolutely nailing it! :D Such a fantastic entry in the series, made all the better by this rendition.
September 20, 2025
Cytat na dzisiaj:
"Oczywiście, jest rzeczą bardzo ważną, by do egzaminu przystępować na trzeźwo. Wiele obiecujących karier w zamiataniu ulic, zbieraniu owoców czy graniu na gitarze w przejściach podziemnych rozpoczęło się od braku zrozumienia dla tego prostego faktu."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nb57...
"Oczywiście, jest rzeczą bardzo ważną, by do egzaminu przystępować na trzeźwo. Wiele obiecujących karier w zamiataniu ulic, zbieraniu owoców czy graniu na gitarze w przejściach podziemnych rozpoczęło się od braku zrozumienia dla tego prostego faktu."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nb57...
March 27, 2012
I'm stingy with my 5 star ratings and considered going with a 4 here, but I really enjoyed this read. It is hilarious. From Trolls who don't want to get "type cast" (I played a troll who runs out and hits him with a rock) to a talking wonder dog who can't get noticed because he's too "scruffy" the cliches of the movies get very skewered. Everyone is headed to (the?)"Holy Wood" to be a star. And of course as we all know, moving pictures or, "the clicks" can effect the fabric of reality.
Sir Terry has a gift and most of the Disc world books are worth their freight...some are better than others, and this is one of the "better". So, Grab yourself a "sausage on a bun" and some "banged grains" find a comfortable spot and enjoy.
Sir Terry has a gift and most of the Disc world books are worth their freight...some are better than others, and this is one of the "better". So, Grab yourself a "sausage on a bun" and some "banged grains" find a comfortable spot and enjoy.
November 3, 2020
When I first read this as a teenager, I was mad at it. How dare they sully my precious Discworld fantasy realm with something as phony and banal as Hollywood?!? Yes, I was a dumb kid, and I am sure that I didn't get many of the references to classic movies and moviemaking culture in general. I had not read it since until my current publication order Discworld re-read. I'm a little more open-minded these days and I enjoyed the book a whole lot more.
As it turns out, the Discworld is a perfect venue for satire of Hollywood and commercial filmmaking. But, I don't think that adding "Holy Wood" benefitted the Discworld in any lasting way, beyond the single-book broader roles that this story granted to Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler (a character whose appeal eluded me as a younger reader), and especially to Detritus the troll.
What suprised me was how well put-together this whole book was. Pratchett struggled often, at least in his early books (imagine calling 10 books in a series "early") to string his scenes together smoothly to create a coherent whole. This is the first book in which I think he has perfectly pulled this off. It runs even smoother than in the deservedly-beloved Guards! Guards!, but that book is still higher than this one in my estimation, because Moving Pictures' characters are not nearly as endearing as the members of Ankh-Morpork's city watch. The only flaw in the plotting of Moving Pictures' is, I think, a failure to use the build-up of 1000 elephants to their full potential. Just imagine if they were a factor in the big showdown, rather than simply a deflated comedy pay-off tagged onto the end of the novel.
Some reviews describe this as Pratchett's visit with Lovecraft on the Disc, but this honor was clearly accomplished in the first Discworld book, The Colour of Magic, in a woefully overlooked sequence in which Rincewind ventures into an obviously Cthulhu-mythos-inspired ancient temple to rescue the hapless Twoflower.
One other highlight of this book in sequence is that the oft-changing faculty of Unseen University is finally starting to settle into its final form, with the introductions of Ponder Stibbons, Archchancellor Ridcully, and the Bursar.
As it turns out, the Discworld is a perfect venue for satire of Hollywood and commercial filmmaking. But, I don't think that adding "Holy Wood" benefitted the Discworld in any lasting way, beyond the single-book broader roles that this story granted to Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler (a character whose appeal eluded me as a younger reader), and especially to Detritus the troll.
What suprised me was how well put-together this whole book was. Pratchett struggled often, at least in his early books (imagine calling 10 books in a series "early") to string his scenes together smoothly to create a coherent whole. This is the first book in which I think he has perfectly pulled this off. It runs even smoother than in the deservedly-beloved Guards! Guards!, but that book is still higher than this one in my estimation, because Moving Pictures' characters are not nearly as endearing as the members of Ankh-Morpork's city watch. The only flaw in the plotting of Moving Pictures' is, I think, a failure to use the build-up of 1000 elephants to their full potential. Just imagine if they were a factor in the big showdown, rather than simply a deflated comedy pay-off tagged onto the end of the novel.
Some reviews describe this as Pratchett's visit with Lovecraft on the Disc, but this honor was clearly accomplished in the first Discworld book, The Colour of Magic, in a woefully overlooked sequence in which Rincewind ventures into an obviously Cthulhu-mythos-inspired ancient temple to rescue the hapless Twoflower.
