Unseen Academicals: Discworld #32

"I can't be doing with fantasy," said my dear 70 year old neighbour, shuddering with well-bred distaste at my suggestion that he'd enjoy Pratchett. But once I had nailed his ear to the MP3 he was soon as full of praise and awe as I am. And saw what is there under the delightful and funny surface.

WHy oh why are Pratchett's novels called "fantasy"? They are far more about our own down-to-earth Earth than most books that purport to hold a mirror up to nature. Of course this story is about football and is very funny indeed - but it is also about... friendship, racism, the nature of love, bullying, courage,the best kind of politics, the desperate need to find self-worth, pies...

Terry Pratchett just gets better and better. This novel is on a par with Night Watch and Going Postal. I can't praise them enough for their un-po-faced sharing of wisdom and optimism.

Terry Pratchett is as observant as ever and Briggs narrates the discworld so well that it would be a crime to listen to an abridged version of a discworld novel. Ridcully and the other wizards are so vividly brought to life that the whole book plays across the back of your eyes like a movie.I now have all the Briggs/Pratchett edititions and hope like crazy that more are on the way.

This story has grown on me -and though at first I thought it wasn't one of Pratchett's best, it improves on repeat listening and reading! Stephen Briggs is just one of the best readers EVER. He has very clear, distinct voices, so you know who is speaking. Even better than that, he has obviously thought really hard about conveying the personality of each character through their voice. He's terrific and really performs with energy and delight. This and Going Postal are probably my favourite Pratchetts read by Briggs. I wish he'd re-record the earlier Nigel Planer ones, which are ok, but he has a tendency to do about a quarter of his characters as thick sounding when it really isn't in character. Good fun

This is a brilliant version of a book by the master, and even better that it is read by Stephen Briggs not Tony Robinson as it says on the image. Had me in stitches.

The wizards could show Fabio's boys a thing or two on the pitch, that's for sure. The beautiful game is taken to the heights of absurdity by wonderful Mr Pratchett in this brilliantly funny account of Unseen University's version of the World Cup final. I love everything about the Discworld and I loved this book. Buy it, but try not to laugh out loud too much if you listen to it on a train. People give you funny looks and tend to sit far away.

Loved every minute of it.

Great read, brilliant Audio book well recomended

I enjoy Discworld books and this is one of my favourite a great mix of humour, sport romance and something to make you think.

Whatever Terry Pratchett chooses to write about he is always able to comment humurously on the way people are. Most of us can identify people like these characters. It is always a joy to read more about Ankh Morpork folk. Lord Vetinari, the Librarian, the Watch and CMOT Dibbler, to mention a few, always make me smile and admire Terry Pratchett's creation.

Another fantastic and fantastical book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. All of his characters are so rich and memorable and his balance between merriment and message is just right. Add to this the wonderful narrating skills of Stephen Briggs, and it would be hard to find anything to dislike. I find myself listening to many books in this series again and again.