Lush Library discussion

So, better late than never....... ;)

What does everyone think of our current read? It's my 3rd time reading and it still makes me laugh (out loud in public which is slightly embarrassing)

Is anyone reading for first or subsequent times? Is it what you expected? Any favourite bits?

I'm really enjoying it, it's my first time ;) I do love Neil Gaiman's writing style. Obviously it's quite strange having two writing styles in there but the plot is great. The characters are well defined & unique. I just wish I had more time, I could imagine reading if from cover to cover if I had nothing else to do :)

Have you read any Terry Pratchett? I find it fascinating that they co wrote it. When I read it way back I had only read TP and could see him in it but I've read mainly NG recently and now I can see his hand in it also.

It must be so difficult to co-write a book but I imagine those two laughing away at each others jokes. It does seem more of a Pratchett book to me, there's a lot of his humour in there but can also see NG's style too.

I do sometimes try to work out who's some of the ideas are - Dog seems like a Pratchett character but I suspect satanic nuns might be more Neil Gaiman's idea!

They have been quoted on how much they each wrote. I think Neil Gaiman probably learned quite a bit from Sir Terry since it was his first book. Maybe the experience helped him to write Neverwhere (which was based on the BBC series) - I can imagine TP mentoring him, in a way, to make him more descriptive and work on character building. Very different from "comics".

I didn't know it was his first book! Or that Neverwhere was based on the show, I assumed it was the other way round. You learn something new every day! :)

I've tried a couple of times with Pratchett, but the Discworld novels I've attempted have just left me feeling a bit flat, so I was really hoping that I'd finally "get it" with this, as I love Neil Gaiman. It's a great subject for a funny book but I just couldn't warm to it. So many people find Pratchett hilarious I'm beginning to wonder if I'm missing a humour node.

Perhaps it's a Douglas Adams thing. There's nobody who does eccentric British silly-but-clever humour quite like he did and this just felt like a pale imitation to me.

Weird isn't it how humour works? I seem to be the only person in the world who doesn't think anchorman is funny, and you think is it me missing something or is it really just not funny?!

Pratchett silliness just appeals to me I guess, it's not a quantifiable thing is it, what makes us laugh or doesn't? I must admit I prefer Neil Gaiman to Pratchett though - in case anyone didn't know!! :D