One other highlight of this book in sequence is that the oft-changing faculty of Unseen University is finally starting to settle into its final form, with the introductions of Ponder Stibbons, Archchancellor Ridcully, and the Bursar.
January 13, 2023
The thing that this particular installment of Discworld taught me is that the “parody” novels are probably my least favorite subgenre within the series (the exception being Wyrd Sisters, but I liked that one because of Granny Weatherwax and not because it was a spoof of Macbeth, so my point stands).
Moving Pictures is doing important work in terms of worldbuilding and advancing the state of technology on the Disc (this one, as the title suggest, introduces the film industry to the Disc, but because it’s Terry Pratchett, the “cameras” are actually boxes containing tiny demons that paint whatever the actors are doing onto film strips); the problem is that more often than not, it seems a little too satisfied with how clever it’s being. The ‘oh ho ho, I’m doing a scathing send-up of Hollywood’ schtick got old very quickly, and Pratchett often veers uncomfortably close to ‘movies are inferior entertainment and the people who enjoy them are too stupid to appreciate real art’ territory, which is both a god-awful take and also a deeply embarrassing look on Terry Pratchett, who has the skill to make readers root for an anthropomorphic steamer trunk. Too often, the book gets overly self-indulgent with its ‘hurr, movies are magic but it’s bad magic’ thesis, and even though Pratchett pulls it together in the end (because he always does), it takes us a little too long to get there.
Moving Pictures is doing important work in terms of worldbuilding and advancing the state of technology on the Disc (this one, as the title suggest, introduces the film industry to the Disc, but because it’s Terry Pratchett, the “cameras” are actually boxes containing tiny demons that paint whatever the actors are doing onto film strips); the problem is that more often than not, it seems a little too satisfied with how clever it’s being. The ‘oh ho ho, I’m doing a scathing send-up of Hollywood’ schtick got old very quickly, and Pratchett often veers uncomfortably close to ‘movies are inferior entertainment and the people who enjoy them are too stupid to appreciate real art’ territory, which is both a god-awful take and also a deeply embarrassing look on Terry Pratchett, who has the skill to make readers root for an anthropomorphic steamer trunk. Too often, the book gets overly self-indulgent with its ‘hurr, movies are magic but it’s bad magic’ thesis, and even though Pratchett pulls it together in the end (because he always does), it takes us a little too long to get there.
June 7, 2014
This is Holy Wood. To pass the time quickly, you just film the clock hands moving fast... but when it's being written by Terry Pratchett why would you want to?
Moving Pictures, Pratchett's Discworld parody of Hollywood, appeals to me a great deal purely as a cinephile and wannabe film maker but as it's Pratchett it's also brilliant and brilliantly funny filled with wicked caricatures and wonderful characters, and of course evil puns aplenty.
In this must-read episode you get to know more about the Del Boy like trader Cut-me-own-throat Dibbler who is possessed by the ghost of Cecil B. De Mille and is determined to rule all of Holy Wood whilst creating the greatest epic moving picture the multiverse has ever known, featuring no less than a thousand elephants. Pratchett further investigates the world of the trolls with a bulked up part for previous supporting player Detritus the Doorsplatter from The Broken Drum and several interesting smaller parts for less important but just as interesting moving rocks. At Unseen University there's a new Arch-chancellor as Ridcully finally arrives to solve the riddle of how to make the wizards recurring characters not just pointy hatted caricatures invited in to plots to solve a problem AND young Ponder Stibbons sits the easiest wizarding exam the Disc has ever seen. All of this is background stuff however as Victor Tuglebend, perpetual student, Heinleinesque hero, laziest man in Ankh-Morpork, not too bad with a sword, must rescue a swooning dame from the clutches of evil creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions intent on using the new Moving Pictures invention as a device to help destroy the Disc. With the help of Gaspode the Wonder Dog of course.
Pratchett packs it in tight, makes his plot sing and dance and doesn't let any plates drop to the floor as they spin for hours. He makes you laugh and makes you think, Moving Pictures is just another in a decades long parade of classic Discworld novels that transcend the boundaries of humourous fantasy and once more demonstrates an author at his playful best as he comes in to his own as a writer of great human insight.
Moving Pictures, Pratchett's Discworld parody of Hollywood, appeals to me a great deal purely as a cinephile and wannabe film maker but as it's Pratchett it's also brilliant and brilliantly funny filled with wicked caricatures and wonderful characters, and of course evil puns aplenty.
