Status
Available
Collection
Publication
HarperTorch (2000), Edition: Reprint, 241 pages
Description
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent, bestselling novels have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to the likes of Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen. In The Light Fantastic, only one individual can save the world from a disastrous collision. Unfortunately, the hero happens to be the singularly inept wizard Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of the world.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Matke
Much more cohesive than the first book in the Disc World Series, this one tells how Rincewind, Two Flower, and the Luggage save Disc World from a cosmic collision. Plenty of puns and religious satire make the story move quickly. An enjoyable, if nor weighty read.
LibraryThing member eddy79
This is more like it! A lot more satisfying read that the previous book, and a hell of a lot funnier too. Many people say that Rincewind isn't their favourite Discworld character, but I love him. I'm reminded of Indiana Jones - the adventurer who get away with things more by luck than judgement,
Show More
makes for a very entertaining character. Show Less
LibraryThing member stephmo
Picking up, right where The Color of Magic left off, The Light Fantastic seeks to answer most of the unanswered questions of the Octavo, how one gets ahead at the Unseen University, key points in tourism, the role of dentistry in a barbarian's later years, gender politics in the warrior class, the
Pratchett moves the adventure briskly in this installment as the pressure of introductions and the need to force traveling companions together is no longer necessary. As an added bonus, this newly found real estate seems to leave room for humor to find room to roam more freely. Of course, it's still a fun adventure story about friends true and finding the strength to use the strengths you've always had, but aren't they all? Well, most of them probably don't have orangutan librarians...
Show More
religious afterlife aspirations of trees and the inherent risks of philosophy in the life of a troll. Of course, as the ominous red star gets bigger and bigger in the sky each day, this could well mean the end of everything for Discworld and all of these questions.Pratchett moves the adventure briskly in this installment as the pressure of introductions and the need to force traveling companions together is no longer necessary. As an added bonus, this newly found real estate seems to leave room for humor to find room to roam more freely. Of course, it's still a fun adventure story about friends true and finding the strength to use the strengths you've always had, but aren't they all? Well, most of them probably don't have orangutan librarians...
Show Less
LibraryThing member BrokenTune
So, that's how Rincewind ended up with the Luggage! Right,.....
I have been wondering about this for years. Now I know.
There is no doubt that Terry Pratchett was a master at snarky humor and fantastic world building. No doubt at all. Yet, it takes me forever to get through some his books because his
At the moment, all those tangents are just padding out the book for me - when mostly I just want to get on with the story.
So, why the Druids?
Anyhoo,....I do look forward to reading the next one, but may chose a graphic novel version. I hear they are great fun, and it would have been great to have seen the pictures of new worlds hatching.
I have been wondering about this for years. Now I know.
There is no doubt that Terry Pratchett was a master at snarky humor and fantastic world building. No doubt at all. Yet, it takes me forever to get through some his books because his
Show More
adventures often end up going off in tangents...and I'm not drawn into the Discworld universe enough to necessarily want to follow those side-stories that may or may not become relevant in a later book.At the moment, all those tangents are just padding out the book for me - when mostly I just want to get on with the story.
So, why the Druids?
Anyhoo,....I do look forward to reading the next one, but may chose a graphic novel version. I hear they are great fun, and it would have been great to have seen the pictures of new worlds hatching.
Show Less
LibraryThing member teckelvik
The second Discworld book. The Unseen University isn't quite itself, yet, and the trolls aren't what they become. It suffers in comparison with later books. Also, Rincewind is a one note character, and there isn't a lot to be done with him. But it is stronger than The Color of Magic, and Pratchett
Show More
is beginning to find his voice. Full of interesting word use, and clever description. Show Less
LibraryThing member JFBallenger
I read this second book of the Discworld series directly after The Color of Magic,, and -- as had been foretold, I found it much tighter and funnier than the first book. Many LT reviewers and most Pratchett enthusiasts suggest that more recent books in the series get much, much better. Based on
Show More
what I've read, I concur with the many Pratchett fans on LT that Pratchett's use of language and humor high, low and middle is absolutely brilliant. I can hardly wait for more. Show Less
LibraryThing member TybaltCapulet
THIS BOOK IS A SEQUEL TO "The Colour of Magic" and you NEED to read that book first.
