Top 100 books challenge: 93. The Colour Of Magic

One word springs to mind to describe this book...disappointing!

I was quite excited when I looked at the Top 100 list to see quite a few Terry Pratchett books on there. I liked his books as a child, even acting in a play of The Wyrd Sisters (where I played the fool would you believe it?!) It has been a while since I picked one of his books up, and it looks like my tastes have changed, as I did not enjoy this one!

The colour of Magic is the first two Discworld novels and follows the exploits of Rincewind, a wizard who is expelled from Unseen University, who is forced to act as a guide for Twoflower, a property insurance salesman and the Discworld's first tourist. They visit many strange places, and meet random people along the way.

I found the plot very random, and my attention began to drift. I found it hard to concentrate on the story, and was constantly checking how many more pages I had to go until I reached the end. I was determined to finish the book, as I have vowed to read all of the books on the list. One of the only good things about this story is that it is short, at about 250 pages.
I enjoyed some parts of the book, for example the bit in the dragon cave, but there were too many parts I didn’t like. I enjoy fantasy books, but I found this one hard to get into, with a plot that didn’t interest me. Sorry Mr Pratchett. I only hope the other books you have written on the list are better!


Rating 3/10

Top 100 books challenge: 33. The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth focuses on the building of a cathedral in the town of Kingsbridge, England, and is set  in the middle of the 12th century. It gives an account of things that happened at the time, like the sinking of the White Ship, and the murder of the  Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket. However it is told through the eyes of fictional characters.

I loved the way that all the characters in this book were interlinked, and we saw how their paths kept crossing. In the first part we meet so many people, and hear all their stories separately. There was Tom Builder and his family, who move from place to place trying to find work, as Tom is intent on building the most beautiful Cathedral the world has ever seen. Then there are the monks, lead by the determined and clever prior Phillip. We also hear of the evil William Hamleigh, who thinks nothing of murdering innocent people, and the brave Aliena who is determined to avenge her father and carry out his dying wish. Later in the book all the characters are intertwined, and we see who helps who, and who is there to cause distress and problems.

There are some pretty gory scenes in the books, mainly with William Hamleigh, who is an arrogant man who is determined to be named the Earl of Shiring. He destroys anyone who gets in his way, murdering innocent villagers, and raping young girls. I detested William, and was pleased to see that he got what he deserved in the end.

The hero of the book for me was the ginger Jack Jackson, who carried out his stepfather Tom Builder’s wish to build a grand Cathedral and saved the town by building walls when it was under attack from William Hamleigh. I also really liked Prior Phillip, who is a fair and clever man, and also there to offer help and advice to those who need it.

A really interesting read, and a book that I was disappointed to reach the end of! This book is a classic example of good triumphing evil, with the good coming out on top and the evil getting what they deserve in the end.

Rating 10/10

Top 100 books challenge: 72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

I had quite mixed feelings about this book. There are two main aspects to it. The first is the  interesting story, about the lives of working class men during the early 1900’s. The men are  painters and decoraters, and are in an increasingly desperate situation regarding lack of money and work. Work is scarce and competition fierce, and many are often out of employment for months at a time.

The other part of the book is the big political influence, which is prominent throughout. The characters are portrayed as  hypocritical Christians, and workers who think that a better life is not for people like them. They throw themselves into back-breaking work for poverty wages in order to generate profit for their masters, and believe that there is nothing better for them out there. Their only purpose in life is to be allowed to work, and keep their family from starving, and they believe that what is good enough for them will be good enough for their children when they grow up.

The characters in the book fall on two sides, socialists and libralists. The hero of the book is Frank Owen, a socialist who believes that the capitalist system is the real source of the poverty he sees all around him. He tries to educate his friends and make them see his views, and often gives long, preaching speeches to them. However many jeer him, and refuse to listen. They believe that they are not worthy of better things, and distrust their own views, preferring to rely on those who are their ‘betters’.

I enjoyed finding out more about the lives of the men and their families. It was quite hard reading about their struggles to put food on the table as, although this is a fictional book, it is based on true events and situations. Sometimes the political part took over too much, with pages and pages of socialist/libralists arguments. This was too much, and for me spoilt the book as I found myself drifting off. It was good to know the background, but the book went into to much detail, which succeeded in boring me.

Rating 4/10