In this must-read episode you get to know more about the Del Boy like trader Cut-me-own-throat Dibbler who is possessed by the ghost of Cecil B. De Mille and is determined to rule all of Holy Wood whilst creating the greatest epic moving picture the multiverse has ever known, featuring no less than a thousand elephants. Pratchett further investigates the world of the trolls with a bulked up part for previous supporting player Detritus the Doorsplatter from The Broken Drum and several interesting smaller parts for less important but just as interesting moving rocks. At Unseen University there's a new Arch-chancellor as Ridcully finally arrives to solve the riddle of how to make the wizards recurring characters not just pointy hatted caricatures invited in to plots to solve a problem AND young Ponder Stibbons sits the easiest wizarding exam the Disc has ever seen. All of this is background stuff however as Victor Tuglebend, perpetual student, Heinleinesque hero, laziest man in Ankh-Morpork, not too bad with a sword, must rescue a swooning dame from the clutches of evil creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions intent on using the new Moving Pictures invention as a device to help destroy the Disc. With the help of Gaspode the Wonder Dog of course.
Pratchett packs it in tight, makes his plot sing and dance and doesn't let any plates drop to the floor as they spin for hours. He makes you laugh and makes you think, Moving Pictures is just another in a decades long parade of classic Discworld novels that transcend the boundaries of humourous fantasy and once more demonstrates an author at his playful best as he comes in to his own as a writer of great human insight.
July 2, 2016
This is my least favorite Discworld book so far. I think this is mainly because I didn’t find the story appealing at all. The characters were ok, and I really liked Gaspode the talking dog, but I was bored by the story.
At the beginning of the book, an old man living alone in a remote area called Holy Wood dies. After his death, strange things start happening and some alchemists develop the concept of “moving pictures” which become hugely popular. People travel en masse to Holy Wood (I trust you see the joke here), where the moving pictures are being made, in hopes of getting in on the action. Moving pictures don’t work in quite the same manner as real-world moving pictures. Recording a moving picture involves a box with a handle, some enslaved demons who can paint really fast, and some salamanders.
Most of the jokes and satire centers around movies, TV, cartoons, and Hollywood (now do you see the joke?) life. These are things that just don’t interest me that much. If they did, I might have appreciated the story more. I did think the Laddie (i.e. Lassie) stuff was funny. I don’t know if Gaspode has any real-world film equivalent, but he was the best part of the book.
This is the first book in the Industrial Revolution subseries of Discworld. I’m feeling a little skeptical about this subseries now, but maybe I’ll like the other books better. The next book is the 29th Discworld book on my list, though, so it will be a while before I find out. Since I’m reading in publication order, this is the last book flagged as a “starter novel” on the chart and I’ve now had a taste of all the major subseries. Except for Rincewind, though, I don’t feel like I’ve read enough books in any one subseries to choose any favorites. I’m particularly interested to read more from the Witches and Death subseries, though. Fortunately, the next two full-length books on my list are from those two subseries.
I'm giving this 2.5 stars on BookLikes, but rounding up to 3 stars here.
At the beginning of the book, an old man living alone in a remote area called Holy Wood dies. After his death, strange things start happening and some alchemists develop the concept of “moving pictures” which become hugely popular. People travel en masse to Holy Wood (I trust you see the joke here), where the moving pictures are being made, in hopes of getting in on the action. Moving pictures don’t work in quite the same manner as real-world moving pictures. Recording a moving picture involves a box with a handle, some enslaved demons who can paint really fast, and some salamanders.
Most of the jokes and satire centers around movies, TV, cartoons, and Hollywood (now do you see the joke?) life. These are things that just don’t interest me that much. If they did, I might have appreciated the story more. I did think the Laddie (i.e. Lassie) stuff was funny. I don’t know if Gaspode has any real-world film equivalent, but he was the best part of the book.
This is the first book in the Industrial Revolution subseries of Discworld. I’m feeling a little skeptical about this subseries now, but maybe I’ll like the other books better. The next book is the 29th Discworld book on my list, though, so it will be a while before I find out. Since I’m reading in publication order, this is the last book flagged as a “starter novel” on the chart and I’ve now had a taste of all the major subseries. Except for Rincewind, though, I don’t feel like I’ve read enough books in any one subseries to choose any favorites. I’m particularly interested to read more from the Witches and Death subseries, though. Fortunately, the next two full-length books on my list are from those two subseries.
I'm giving this 2.5 stars on BookLikes, but rounding up to 3 stars here.
December 20, 2012
Who'd want to spend their time moving pictures? Most of them looked alright where they were.
A shady sausage vendor and a student of wizardry head to Holy Wood for fame and fortune in the early days of the Discworld film industry. Hey, kids! Let's put on a show! Sounds like wholesome family entertainment, does it not?
Well...since this sprang from the mind of Terry Pratchett, expect chaos and devastation, licentious landladies, mass hysteria, dogs and cats sharing conversations...