Chances are, if you haven't read this book, you haven't read much Terry Pratchett. Or you started with something else, other than the chronological order.
This is his second book on Discworld, a world that is
This book is continuing the adventures of Rincewind and Twoflower, a "Wizzard" and an "In-Sewer-Ants agent" from the 'Counterweight continent' respectively. Twoflower is the disc's first tourist. No one knows what a tourist is, but Rincewind believes it to mean some kind of idiot.
The two continue their journey with the wizards looking for them due to Rincewind containing one of the eight spells of the Octavo in his head as the planet draws nearer and nearer to a great red thing in the sky.
Tongue-in-cheek humor abounds in this novel that picks up immediately where Colour of Magic left off.
Chances are, if you haven't read this book, you haven't read much Terry Pratchett. Or you started with something else, other than the chronological order.
This is his second book on Discworld, a world that is
Show More
literally a disc on the back of four elephants that are on a giant turtle that swims through space.This book is continuing the adventures of Rincewind and Twoflower, a "Wizzard" and an "In-Sewer-Ants agent" from the 'Counterweight continent' respectively. Twoflower is the disc's first tourist. No one knows what a tourist is, but Rincewind believes it to mean some kind of idiot.
The two continue their journey with the wizards looking for them due to Rincewind containing one of the eight spells of the Octavo in his head as the planet draws nearer and nearer to a great red thing in the sky.
Tongue-in-cheek humor abounds in this novel that picks up immediately where Colour of Magic left off.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Turrean
One of Pratchett's earliest Discworld novels. Not his best, but has occasional flashes of brilliance. Fun for rabid fans (like me) to play "spot the link"--catching glimpses of ideas that Pratchett developed more fully in later novels: the castle of teeth (Hogfather); Death and the other Horsemen
Show More
of the Apocalypse (Good Omens, Hogfather); trolls living backward in time (Thud); riffs on cliched SciFi / fantasy memes, like the mysterious magic shop and the non-leather-bustier-wearing warrior woman; and the presence of a villain treats people as things (Small Gods,Carpe Jugulum.) Show Less
LibraryThing member jnicholson
We return to the Discworld in time to find Rincewind leaving it - and inexplicably returning. Possibly some of the events in "The Last Hero" go some way to an explanation in retrospect. The story is essentially Rincewind attempting to return to Ankh-Morpork in order to get rid of the spell that has
Show More
been stuck in his head since his days as a student of wizardry - and incidentally, save the Discworld. This is rather an unmemorable tale. Show Less
LibraryThing member knitbusy
The Light Fantastic, Prachett's 2nd Discworld novel, picks up almost immediately where the first, The Color of Magic ended. Rincewind, the Discworld's most inept wizard finds himself saved from certain death, by being magically transported to a talking forest after falling off the edge of the Disc.
This is a great read, and an improvement over Pratchett's first Discworld novel, which is saying something. Pratchett's parody of barbarian heroes and sword-wielding wenches is especially hilarious. This is a great read, and one that I recommend for those who don't take their fantasy too seriously. Pratchett is especially fond of wordplay. I found myself sometimes reading lines a second or third time, just to relish the joke. This is definitely a read which rewards your full attention. It isn't especially necessary to read The Color of Magic first, but it will make things a bit easier to understand.
Show More
It turns out that one of the eight great spells, the one trapped inside his head, has plans for him which luckily don't include his demise. Rincewind and Twoflower the tourist soon find themselves enraging some druids, meeting up with Cohen the "aged" barbarian (seriously, imagine Conan the Barbarian if he lived to the ripe old age of 87), and trying to save the Discworld from the clutches of a power hungry wizard and the mysterious red star which appears to be on a collision course with the Disc itself.This is a great read, and an improvement over Pratchett's first Discworld novel, which is saying something. Pratchett's parody of barbarian heroes and sword-wielding wenches is especially hilarious. This is a great read, and one that I recommend for those who don't take their fantasy too seriously. Pratchett is especially fond of wordplay. I found myself sometimes reading lines a second or third time, just to relish the joke. This is definitely a read which rewards your full attention. It isn't especially necessary to read The Color of Magic first, but it will make things a bit easier to understand.
