There are entirely too many funny moments in this book for it's length. Poo is certainly an unappreciated topic. As a kid I used to read stories and wonder why no one used the toilet. Especially those "run through the woods hunted by bad guys for days" books. I mean, they must GO eventually and so must the bad guys, presumably. I always felt that as you are squatting and thinking about the nearest suspicious leaf, it would be the ideal moment for an ambush. Or the good guys could ambush the bad guys's tracker! etc. Never happened though.
In this book everybody goes, except the grandmother, of course. She only recommends the constant cleaning of hands. Along the way some wonderful information is shared with the reader. Pratchett and Miss Beedle manage to educate the reader in the most furtive way possible and given the topic this is a feat. That one piece of information on a page that I am certain must be made up, when researched and backed up by footnotes, turns out to be based entirely on facts. Life is weird and poo is weirder or at least our treatment of it. I love it.
I looked about for a boy of the appropriate age to gift this jewel to and found him. I can't wait to be able to discuss this book with someone who can read it in the right spirit. Maybe I'll suggest he read it in the bathroom. It might be inspiring. God knows reading in the w.c. is one of my favorite hobbies. Though I should leave books and magazines in the hall to entertain and distract anyone that may be waiting... and waiting..
Scatological humor is rare in this day of sophistication and subtlety. Not to be confused with eschatological humor which refers to the apocalypse... though in my family the dangerous combination of peaches and beer is notorious for having produced such a smell and deluge in the loo that eschatological jokes came to mind i.e. it is precisely what the end of the world would smell like.
Terry Pratchett
ISBN: 9780857521217
ISBN: 9780857521217
hi miriam,
ReplyDeletepeaches and beer? too funny. i imagine the backstory is fall on the floor funny. love your writing as usual.
bob
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you. How about we do an experiment. You go ahead and try the combination and tell me the results... I love science.
Anyway the backstory involves someone having a beer while watching a movie. Someone else brought in some nice peaches to enjoy during the movie. Someone (#1) got greedy. Then karma struck. The first fart was horrifying. The second fart turned out not to be quite a fart if you see what I mean and there was a mad dash for the facilities. Someone then stayed in the facilities for a long time as there was no point stepping out again. The rest of us laughed from a distance. A large well ventilated distance.