Unseen Academicals (Discworld Series)

The latest Discworld satire lampoons team sports, fans and academics

Ankh-Morpork's clever ruler Lord Ventinari informs Ankh-Morpork's Unseen University Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully he could lose a humongous grant if they fail to field a sports team playing football; some sort of hybrid of soccer and rugby. The wizard faculty and administration are in a frenzied state as none of the practitioners understand the rudiments of the game so they struggle to become adept rather quickly; depending ironically on the mundane support staff.

As they put together a squad around a good kicker who apparently is not part of UU, but part of the streets of UU, Ventinari plans to take advantage of the competition to further his ambitions as sponsors expect much more than a front row seat. Part of his tasking of the wizards is to remove the violence out of the sport as the two best teams in the city, the Dimmers and the Dollies, break a lot of bones and not just on the playing field or limited to the players.

The latest Discworld satire lampoons team sports, fans and academics as UU always put learning and eating way above athletics, but now must dropkick athletics way above learning; eating remains at the top thanks to the cook. Fans will enjoy this amusing look at football and universities with side mockings of racism, sexism and fanatics as learning gets benched for a Top Ten team of headbangers.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Preview of Unseen Academicals

I heard excerpts from the book this weekend at the North American Discworld Convention in Tempe. It was great - between the reading and the bit printed in the program book I know it is going to be a fun read.

Terry Pratchett is a very charming and witty speaker and I hope to be able to attend another convention to see him again.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good Read

I just finished this one and really liked it. Only the 4th I've read from the discworld series, I found it just as enjoyable and the return of Rincewind and his magic chest though short was fun. As well as being introduced to the cast of very entertaining wizards (Hex is one of my favs) and the anything but common folk in Trev, Jools, and Glenda. Top that off with the special and mysterious Nutt, some dwarves and who can ask for more? There was quite a bit of sports in this one, and even if you don't follow football/soccer, it's still fairly easy to follow and enjoy.
The wrap-up for Glenda, Nutt and the others was all I'd hoped for. I can't wait to try more of this series.

Brilliant Fun

The man is from another world it seems, and he continues to take us with him time and again, throught all of his challenges. Unseen Academicals is no different. This book is a gift of creatively brilliant fun for humanity.

Another Hit!

I've read all of the books in the Discworld Series and this one did not disappoint with the laughing out loud, the amazing characters and the fantastic footnotes. Rest assured, you will never be disappointed when it comes to Terry Pratchett.

Great Book from a Great Series

I've read all of Pratchett's Discworld series, and this one didn't disappoint. Pratchett's writing style and satirical take on almost every makes reading his series a very enjoyable experience. Pratchett's novels have always intrigued me by the way he takes very modern things, such as police forces, colleges, or even the post office, and inserts them into his Medieval Discworld in comical ways. This particular novel focuses on soccer, something I don't really care about all that much, but I still chose to read it due to the fact that the way Pratchett inserts modern things into his world can make everyone laugh.
Even though Mr. Pratchett had started to develop Alzheimer's disease, he has lost none of that wit or style in his writing. His take on soccer in a Medieval time is quite humorous, and the way the characters deal with the changing times are very fun to read about. The way that the plot jumps around from time to time, focusing on Mr. Nutt at one point, then going to the Wizards, then to the Night Kitchen staff keeps the reader intrigued about what will happen next, while learning what another group of people will do. I've always loved the way that Pratchett takes fantasy creatures and includes them in different, and often humorous ways, like having a goblin, which most people would associate with stupid, ugly, smelly little creatures, and have him be extremely intelligent, more intelligent that a majority of the characters in the novel. Even the way he integrates certain aspects of sports into the novel is great, like having one of the ancient rules of soccer being to have water nymphs dressed in as little clothes in possible and dance on the sidelines.
Basically, if you like to laugh, this is the book and series for you.

He did it again

Terry Pratchett never disappoints when it comes to his Discworld series and Unseen Academicals is no exception. It is a fun and funny tale that die hard Pratchett fans and newbies alike will enjoy.

Unseen Academicals

The latest in Terry Pratchett's wonderful Discworld universe. Mr. Pratchett remains the best lliving humorist/satirist in the English language. The humor is both witty and intelligent, with sharp, funny and sympathetic insight into human foibles and the innate craziness of of society and its institutions: in this case, college sports.

A new view of Ankh-Morpork.

While this book explores places in the city, that fans of Disc are already familiar with, it goes much deeper into the every day lives of the more "common" folks, taking you to places that have previously just been skimmed over. Leaving you with a different memory feeling than other Disc novels. Looking forward to re-reading it in a couple of months, to get a second sight.

Can't Help But Love Any Terry Pratchett

Thank Goodness that Terry Pratchett has never gotten tired of writing Discworld books, because I will never get tired of reading them. Pratchett's books are funny-PLUS! His characters are weird and wonderful, but also completely recognizable. Despite the fact that they live in a flat world (where magic works) supported by four elephants standing on a giant turtle moving through space; we all know someone just like each of them. "Unseen Academicals" takes on sport, sports fans, and the schools that support the teams - oh, and the modeling industry, fashion design, prejudice of all kinds... you know, LIFE!

Great Fun

Terry Pratchett has a knack for invoking uncontrollable laughing fits! His knack for seeing situations from a different point of view and putting a silly twist on them is refreshingly witty. As always, a great book to put a smile on your face with talented writing style.