Show Less
LibraryThing member theancientreader
This was one of those works that I found difficult to put down once I read the first couple pages. The Light Fantastic is the second offering in Pratchett’s Disc World Series and if anything, it is even better than the first. I first read this one as a stand alone, before I read any of the other
I am not going into the plot of this one at any depth as there are quite a number of very good reviews here that have done an outstand job of that already. Briefly though, this follows the adventures of a very inept wizard, Rincewind, the first evolved tourist on Disc World, Twoflower, and Luggage. Rincewind is a failed wizard, a coward and an actually rather likeable scoundrel. Twoflowers is the prototype tourist which can be found anywhere in our own world at any tourist destination and Luggage is Twoflower’s, well…luggage; a loyal trunk that follows its owner everywhere, through think an thin. This book is an account of their adventures while saving Disc World, a world held up by a giant turtle with giant elephants standing on her back, from complete destruction by crashing into a wondering star.
The story line, as with all of Pratchett’s work, is only the tip of the iceberg as far as reading pleasure goes. There were very few pages to this work that did not bring on a slight giggle, belly laugh or, at the very least, a smile. This author has humans pegged perfectly and through his humor, is able to make quite profound observations of the general overall human condition. The author has the ability to tell a rousing story while poking a bit of fun at just about everything. In this novel we meet Cohen the Barbarian, a wonderful take off on the original Conan, and a number of other very recognizable characters inhabiting our culture. I suppose the primary thrust of this work is to make light of the Conan type genre of literature, from The Hobbit to Conan to any number of other works of this order.
Read these books closely. The word play is a major part of the enchantment of this author’s work and can easily be missed if you go too fast. It, the word play, is an absolute delight! Wit and satire are this authors greatest strengths and when you mix those with his imagination and story telling abilities, you have a wonderful entertaining and educational read.
I very much enjoyed Pratchett’s humor, story telling ability and quirky outlook on life. I suppose these novels are not for everyone, but I certainly enjoyed this one. Like another reviewer here, Luggage was my favorite character, followed closely by Cohen.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
Show More
books in this series, and found it held up well. I would suggest the first book in the series be read first, but it is certainly not necessary.I am not going into the plot of this one at any depth as there are quite a number of very good reviews here that have done an outstand job of that already. Briefly though, this follows the adventures of a very inept wizard, Rincewind, the first evolved tourist on Disc World, Twoflower, and Luggage. Rincewind is a failed wizard, a coward and an actually rather likeable scoundrel. Twoflowers is the prototype tourist which can be found anywhere in our own world at any tourist destination and Luggage is Twoflower’s, well…luggage; a loyal trunk that follows its owner everywhere, through think an thin. This book is an account of their adventures while saving Disc World, a world held up by a giant turtle with giant elephants standing on her back, from complete destruction by crashing into a wondering star.
The story line, as with all of Pratchett’s work, is only the tip of the iceberg as far as reading pleasure goes. There were very few pages to this work that did not bring on a slight giggle, belly laugh or, at the very least, a smile. This author has humans pegged perfectly and through his humor, is able to make quite profound observations of the general overall human condition. The author has the ability to tell a rousing story while poking a bit of fun at just about everything. In this novel we meet Cohen the Barbarian, a wonderful take off on the original Conan, and a number of other very recognizable characters inhabiting our culture. I suppose the primary thrust of this work is to make light of the Conan type genre of literature, from The Hobbit to Conan to any number of other works of this order.
Read these books closely. The word play is a major part of the enchantment of this author’s work and can easily be missed if you go too fast. It, the word play, is an absolute delight! Wit and satire are this authors greatest strengths and when you mix those with his imagination and story telling abilities, you have a wonderful entertaining and educational read.