S-o-o-o-o...in a world gone mad - a thousand elephants will cross a mountain, wizards will don fake beards over their real beards, a dog will advise some budding mammalian thespians, "Who's going to pay good money to see cats and mice chasing one another?", and the world may just end as a giant woman climbs a tall building while clutching a screaming ape.
Of course, there will also be a few useful tidbits of information, like why it takes exactly SIX imps to make a moving picture.
And then there's my new favorite expression, though I don't really know what it actually means - "Don't come the raw trilobite with me."
Can't wait to use that one on one of the kids.
A shady sausage vendor and a student of wizardry head to Holy Wood for fame and fortune in the early days of the Discworld film industry. Hey, kids! Let's put on a show! Sounds like wholesome family entertainment, does it not?
Well...since this sprang from the mind of Terry Pratchett, expect chaos and devastation, licentious landladies, mass hysteria, dogs and cats sharing conversations...
S-o-o-o-o...in a world gone mad - a thousand elephants will cross a mountain, wizards will don fake beards over their real beards, a dog will advise some budding mammalian thespians, "Who's going to pay good money to see cats and mice chasing one another?", and the world may just end as a giant woman climbs a tall building while clutching a screaming ape.
Of course, there will also be a few useful tidbits of information, like why it takes exactly SIX imps to make a moving picture.
And then there's my new favorite expression, though I don't really know what it actually means - "Don't come the raw trilobite with me."
Can't wait to use that one on one of the kids.
May 21, 2014
I wasn't under the weather this time, and again, I enjoyed, but didn't love it! Maybe I should just save the Terry Pratchetts for times when I'm sick. It's a weird quirk. Or maybe it's just that I love the Watch books, but haven't fallen for the rest of the universe quite so hard.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
May 28, 2018
I love Pratchett and the Discworld but there are few DW books I didn't enjoy as much. Don't get me wrong this is funny book but nothing more than that and I come to expect lot more from Discworld. Simply there there is no that brilliance, sharp wit and excellent quotable dialogues that best of the books in the series seem to have in abundance.
February 28, 2016
I have a lot of friends who swear by Pratchett, but I found him rather dull. I tried reading the first book in the series, but I couldn't finish it. A friend suggested this as one of his better outings, so I bit.
He seems to harp on the most obvious jokes, extending one-note gags into paragraphs, chapters, or even whole books. I found that out of every ten jokes, one would make me laugh and nine would make me groan and roll my eyes. Really not a good rate of return.
His world-building is passable, but the combination of vaguely interesting world and vaguely amusing jokes don't combine into something greater. Pratchett has nothing on the oddball musings of contemporary Douglas Adams, and doesn't have the same level of wit or insight.
His generic fantasy world full of groan-worthy jokes reminds me of endlessly 'punny' American author Piers Anthony (thankfully, without the nods to pedophilia). As a Brit, Pratchett does have a certain refreshing command of language, but it's not enough to escape the huckster jokeyism.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
He seems to harp on the most obvious jokes, extending one-note gags into paragraphs, chapters, or even whole books. I found that out of every ten jokes, one would make me laugh and nine would make me groan and roll my eyes. Really not a good rate of return.
His world-building is passable, but the combination of vaguely interesting world and vaguely amusing jokes don't combine into something greater. Pratchett has nothing on the oddball musings of contemporary Douglas Adams, and doesn't have the same level of wit or insight.
His generic fantasy world full of groan-worthy jokes reminds me of endlessly 'punny' American author Piers Anthony (thankfully, without the nods to pedophilia). As a Brit, Pratchett does have a certain refreshing command of language, but it's not enough to escape the huckster jokeyism.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
August 11, 2024
Terry Pratchett hat diesmal Hollywood aufs Korn genommen. Herrlich, wenn man Filme erkennt! Da ich erst "Vom Winde verweht" gelesen hatte, fand ich auch die Parallelen einfach köstlich. Ja und dann der Bibliothekar...
May 1, 2021
Décimo libro por orden de escritura de Terry Pratchett y el primero de la saga de Revolución Industrial.
Le he dado 4 estrellas, y están bien ganadas. Había llegado al libro con cierto desánimo, porque creía que en comparación con el de Guardias Guardias! iba a acabar muy desilusionado. Sin embargo, puede que ese desánimo inicial, me haya hecho ver con tan buenos ojos el desarrollo posterior del libro.
La trama de Moving Pictures gira en torno a la invención del cine, las palomitas, el mundo actoril... todo hilado magistralmente por Sir Pratchett y con una cantidad enorme de referencias al mundo Holywoodiense que es prácticamente imposible pillarlas todas.
Destacar que la versión en castellano trae al final la explicación a muchas referencias y también el porqué de algunas traducciones.
