The TV show is presumably written and directed by Americans, at least.
The book is full of stray Britishisms, even after his editors finished with it, and the fixation on “tourist traps” just enhances the impression that it was written by an outsider whose knowledge of America was entirely superficial.
That part is faithful to the book 
Was that Pratchett’s invention? I remember the trope of gods requiring worshippers (not necessarily human) featuring heavily in the Sandman comics (poor Bast and Ishtar), but I thought the concept was older than Pratchett/Gaiman. I don’t know much about Pratchett aside from Good Omens, which I loved and Discworld, which I hated*, but he was first published in the 80s, right?
I remember liking American Gods and Anansi Boys as well, but the details don’t stick with me as much as Sandman or Neverwhere, so for me they weren’t the most memorable of books. At the time, I recognized that Gaiman sort of was to America what Bill Bryson was to Britain… I had a hard time seeing the America that Gaiman saw, but acknowledged that a lot of the time, outsiders will note peculiarities that locals take for granted (Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island traded on that in spades).
*I found it a total slog and couldn’t understand how people could stand the protagonist, who I found to be a deathly boring dip. Maybe it gets better, but I figure that if I hated it after three books (Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic and Sourcery), I wouldn’t ever like it. The people who I traded books with at the time thought I was crazy.
one of my very good friends has reads the book about once a year. it’s their favorite book. i feel like i tried. i just never “got” it.
beyond his agency, he was – a shadow. i never felt he even had a voice in the book. not really even a tour guide, just a person who things happen around. ( until the end. huh, okay. well, then i really didn’t get it. )
all of the stuff you said you liked i did too. maybe for me the format was wrong. maybe it was his most sandman of novels ( though dream had a stronger personality ), and maybe – for me – getting in bits would be better.
nass – not another streaming service ( it’s getting like pokemon out there. ) maybe video store or library borrow?
Sorry for being a dick.
Everyone has their own taste
are IMO three of the weakest. But I know people who swear by Sourcery, while others like you are more inclined to swear at it.
There are different styles to the mini-series within: the Witches books tend to be takes on major genres – Shakespeare, fairy tales, gothic horror, Phantom of the Opera. The Watch are pulp/noir mysteries and military fiction. All take on social commentary past what those first three did (you may have heard mention of Vimes Boots Theory of Economic Injustice from time to time). He altered his focus from mocking the worst clichés of the genre to general satire.
None of which is aimed at insisting you will like it if you try it, more as a way of explaining why so many people swear that you will. Because there are so many little niches to latch onto.
Disclosure (as if it isn’t obvious), I love Discworld. But not everybody will.
I think one of the most important lessons we can learn as people of a geeky / nerdy persuasion is that people can like or not like different things for perfectly valid reasons. I think Pratchett himself would be appalled at any insistence otherwise. To quote the Patrician:
Pulling together is the aim of despotism and tyranny. Free men pull in all kinds of directions.
It’d be a boring world if we all liked the same things.
I don’t like the first three Discworld novels either, to the point where I can’t get into any of the Rincewind books at all.
Funny that book 4 is Mort, which introduces new ideas instead of just being Monty Python for Tolkien. Sourcery is another snooze, as you mentioned, and then Wyrd Sisters opens up a new set of great characters and tone.
speaking for the book, this is what i liked about it, too. the series looks very promising to me (at least season 1 was highly praised), so i plan to watch it some day.
yes, sorry – i meant to fix that before i hit “reply,” whoops
I’ve heard that Guards! Guards! is the best place to start, it you’re willing to give it one more shot.
Seconded. The first three are the weakest. Also as I am biased to the witches stories I will say that Wyrd Sisters is a good place to dive in as well.
I didn’t see what you wrote before editing, but I doubt that you were.
My issue with AG the series is that it’s nearly all style over substance.
It’s gorgeous to look at and it’s populated with great actors, but the script utterly wastes their talent.
The issues they had with production are obvious in the uneven tone of the entire season, and the narrative arc has been damn near stagnant.
Then there’s the callous way they use racial violence gratuitously without bothering to give it any of the gravitas it needs to make it pertinent to the narrative; there’s yet another pointless and even more graphic lynching scene in S2.
Long story short; if it wasn’t for Sweeney, Mr Nancy and Bilquis, I’d have lost interest in the show a long time ago.
Never meant to imply otherwise. My curiosity was piqued by the assertion that Pratchett developed the idea that gods required belief to survive. I’d always found that a fascinating concept, one of the best things in Gaiman’s writings and was surprised that it was such a recently developed idea and that Pratchett had come up with it.
Thanks for the kind reply.
Maybe I’ll look into Wyrd Sisters or Guards, Guards as an audiobook. I wish I had more time (energy) to read these days. Thanks for the recommendation.
I just finished watching the series finale for Gotham. Talk about ending with a whimper. I was totally underwhelmed. From what I understand, the producers of the show were heavily constrained by DC Comics about what they could and couldn’t show and what they could and couldn’t call the characters in the show, compared to the properties in the comic books. But still. After 5 years, it felt like they were all just sick of the whole thing, and they did a rush job.
And what was the deal with the switch away from the actress who had been playing Selena for the series, and replacing her for the last episode? I just don’t get any of it. The whole episode felt like a rip-off and a huge let-down.
Just watched Endgame.
No spoilers, so relax.
There are plot-holes, but I’m satisfied, mostly.
Needed a short break from painting, and this is what I did. What a roller-coaster ride, though.
I haven’t seen Gotham for quite a while, but I saw this article the other day, which references the actress’ statement on that casting decision.
The Invaders In Color… A Quinn Martin Production.
This episode a quick review so far with Special Guest Star Suzanne Pleshette.
Saw season one on DVD at the library and the back cover says it was created by B-Movie master Larry Cohen and checking when I got home indeed it was.
Fun if slow by modern standards paranoid cold war aliens as communist spies allegory. I am only 3 shows in but it is holding up well enough.
Anything with Suzanne Pleshette is worth watching.