I very much enjoyed Pratchett’s humor, story telling ability and quirky outlook on life. I suppose these novels are not for everyone, but I certainly enjoyed this one. Like another reviewer here, Luggage was my favorite character, followed closely by Cohen.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
Show Less
LibraryThing member neverwondernights
I would suggest buying the 3rd right after reading this one. I still have yet to buy Equal Rites and I really wished I did. I am now not very tempted (at all) to continue the series. It could be because I am not very fond of Pratchett's style or it could be that this book wraps itself up so very
Show More
nicely that it seems as though it the series is over (even though there are... is it over 11 books?). Show Less
LibraryThing member KevlarRelic
Listened to this one on audiobook.
Not really that big a fan of this book or the one that preceded it. It just gets really redundant. The chest is powerful and scares everyone, alrighty, got it, move on. The wizard is cowardly; why do you insist on describing this fact to me every time things get
Almost turned me off Pratchett completely. Lucky for me that I had another of his later books on my ipod and decided to give him a second chance. Read Terry Pratchett's later Discworld books, but I suggest missing this one.
Not really that big a fan of this book or the one that preceded it. It just gets really redundant. The chest is powerful and scares everyone, alrighty, got it, move on. The wizard is cowardly; why do you insist on describing this fact to me every time things get
Show More
dangerous (which is often)? I guess it broke the "show don't tell" rule too often for my tastes. Almost turned me off Pratchett completely. Lucky for me that I had another of his later books on my ipod and decided to give him a second chance. Read Terry Pratchett's later Discworld books, but I suggest missing this one.
Show Less
LibraryThing member comfypants
The 2nd Discworld book. It's kind of the second half to Color of Magic (the 1st book). That book didn't really have much of a coherent plot except to allude to events coming in this book, but the character development between the Rincewind (a wizard with no magic) and Twoflower (a tourist) carries
They're both extremely funny. Sometimes Pratchett plays with words or ideas the way Douglas Adams does. But more often it's a character-based humor, and the characters are very strong and inherently funny. And even without the humor, these would still be good fantasy novels.
Show More
over through both books.They're both extremely funny. Sometimes Pratchett plays with words or ideas the way Douglas Adams does. But more often it's a character-based humor, and the characters are very strong and inherently funny. And even without the humor, these would still be good fantasy novels.
Show Less
LibraryThing member gercmbyrne
Terry Pratchett is a god who walks among men. The entire Discworld series is a joy and only a strange mad creature cursed by gods and man would refuse to read and love these books!
the second in the series, Rincewind and TWoflower continue their journeys around the discworld, causing havoc wherever
the second in the series, Rincewind and TWoflower continue their journeys around the discworld, causing havoc wherever
Show More
they tread! Show Less
LibraryThing member ds_61_12
Rincewind and Twoflower continue their travels, which they began in The Colour of Magic They travel with the barbarian hero Cohan. Traditionally they meet some interesting problems. Such as a big Red Star that's coming towards the Discworld and will, in all likelyhood, destroy it. Wizards that are
Great book. Funny as hell (which doesn't feature in this book, please look up Eric). The characters are very well cast for their roles and extremely likeable (are the superlatives starting to bore yet?). Anyway, read it, the books towards the end of the series are rumored to be even better. Hmmm, you don't have to read this one to read the others. On the other hand, half the fun is the anticipation.
Show More
trying to capture or kill Rincewind. Religious fanatics that try to kill Rincewind. Bandits that try to kill Rincewind, etc. etc.Great book. Funny as hell (which doesn't feature in this book, please look up Eric). The characters are very well cast for their roles and extremely likeable (are the superlatives starting to bore yet?). Anyway, read it, the books towards the end of the series are rumored to be even better. Hmmm, you don't have to read this one to read the others. On the other hand, half the fun is the anticipation.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rincewind1986
QAnother story starring Rincewind, twoflower and the homocidle Luggage and another story where pratchett does what he does best, make you laugh. Rincewind is one of my favourite pratchett characters alongside death and granny weatherwax and this story is rincewind, the cowardly hero, at his best.
