SOUNDTRACK: hiatus
[READ: March 2022] The Last Continent
The Last Continent in Discworld is Australia. Or as Pratchett says “This is not a book about Australia. No, it’s about somewhere entirely different which just happens to be, here and there, a bit Australian. Still… no worries, right?”
In the previous Rincewind story, he was sent to Four Ecks in exchange for a kangaroo. He has been there for a time and has been adjusting reasonably well–only nearly everything wants to kill him.
But suddenly he meets Scrappy–a talking kangaroo. Scrappy believes that Rincewind is a hero of sorts who is going to bring the wet (Rain) back to the continent. Turns out that it has not rained in Four Ecks for a long time, although it is surrounded by forbidding storms that make the continent almost inaccessible from outside.
Four Ecks is also a time travel parody of sorts, because Rincewind is able to see himself (and the other wizards) in cave paintings that are thousands of years old but which just appeared in front of him.
Meanwhile, back in Ankh-Morpork, the librarian seems to be going through something. His magical field (which tunrned him into an orangutan) seems to be failing. He keeps turning into various shapes, and the senior wizards (Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully, The Dean, The Bursar, The Chair of Indefinite Studies, The Lecturer in Recent Runes, The Senior Wrangler, and Ponder Stibbons) are keen on fixing him–even if that means turning him back human–which he does NOT want, Indeed, the librarian destroyed all record of his original name–which would be essential for creating a spell to revert him to his original shape.
They decide that Rincewind might know a thing or two about the librarian since he was the librarian’s assistant. They think about dragging Rincewind back, but soon realize the danger of that (and actually stop their plans before anyone can get hurt).
So they decide to go find him. They visit the office of the Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography. After hesitating, they go into his office and find that his window inexplicably opens onto a lovely beach. A beach that happens to be thousands of years in the past.
When the housekeeper Mrs Whitlow accidentally closes the window, they are all tapped there. The wizards fear of Mrs Whitlow (a woman!) is very funny as is one of the wizards unexplained sexual attraction to her (it was an accident and he can’t stop).
The place is crazy with plants around them evolving to give them exactly what they hope for–like rolled cigarettes and even a plant-based boat. They eventually learn that a god is on the island and is really trying to help. But it’s Ponder Stibbons, who is the only one who wonders what is going on, to figure things out. Turns out the god is the god of evolution–hence evolving things that they need. Amusingly, the god of evolution doesn’t know anything about sexual reproduction and has, consequently, made a bunch of things but nothing to reproduce with them. And of course the wizards are no help with sexual reproduction–they gave that up when they became wizards. Imagine, then, that Mrs Whitlow, who was, indeed a Mrs can teach him a thing or two.
The wizards inadvertently create a platypus and make a great show of using a bullroarer to help with the world.
The people of Four Ecks (remember, not Australia) are rather amusing–(No worries mate). They are hard drinking, tough, macho types who love their beer).
Rincewind keeps trying to flee from Skippy the kangaroo, but seems to wind up exactly where he is supposed to be to help his destiny along. This even includes being arrested for stealing sheep (which he did not do). He is taken to Bugarup to be placed on trial. He is put in jail and is scheduled for execution. But everyone really hopes he’ll escape–it makes for a much better saga that way. And the wilder the escape, the better. Rincewind certainly knows a lot about escaping dramatically.
Pratchett nods to The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert when Rincewind runs into men in drag–Darleen and Letitia–and a female, Neilette. They happened to find the Luggage. And The Luggage loves them because they make such great use of it AS LUGGAGE!
Rincewind also inadvertently invents like marmite and really seems to help solidify “Australian culture.”
As the story nears its end, Rincwewind meets the Four Ecks version of himself. The man is competent and he shows Rincewind the University of Fourecks which has a tower that is much much bigger on the inside than the outside–it’s all a bit much for Rincewind.
In the way of Rincewind stories, this one involves a lot of running around and mistaken identity and is quite farcical. It’s also very funny and rather a delight. It is philosophical and thoughtful without being too hit-you-over-the-head. And it’s got a talking kangaroo!
Here’s the list of Discworld books:
1. The Colour of Magic
2. The Light Fantastic
3. Equal Rites
4. Mort
5. Sourcery
6. Wyrd Sisters
7. Pyramids
8. Guards! Guards!
9. Faust Eric
10. Moving Pictures
11. Reaper Man
12. Witches Abroad
13. Small Gods
14. Lords and Ladies
15. Men at Arms
16. Soul Music
17. Interesting Times
18. Maskerade
19. Feet of Clay
20. Hogfather
21. Jingo
22. The Last Continent
23. Carpe Jugulum
24. The Fifth Elephant
25. The Truth
26. Thief of Time
27. The Last Hero
28. The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents
29. Night Watch
30. The Wee Free Men
31. Monstrous Regiment
32. A Hat Full of Sky
33. Going Postal
34. Thud!
35. Wintersmith
36. Making Money
37. Unseen Academicals
38. I Shall Wear Midnight
39. Snuff
40. Raising Steam
41. The Shepherd’s Crown
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