A por el siguiente!
Le he dado 4 estrellas, y están bien ganadas. Había llegado al libro con cierto desánimo, porque creía que en comparación con el de Guardias Guardias! iba a acabar muy desilusionado. Sin embargo, puede que ese desánimo inicial, me haya hecho ver con tan buenos ojos el desarrollo posterior del libro.
La trama de Moving Pictures gira en torno a la invención del cine, las palomitas, el mundo actoril... todo hilado magistralmente por Sir Pratchett y con una cantidad enorme de referencias al mundo Holywoodiense que es prácticamente imposible pillarlas todas.
Destacar que la versión en castellano trae al final la explicación a muchas referencias y también el porqué de algunas traducciones.
A por el siguiente!
June 13, 2024
Completely uninspiring.
March 19, 2018
Part of the Pratchett reread with the SpecFic Buddy Reads group. This is my second time reading this book, with my first when it first came out. I didn't particularly like it much back then and I didn't realize at the time how many ongoing Discworld characters were introduced here.
In an area near the city of Ankh-Morpork the last follower of an ancient religion dies without passing on his knowledge.
In Ankh-Morpork itself a group of alchemists discover the secret of a nearly-not-explosive new technology for making moving pictures, and those moving pictures are strangely compelling.
Soon, there's a new area just outside Ankh-Morpork called Holy Wood that's inexplicably attracting huge numbers of people who want to work there and get into moving pictures. And the young student wizard Victor and the milkmaid Ginger are right at the center of things along with Discworld regulars Cut-me-own-throat Dibbler and Detritus the troll. This book also sees the introduction of Gaspode the Wonder Dog and the whole cast of Ridcully's Unseen University (minus Hex).
As I said, I didn't love this the first time around. I think I was aware of all the nods to classic Hollywood movies and stories but didn't really appreciate the parody. This time around I appreciated it all a lot more, although I'm still fairly sure I missed some of the references. In fact, I would put this as my second biggest surprise of the series so far in terms of how much I enjoyed it. (The Light Fantastic still takes that prize).
In an area near the city of Ankh-Morpork the last follower of an ancient religion dies without passing on his knowledge.
In Ankh-Morpork itself a group of alchemists discover the secret of a nearly-not-explosive new technology for making moving pictures, and those moving pictures are strangely compelling.
Soon, there's a new area just outside Ankh-Morpork called Holy Wood that's inexplicably attracting huge numbers of people who want to work there and get into moving pictures. And the young student wizard Victor and the milkmaid Ginger are right at the center of things along with Discworld regulars Cut-me-own-throat Dibbler and Detritus the troll. This book also sees the introduction of Gaspode the Wonder Dog and the whole cast of Ridcully's Unseen University (minus Hex).
As I said, I didn't love this the first time around. I think I was aware of all the nods to classic Hollywood movies and stories but didn't really appreciate the parody. This time around I appreciated it all a lot more, although I'm still fairly sure I missed some of the references. In fact, I would put this as my second biggest surprise of the series so far in terms of how much I enjoyed it. (The Light Fantastic still takes that prize).
August 28, 2024
English below
На сьогодні це моя найулюбленіша книга з Дискосвіту (якщо шо я читаю їх в хронологічному порядку). Добре що вона позациклова і ніяк не вплине на улюблені цикли. )))
Я б мабуть радив починати знайомство з Пратчеттом з неї, з одного боку, ви не прив'язані до циклу, з іншого, ви познайомитесь з стилем автора. Але будьте готові що ви в нього (стиль чи автора) закохаєтесь )))
To date, this is my favorite Discworld book (if I read them in chronological order). It is good that it is non-cyclical and will not affect your favorite cycles in any way. )))
I would probably advise you to start your acquaintance with Pratchett from her, on the one hand, you are not tied to the cycle, on the other, you will get to know the author's style. But be prepared that you will fall in love with him (style or author)))
На сьогодні це моя найулюбленіша книга з Дискосвіту (якщо шо я читаю їх в хронологічному порядку). Добре що вона позациклова і ніяк не вплине на улюблені цикли. )))
Я б мабуть радив починати знайомство з Пратчеттом з неї, з одного боку, ви не прив'язані до циклу, з іншого, ви познайомитесь з стилем автора. Але будьте готові що ви в нього (стиль чи автора) закохаєтесь )))
To date, this is my favorite Discworld book (if I read them in chronological order). It is good that it is non-cyclical and will not affect your favorite cycles in any way. )))
I would probably advise you to start your acquaintance with Pratchett from her, on the one hand, you are not tied to the cycle, on the other, you will get to know the author's style. But be prepared that you will fall in love with him (style or author)))
November 5, 2024
It's 30 years since I last read this episode of discworld life and it was like visiting an old friend. I've taken to replacing all my paper versions (which my husband inadvertently packed up with a lot of other books we gave to charity - disaster!) However it makes for an excellent excuse to listen again to old favourites.