LibraryThing member RobertDay
The first full-length Discworld novel, and one that establishes a lot of the key ongoing story points, especially with regard to the Unseen University and the Librarian. (Ook.) Look out for the first of many film references throughout the canon. Still laugh-out loud funny.
LibraryThing member shavienda
A great continuation from the first book, and I'm still impressed at the writing style I mentioned in the first book that terry's form of writing reminded me not so much as writing, but as a delightful series of plays on phrases and paragraphs, that all just happened to fall in a certain order that
Show More
makes sense. Show Less
LibraryThing member Zathras86
Since The Colour of Magic ends with a rather literal cliffhanger, I felt compelled to reread this one and bring Rincewind and Twoflower to the end of their adventures. In some ways this second Discworld book is slightly better than the first; you can already see the gears turning as Pratchett
One thing I have always enjoyed about these books is Pratchett's ability to create, right in the middle of relentless streams of hilarity, great characters that you actually care about. I think it's in this book that this really happens for the first time - at some point you start rooting for Rincewind and Twoflower (and of course, the Luggage) instead of just laughing at them. Surprisingly, instead of ruining the joke it makes the funny parts cut deeper.
Recommended to those who liked The Colour of Magic, or to veteran Discworld readers who want to revisit the beginning.
Show More
starts to get a feel for the sheer scope of the satirical possibilities offered by the Discworld.One thing I have always enjoyed about these books is Pratchett's ability to create, right in the middle of relentless streams of hilarity, great characters that you actually care about. I think it's in this book that this really happens for the first time - at some point you start rooting for Rincewind and Twoflower (and of course, the Luggage) instead of just laughing at them. Surprisingly, instead of ruining the joke it makes the funny parts cut deeper.
Recommended to those who liked The Colour of Magic, or to veteran Discworld readers who want to revisit the beginning.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mybooksmylove
My Rating: B+
My Review:
At first this book struck me as hysterical, but after about fifty pages I found that I was having trouble getting into it. Beyond the sheer hilarity I had a lot of issues finding characters that I could connect with. By the end though, I was enthralled by the story and
Part of my problem with this book, to be honest, may have been that it's the second book in the series, when I thought it was the first, so I'm hoping that when I go back and read the first that I'll find a lot of gaps filled for me.
I do recommend this book to those looking for a light funny read, but be prepared, there are certain things you'll have to stretch your mind around, like a suitcase that acts suspiciously like a dog!
My Review:
At first this book struck me as hysterical, but after about fifty pages I found that I was having trouble getting into it. Beyond the sheer hilarity I had a lot of issues finding characters that I could connect with. By the end though, I was enthralled by the story and
Show More
couldn't wait to get to the end to see how they dealt with the Star problem.Part of my problem with this book, to be honest, may have been that it's the second book in the series, when I thought it was the first, so I'm hoping that when I go back and read the first that I'll find a lot of gaps filled for me.
I do recommend this book to those looking for a light funny read, but be prepared, there are certain things you'll have to stretch your mind around, like a suitcase that acts suspiciously like a dog!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Nikkles
One of my favorite of the series. Pratchett is hilarious. I would recommend reading it!
LibraryThing member kristenn
This one was definitely better than The Color of Magic. Still no laughing, but at least I smiled a few times. The humor wasn't trying as hard. Rincewind still has no charisma but there was a nice, well-developed supporting cast; fewer walking cliches. And there was a plot, sort of, more or less.
LibraryThing member PortiaLong
Light fantasy fiction. Fast read. Not as amusing to me as some of the others.
LibraryThing member polarbear123
I enjoyed this book. I found it confusing at first following all of the threads of the narrative. Perhaps I wasn't paying 100% attention while I was reading it but the further I read the more involved in the story I became. there are some nice its of humour and observational comedy in here too. A
Show More
good continuation from the first book and I am looking forward to reading more - is that the end of Rincewind and Twoflower though? I hope not becasue I liked those two a lot... Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Prix Imaginales (2002)
Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire (Winner — 1998)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1986-05
Physical description
6.75 inches
ISBN
0061020702 / 9780061020704