Title: Moving Pictures
Author: Terry Pratchett
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 336
Rating: 7/10
Terry Pratchett – Moving Pictures
Alas, moving pictures didn’t move me as much as some of Sir Terry Pratchett’s other books, and I think that in many ways, it’s probably my own fault. Last time that I read it, I was probably too young to pick up on a lot of the references, because this book features the Discworld’s version of Hollywood. It’s a bit like Soul Music, in that respect – it takes a lot of inspiration from stuff that a kid wouldn’t know, not now and not then.
That said, I don’t think you should judge the book too harshly based on my review – if you’re a film afficionado, or if you’re in your thirties or above, then you’re probably going to know what Pratchett is talking about. It probably also helps if you’re a fan of some of the more eldritch stuff to happen in the series – yeah, that’s right, I just dropped the word ‘eldritch’ into a sentence. Not sure if I spelled it right, though.
Anyway, there are some redeeming features to the novel, like the fact that despite it being the tenth Discworld novel, it still appeared relatively early in terms of Pratchett’s publishing history, although at least I was alive for this one. It’s also the first book to feature Mustrum Ridcully, a man who would go on to become one of my favourite characters – I like it when people are fallible, and Ridcully is definitely fallible, despite his seniority.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend starting with Moving Pictures unless you’re a serious film fan, but it is a necessary addition to your library if you’re working on reading every book in the Discworld series. I’d be interested to see whether you agree with me, when you do read it – I have the feeling that the low score is because of my own imperfections, and not because of any imperfections in the book. Let me know, folks!
Terry Pratchett
