The Last Continent

Against the stars a turtle passes... And so begins another of Terry Pratchett's tales of the Unseen University, a place where wizards go to study, kill each other, and, in their spare time, eat a lot. This time Archchancellor Ridcully has a serious problem. The Librarian has come down with magician's flu and with every sneeze the University's favorite orangutan changed into something else. A carpet, a red-headed grimoire, aven a deck chair. To make matters worse, the books in the library are in revolt. Now the worst hangs in the offing, the only hope is to bring Rincewind, the Unseen University's most inept graduate back to pacify the library, which they try to cure the Librarian. Only no one is quite positive where Rincewind is. After all, only an hour ago, no one ever wanted to see him again. Rumor has it that Rincewind was dumped on the continent of Fourecks, a place where most people consider rain an offensive legend, after his last misadventure. The magician's primary talent is surviving disasters only to find himself in worse trouble. With this information, the faculty of the Unseen University troops into the office of The Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography and, by virtue of peering through a window that shouldn't be there find themselves precisely where they shouldn't be - in Fourecks, but a few thousand years too soon. While Rincewind tries to avoid murder, torture, and irritated citizens on modern Fourecks, which has run out of water, the Archchancellor and his companions discover themselves present for the continent's creation by a God who was, well..., a little bit too thorough. And the Librarian is still sneezing. And somewhere, the many-footed luggage struggles to find its master. In many ways, The Last Continent is a tour de force. One long, hysterical mockery of pompous academics, time paradoxes, science gone absurd, and the temerity of radical deities. One can't help but admire a man who really believes that humans exist because nature abhors a vacuum and that taking things seriously is a sure way to wind up taking orders from a very pushy kangaroo. Even Death stops in for a moment to see what Rincewind is up to. One can't help but applaud.

At last! Finally a plausible explanation for so many mysterious phenomena we've all pondered with futility: Have you ever wondered how God ever arrived at sex as a means of creatures reproducing themselves? The answer's here in this book. Have you ever wondered what the duckbill platypus? Yeah. What the duckbill platypus? Well, the answer's not precisely here, but if you wondered why, instead, you'll be fulfilled. Kangaroos? Why budgies say the thing about pretty boys? What it is that's missing in Oz, and why? You'll get it all here in this, the best, the most amusing book yet by Terry Pratchett. Unfortunately, you mustn't read it until you've read all the other Rincewind sequence books. Then you can reward yourself with a laugh on every page and a newly found metaphysical awareness. A handshake and friendly, "Howdy!" with god.

I was happy to see the wizards back in action in this always entertaining Discworld series. I have always thought the wizards (along with the witches) are among the funniest characters. Pratchett has crafted an interesting story set in the land-down-under, a story about gods and creation and the blending of past and present, as Rincewind tries to save the continent from a massive drought. As usual, Rincewind falls into things (literally and figuratively), but despite the familiar Rincewind antics, Pratchett keeps this novel fresh and, as with all of his books, sharply satirical. There are so many one line zingers I am sure I missed some, but I found his commentary on university life to be exceptionally funny. I do not think this is a good place to start into the Discworld novels, but for Pratchett fans, you don't want to miss it.

Well, I don't know why everyone's going on about this book not being so good--unless they simply prefer the more "serious" or not so pop-culture-reference-laden books of the Discworld series. Me, call me cheap, but, as nice as some philosophy can be, I like the ones that make me LAUGH. And the Last Continent did that. BIG-time!In one plotline, we have Rincewind, who I liked from the moment I first read "The Colour of Magic" and have laughed myself silly at any book he's ever been in since. (Including the unpopular "Sourcery", which had me almost DYING with laughter, and even "Eric".) How can a character who's so _cowardly_ be so _likeable_? It defies logic on the surface of it, but, there you go! Terry Pratchett is the only author I've seen so far who can make the most pathetic losery _anti_-hero you can think of--and then genuinely make you cheer for him.Anyway, Rincewind's plotline involves him not only wandering all over "FourEcks" and running into a parody version of just about _every single famous Australian thing known to man_, but also a whole ton of just plain side-splitting jokes and scenes. I LOVED the whole "Priscilla" thing! Assuming that Rincewind was another drag-queen, with his "dress" (wizard robe), oh, gods...! I was so in stitches. And the Luggage in high heels even!The other plotline involves the wizards from Unseen University--but this time, they are OUT of the University! Big improvement! I guess I'm in the minority here, but when it comes to favourite "groups" of characters the wizards are TOPS for me, with the witches, Guards, "Death" family, etc. below them. I dunno. Maybe I just like eccentric whackazoid characters. (And HEX rules.) Anyway, this part of the book takes the wizards out of their usual cloistered surroundings for a welcome (for us; frightening to them) breath of real fresh air and sunshine--and weirdness! Highlights of this plotline include young Ponder Stibbons becoming a very strong character suddenly (he gets a sympathetic background and a hot temper among other things) and Mrs. Whitlow also being developed further. As for the God on the island offending heavily-religious people, listen: He's the GOD of EVOLUTION. Like, since evolution is something you can "believe" in, it must have a god behind it...well, on Discworld, anyway! He was making fun of atheists or secular humanists in a tongue-and-cheek way. Notice it was Ponder, the scientific wizard, who was _horrified_ to find out that such a god could exist (at first...then he thought it was cool...for a while.) Last but not least, I _liked_ the way the two plotlines tied together at the end. I just hope this isn't the end of Rincewind's "adventures", not just yet.In short: BOTH plotlines are funny, have character development and HILARIOUSLY funny lines and scenarios. It _does_ make sense if you pay attention to it, and you don't have to be Australian to get the jokes--just alive and alert for the later part of the 20th century is a

'The Last Continent' takes it's place in the Discworld series as another hilarious political insight into different cultures. I found that this book was certainly one of the more clever additions to the series, since in every sentence a little jewel of social comment into Australian culture is buried. For all you Aussie Discworld fans, and I know there are a lot of you out there, if you could only read one book this year, make it this one. For all you non-Australian fans, and I know there are probably more of you out there, your opininon of this book can range from the fantastic, to the totally lame. One begins to wonder if this book was written especially for Pratchett's Aussie fans, for they're the only one's who will get all the hidden gags. So if you really want to enjoy this book to it's absoloute fullest (and let me tell you, it has great potential) brush up on your Australian folklore, dialouge, beer, traditions, animals, landscape, geography, politics, foods, opera singers, cities, plants, television, movies, ballads, buildings, sports, haunted breweries, gay festivals, myths, and natives. But if you're not up to it, just enjoy the wizard jokes put in it just for you, ok?