The audio was read really well by Jason Isaacs taking all the main parts along with the usuals Peter Serafinowicz as Death and Bill Nighy doing the footnotes. I guess it speaks to the popularity of Sir TP's work that such magnificent actors are doing the narration.
The storyline gives us the Discworld's interpretation of the magic of the silver screen. So off goes Victor, a student wizard, who has discovered something odd going on far away from the Unseen University in a place called Holy Wood. Once there he finds himself starring in the new "clicks" along with the beautiful Theda "Ginger". They're not just setting the slightly wrinkly sheet alive with the smouldering romances they're also beggaring about with the fabric of reality. And once you're inside the cinema you'll need banged grains and something to drink.
With a cast of Ankh Morpork regulars including CMOT Dibbler, the wizards of Unseen University and Gaspode the Wonder Dog the question is will the magic of Holy Wood cause a disaster? Will the wizards ever get over the university wall? Amd will the hero save the day just in the nick of time?
Wonderful. Loved it. Great narration of another excellent story. Sir TP is much missed.
The audio was read really well by Jason Isaacs taking all the main parts along with the usuals Peter Serafinowicz as Death and Bill Nighy doing the footnotes. I guess it speaks to the popularity of Sir TP's work that such magnificent actors are doing the narration.
The storyline gives us the Discworld's interpretation of the magic of the silver screen. So off goes Victor, a student wizard, who has discovered something odd going on far away from the Unseen University in a place called Holy Wood. Once there he finds himself starring in the new "clicks" along with the beautiful Theda "Ginger". They're not just setting the slightly wrinkly sheet alive with the smouldering romances they're also beggaring about with the fabric of reality. And once you're inside the cinema you'll need banged grains and something to drink.
With a cast of Ankh Morpork regulars including CMOT Dibbler, the wizards of Unseen University and Gaspode the Wonder Dog the question is will the magic of Holy Wood cause a disaster? Will the wizards ever get over the university wall? Amd will the hero save the day just in the nick of time?
Wonderful. Loved it. Great narration of another excellent story. Sir TP is much missed.
May 1, 2015
This book was very disappointing. Usually I have no trouble retaining interest in a Terry Pratchett/Discworld novel, but this one I had to force myself to finish.
I think my problem with it is that it's too literal. What I love about Pratchett's writing most of the time is how he manages to mock things scathingly while at the same time making wonderful (and more general) loving comments about humanity. By following such a narrow path as he did in this book (with the straight on Hollywood/Holy Wood parody), he didn't leave himself much room for creativity, and that it made it feel forced. All the movie quotes and allusions to Golden Age Hollywood were all very clever, but left me feeling cold. In fact, now that I think about it, all of my least favorite Discworlds are straight parodies: Wyrd Sisters (Macbeth), Eric (a combination of Dr. Faustus, Dante's Inferno, The Iliad), etc. I also didn't care for the characters very much. Or, actually, at all.
There was this one point in the book where Victor Tugelbend runs into two Night Watch guys and my brain like jumpstarted, which is when I realized I wanted to be reading one of the Night Watch ones instead.
Unless you are a completist, skip this one. I should have.
I think my problem with it is that it's too literal. What I love about Pratchett's writing most of the time is how he manages to mock things scathingly while at the same time making wonderful (and more general) loving comments about humanity. By following such a narrow path as he did in this book (with the straight on Hollywood/Holy Wood parody), he didn't leave himself much room for creativity, and that it made it feel forced. All the movie quotes and allusions to Golden Age Hollywood were all very clever, but left me feeling cold. In fact, now that I think about it, all of my least favorite Discworlds are straight parodies: Wyrd Sisters (Macbeth), Eric (a combination of Dr. Faustus, Dante's Inferno, The Iliad), etc. I also didn't care for the characters very much. Or, actually, at all.
There was this one point in the book where Victor Tugelbend runs into two Night Watch guys and my brain like jumpstarted, which is when I realized I wanted to be reading one of the Night Watch ones instead.
Unless you are a completist, skip this one. I should have.
March 10, 2018
This is going onto my pile of favorite Discworld books.
I just loved all the movie references, the typical Pratchett humor had me laughing throughout, and Gaspode the Wonder Dog is now one of my favorite characters. Most of the main characters were new, but there were plenty of other characters we met previously that made numerous appearances - The Librarian, trolls, wizards, our friends from The Watch. The ending played tug-of-war with my heart strings, but that just made it all that more exciting.
And now I suspect I will be giggling when I watch Gone With the Wind, which I coincidentally plan to watch within the next week. I better make sure to have plenty of banged grains ready.
