Raising Steam: (Discworld novel 40) (Discworld Novels) [Paperback] Pratchett, Terry

Fantastic and detailed as ever! The world will miss Terry Pratchett! . . . . . . . . .

Dick Simmnel has tamed live steam and harnessed it power in the form of a locomotive. He and his band of uncertified engineers take the new invention to the greatest city on the Disc-Ankh Morpork.Harry King of the Golden River wants to please his wife, Effie by taking up a trade that she could actually talk about with other ladies. He speculates that Dick's steam engine could do it and do invests in it.The Low King of the Dwarves is under pressure to stop rouge Gargs from inciting young and impressionable dwarves into burning down clacks towers and killing the clacks men. The King must unite his people and help them embrace the future before any more tragedy could occur.The Patrician of Ankh Morpork, Lord Vetinari, isn't pleased by the sensation the steam engine is creating in his city. If there is to by progress, it has to be sanctioned by him. So he summons the inimitable Moist Von Lipwig, to see that the railway expands the way he deems fit.Moist Von Lipwig is keen to keep the noose away from his neck, and so he agrees to be Vetinari's pawn once again.With the stage set, the adventure extends all the way from Quirm to Uberwald, with chases, romance, brilliant ideas, freedom, gore, and cleverly concealed cisterns under the railway carriages(Harry King's idea. Want not, waste not).At the heart of it all is Iron Girder, Dick's first steam engine, the mother and queen of all the locomotives. She has a mind of her own and doesn't take insults or threats lightly at all. Live steam is dangerous, after all.Sir Terry Pratchett seems to have decided to do right by all the sentient races on the Disc. The book sees the rise of the goblins, troll lawyers, a do-gooder Moist, and the best of all is the Dwarves' triumph. Nearly all the characters do a cameo. Commander Vimes plays a bigger part, although I'd have loved to see him in the forefront rather than through Lipwig's eyes.The humour that dripped in every page in his previous works, other than Snuff, seems scarce by comparison. And while the story is engaging, it fails to deliver a big impact climax. The ending sort of fizzles out without the usual Pratchett brand revelations.It seems to me that Sir Terry Pratchett has attempted to cramp in a lot of story than the book ought to hold. That isn't too say the book isn't good, it is, only it isn't up to Terry Pratchett's usual standards and the things that I've come to expect from his novels.All said, I was happy to enter the Discworld once again.

The idea for the book and many of the descriptions of characters and the plot are vintage Pratchett,but there are times when I felt like the book slipped from a Pratchett to an action thriller.

Possibly the worst Discworld novel, in that everyone in the (Disc)world drops in, but just for tea, (except Captain Carrot. What's that about, I wonder?). But they don't play to type. Can you imagine Vetinari upset? Or Vimes not mentioning Young Sam when he goes out of town? Or LaoTzi saying just a line- why was he there anyhow, at the Unseen University?Conceptually great, but it's the first time I found Moist and Vetinari boring.

Easy and funny, and a bit philosophical… this one was leaning on the later but I still loved reading it.

To bad, the abridged version.

Sono un Fan di Pratchett. Non é fantascienza, non é pura fantasy, non é juvenilia, non é romanzo ma c'é un po' di tutti questi generi. A volte penso che siano delle satire travestite. Consiglio a tutti i suoi libri, puro godimento per quanti riescano/vogliano/si impegnino a leggere questi libri costruiti "strato su strato", dalla fiaba allo Humor all'ironia (ed a volte fino al sarcasmo). Cerco di leggere tutto quello che trovo, specialmente se trovo le versioni in inglese (le traduzioni italiane non hanno lo stesso "sapore", non per difetto dei traduttori ma solo perché purtroppo il tipo di umorismo non permette una versione perfetta, anche perché certe situazioni, derivate dal folklore anglosassone, non fanno parte del bagaglio della cultura italiana. Ma comunque degni di lettura in ogni lingua ed ad ogni età.

It's with a heavy heart that I read this book. This was the last work of the great Sir Terry Pratchett. A man so filled with wonder, desire to learn and wit that I often times feel we'll never see again.The book itself is the final book in the Discworld series dealing with a brilliant young engineer having perfected the steam engine and has created the Discworld's first locomotive. Hilarity ensues as some try to destroy it, others desire it and people see it as both boon and hindrance. I didn't want it to end and I'll admit that I got to the last chapter and I put the book away and left it unread. Part of me couldn't bear with this being Sir Pterry's last work and so long as I don't read it, there's always going to be something to look forward to.And on that day that I do read it. I expect to shed a tear, then raise a glass of fine brandy to the man who made me laugh more times than I can count.

He leído opiniones de todo tipo sobre este libro, criticando múltiples aspectos, y demasiadas coinciden en destacar la bajada en calidad. Teniendo en cuenta las circunstancias del autor, yo no estoy de acuerdo en dicha bajada de calidad.Si tengo alguna queja es quizá que el humor es algo más amargo, pero puedo entenderlo perfectamente. Para mí mantiene la calidad de la serie y me parece un digno final.Creo que Sir Terry tenía en el tintero más ideas para continuar las historias de Discworld, una pena que vayan a detenerse aquí, pero así son las cosas.Libro muy recomendable para los amantes de Discworld, que en mi opinión no decepcionará.