Terry Pratchett Does It Again!

As usual, Terry Pratchett delivers a flawlessly funny, crazy, comical adventure. Discworld is definately a place you should visit, if you haven't already. I was hooked on Good Omens and haven't been able to stop. If you love Sir Pratchett, then this is a must read. I'm desperately searching for some of the early books to complete my library, than I'll read them all over in order. ENJOY!!!

I highly recommend all of his books, Discworld and otherwise!

Football and Dwarf Fashion shows in the Discworld

If anyone other than Terry Pratchett had written this they'd be declared a literary and imaginative genius on the spot and the world would be agog. But as it is, it's just what you expect from Pterry.

This takes place in his main Discworld city of Ankh Morpork and has many of his recurring characters and introduces some new ones - including two interesting young women. Plus, yet another minority gets the benefit of his plea for understanding. Minorities previously dealt with include, among others, vampires (who've taken the pledge), werewolves, and golems. Now add Orcs.

This is one of the more bubbly books, higher density writing than some (that's more entertainment per syllable) and it's pleasantly fat.

The book is about football and the theory of group sports and also fashion and the theory of that, and about pies and the role pies play in the structure of things. So if you have deep interests in both football and pies, you need to put this on your must read list. If not, well you should put it there anyway. Because this is good Pratchett and you can't do much better than that.

Terry Pratchett never fails to please

I have to be careful when buying a Terry Pratchett novel because I know that's all I will be doing until it is finished. This one was no exception. Every Pratchett fan has a favorite story line, usually the witches and death are the favorites, but close behind are the wizard ones, which is what this one is. Pratchett continues to get better as he writes.

A fine Discworld adventure with some new characters

Terry Pratchett returns to Discworld and introduces some of the staff who support the wizards at Unseen University, as well as some of the more common people of Ankh-Morpork. The central theme tying the story together is (despite the cover illustration) football (soccer to us Americans).

With many subplots and interwoven stories, this is a fine addition to the Discworld collection.

good Read

I have always enjoyed reading Terry Pratchett stories. This one did not, in any way, dissapoint me.

Terry Pratchett Scores Again

Once again, Terry Pratchett shows why he is the master. His writing is witty, clever and rich. The characters pop off of the page, and they're as real as the person sitting next to you.

Where Unseen Academicals may disappoint is in the conclusion, but only if you're being picky. Personally, I would have liked to see a better, more detailed resolution regarding Mr. Nutt, and Juliet and Trev's story could have had a little more time at the end, too. Also, to mention Rincewind as more of an afterthought does not seem fair to a character who has been the protagonist of at least 4 books. He didn't have to be a main character, but his few lines made him seem more out place. It was almost as if they wanted so much to mention him, but didn't have much use for him otherwise. The shame is that he didn't have to be included. After all, there were other stories with UU where Rincewind does not figure at all.

But this is being picky. It was still a fun read, and I am happy to add it to my collection of Terry Pratchett books. I still laughed out loud. If it took so long for me to read, it's only that I had to put it down... While I stopped laughing. If you're not familiar with Pratchett's works, though, try any of the Death books or Pyramids. The City Watch books, especially the first ones, are also a good bet. Enjoy!

Imperfect, but still very entertaining Pratchett

NB: I received a review copy of this book.

Football (Soccer to us Americans). Romeo and Juliet (with a dash of Cyrano de Bergerac). Secret pasts of characters. Cooking.

Such is the Matter of Unseen Academicals, the latest Discworld novel from Terry Pratchett. Centering on Unseen University, Pratchett takes us not only into the doings of the wizards there, but the "little people" who make the University work. We meet Glenda, head of the Night Kitchen and possibly one of the best cooks anywhere. We meet Trev Lively, son of the famous football player Dave Lively (who scored an unprecedented four goals in his career in the old and illegal version of football played on Discworld's streets). We meet Juliet, a fashion star waiting to be born from her humble beginnings in the kitchen. And we meet the mysterious Mr. Nutt, who is from Uberwald. He's a candle dribbler, but also amazingly educated for someone of his station. Oh, and he is a monster of unusual stripe...

How is it? Well, while I was entertained, UA is frankly, not as good as some of Pratchett's best novels. There are a few things here which are not as well integrated as other plotlines in the novel. Stuff that felt like they should be more important, or were going to be, but never quite came to fruition. I was expecting more out of them than we actually got. Its possible, due to my scattershot reading of Pratchett's work that there are some characterization issues that I am missing. Lord Vetinari feels different than he does in the novels I have read, for example.

On the other hand, a very good Pratchett as opposed to a first-rank Pratchett is still better than a lot of the dreck out there. And there are wonderful things in the novel that frankly made me laugh aloud while reading it. The footnote about the Explorer's Guild, for example. Or the offhand mentioned consequence of yet another strange addition to the Watch. The character growth of Ponder Stibbons, who is rapidly becoming a force within the University to rival Ridcully himself. Or the climatic game for that matter. (although there is an incident in the game involving how the Librarian is removed from goalkeeper that felt very wrong).

I have a large gap in unread Pratchett novels that was little handicap in reading this novel, and so I can unreservedly recommend this latest Discworld novel to readers of all levels of familiarity with Pratchett's work. Is it up to his highest standards? No. On the other hand, only very good Pratchett is still much better than much of the competition.

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No text was provided for this review.