I just loved all the movie references, the typical Pratchett humor had me laughing throughout, and Gaspode the Wonder Dog is now one of my favorite characters. Most of the main characters were new, but there were plenty of other characters we met previously that made numerous appearances - The Librarian, trolls, wizards, our friends from The Watch. The ending played tug-of-war with my heart strings, but that just made it all that more exciting.
And now I suspect I will be giggling when I watch Gone With the Wind, which I coincidentally plan to watch within the next week. I better make sure to have plenty of banged grains ready.
March 20, 2022
Debo admitir que me siento un poco engañado. Si bien había leído que Imágenes en Acción es de las novelas menos favorecidas del Mundodisco, no esperaba que por partes me hiciera sentir como si estuviera repitiendo por cuarta vez el mismo esquema general de la amenaza apocalíptica cerniéndose sobre este universo. Creí que a estas alturas ya estaba superado el que Pratchett se repitiera y que esta parodia del nacimiento de la industria del cine no tuviera otro desenlace.
Pero al final debo admitir también que en lo general la disfruté más que Pirómides y eso sí que me sorprende. Creo que es una mezcla de que el nudo ‘cuántico’ de la trama de Pirómides me pareció confuso y una distracción de la comedia. Y de que todos los aspectos más reconocibles (dígase, todos los guiños a la época de oro del cine) aquí son más fáciles de reconocer y disfrutar.
Habiendo dicho esto, estoy de acuerdo en que no es una novela especialmente destacable del Mundodisco. Y además de lo que comenté de repetir el esquema general de La Luz Fantástica, Rechicero y partes de Pirómides, el tema es que los guiños a Hollywood son disfrutables pero claramente no están al nivel de las profundas referencias al mundo del teatro que vimos en Brujerías. Allí Pratchett hacía gala de su gran cultura. Aquí hace gala de su cultura pop, que es infinitamente menos especial y que la gente en general reconoce más.
En cuanto a los personajes, Victor, Gaspode y Ridcully se llevan la novela. Por otro lado Ginger no da para mucho y es parecida a Conina y a Ptracy: pese a que Pratchett les da agencia, es súper difícil creer que sean personajes creados por la misma pluma que creó a Ceravieja y a Ogg.
Lo bonito de Imágenes en Acción es que la fascinación de Pratchett con el poder que da el creer en algo es muy gentil cuando se trata de hablar de la magia del cine. Aquí se mezcla este tema en particular con lo que le gustaba escribir sobre el poder de las historias.
Y nada, pues ya por fin, tras saltarme Eric me precipitaré a la edad de oro del Mundodisco para leer El Segador, Hombres de Armas y Brujas de Viaje.
Una nota al final: hay chistes que se pierden en la traducción. Notablemente el de que los estudios se llamen ‘Siglo del Murciélago Frugívoro’.
En inglés es ‘Century of the Flying Fox’, un guiño
Obvio a 20th Century Fox. En español no dice nada.
Pero al final debo admitir también que en lo general la disfruté más que Pirómides y eso sí que me sorprende. Creo que es una mezcla de que el nudo ‘cuántico’ de la trama de Pirómides me pareció confuso y una distracción de la comedia. Y de que todos los aspectos más reconocibles (dígase, todos los guiños a la época de oro del cine) aquí son más fáciles de reconocer y disfrutar.
Habiendo dicho esto, estoy de acuerdo en que no es una novela especialmente destacable del Mundodisco. Y además de lo que comenté de repetir el esquema general de La Luz Fantástica, Rechicero y partes de Pirómides, el tema es que los guiños a Hollywood son disfrutables pero claramente no están al nivel de las profundas referencias al mundo del teatro que vimos en Brujerías. Allí Pratchett hacía gala de su gran cultura. Aquí hace gala de su cultura pop, que es infinitamente menos especial y que la gente en general reconoce más.
En cuanto a los personajes, Victor, Gaspode y Ridcully se llevan la novela. Por otro lado Ginger no da para mucho y es parecida a Conina y a Ptracy: pese a que Pratchett les da agencia, es súper difícil creer que sean personajes creados por la misma pluma que creó a Ceravieja y a Ogg.
Lo bonito de Imágenes en Acción es que la fascinación de Pratchett con el poder que da el creer en algo es muy gentil cuando se trata de hablar de la magia del cine. Aquí se mezcla este tema en particular con lo que le gustaba escribir sobre el poder de las historias.
Y nada, pues ya por fin, tras saltarme Eric me precipitaré a la edad de oro del Mundodisco para leer El Segador, Hombres de Armas y Brujas de Viaje.
Una nota al final: hay chistes que se pierden en la traducción. Notablemente el de que los estudios se llamen ‘Siglo del Murciélago Frugívoro’.
En inglés es ‘Century of the Flying Fox’, un guiño
Obvio a 20th Century Fox. En español no dice nada.
March 29, 2015
I reluctantly rate this first Discworld novel I read 3 stars. I figure there are others in this long series that are better, and probably some are worse. I just have no base for comparison, and I may raise the rating later.
I also can't judge the characters and plot with regards to the other books. Is Cut-me-own-Throat Dibbler a major character in the series? Will I read about Victor and Ginger again? Are the wizards of the Unseen University always the same? (I suppose they are, but I cannot tell). I learned a little about the Librarian before from some comment thread here on Goodreads (Oook!), and I already appreciate his way with language, and I know I'm going to see this guy again.
What I liked most about the book is the unique (to me) kind of humor, and what I like least is the humor as well. Some parts were like listening to a guy on a party, telling one joke after another. Each one is hilarious as hell, but when the density of these kind of jokes gets too high, I'm beginning to loose interest. You could say I suffered from some form of comedy overdose. The satire on the dream factory Hollywood (Holy Wood) was another highlight for me.
My reading experience became a little tainted after I learned about Terry Pratchett's untimely death. But I'm going to explore the Discworld world further, learn more about the characters and maybe even encounter a dragon or three at some point. For some reason I thought there would be dragons in this book. Why were there no dragons? Luckily I found this nice little cardboard dragon. I named him Fool-the-brain Redragon. He even carries a little wand.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
I also can't judge the characters and plot with regards to the other books. Is Cut-me-own-Throat Dibbler a major character in the series? Will I read about Victor and Ginger again? Are the wizards of the Unseen University always the same? (I suppose they are, but I cannot tell). I learned a little about the Librarian before from some comment thread here on Goodreads (Oook!), and I already appreciate his way with language, and I know I'm going to see this guy again.
What I liked most about the book is the unique (to me) kind of humor, and what I like least is the humor as well. Some parts were like listening to a guy on a party, telling one joke after another. Each one is hilarious as hell, but when the density of these kind of jokes gets too high, I'm beginning to loose interest. You could say I suffered from some form of comedy overdose. The satire on the dream factory Hollywood (Holy Wood) was another highlight for me.
My reading experience became a little tainted after I learned about Terry Pratchett's untimely death. But I'm going to explore the Discworld world further, learn more about the characters and maybe even encounter a dragon or three at some point. For some reason I thought there would be dragons in this book. Why were there no dragons? Luckily I found this nice little cardboard dragon. I named him Fool-the-brain Redragon. He even carries a little wand.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
June 30, 2019
This seems like a good book to point out how cinematographic Pratchett’s writing is. I always thought he writes the way movies look, so this book felt like a tailor-made fit for his style.
I see lots of reviewers saying it’s one of the weakest Discworld novels, but I had a blast. It's tightly plotted, introduces several memorable characters, and has a brisk pace. Not even all the obvious movie references rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it’s because living in the age of references, nostalgia and fan service (looking at you, Ready Player One ), Pratchett’s sprinkling in the occasional nudge-nudge felt tame in comparison.
Also, while I prefer Discworld novels that come up with their own original premise ( Small Gods and Reaper Man come to mind) over the ones that simply rely on parodying some real-word theme (such as The Truth ; wasn't a big fan), I thought this one provided a very amusing deconstruction of the cinema industry and studio interference.
I loved the new characters, especially Gaspode the Wonder Dog; Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler was utilised to perfection in this one; and although Pratchett’s endings tend to overwhelm me, I found this one, while still containing all his signature eldritch mayhem, to be very satisfying. Also, it packs a hell of a punchline.
Anyway, great fun, as us’. Can’t really go wrong with Pratchett.
I see lots of reviewers saying it’s one of the weakest Discworld novels, but I had a blast. It's tightly plotted, introduces several memorable characters, and has a brisk pace. Not even all the obvious movie references rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it’s because living in the age of references, nostalgia and fan service (looking at you, Ready Player One ), Pratchett’s sprinkling in the occasional nudge-nudge felt tame in comparison.
Also, while I prefer Discworld novels that come up with their own original premise ( Small Gods and Reaper Man come to mind) over the ones that simply rely on parodying some real-word theme (such as The Truth ; wasn't a big fan), I thought this one provided a very amusing deconstruction of the cinema industry and studio interference.
I loved the new characters, especially Gaspode the Wonder Dog; Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler was utilised to perfection in this one; and although Pratchett’s endings tend to overwhelm me, I found this one, while still containing all his signature eldritch mayhem, to be very satisfying. Also, it packs a hell of a punchline.
Anyway, great fun, as us’. Can’t really go wrong with Pratchett.
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