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51 Reviews

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (51 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars ooooh dare I give a pratchett book 3 stars?!, Aug 31 2001

By

Ella - See all my reviews

Death always makes me feel a bit melancholy.
laugh all you want, but when I read about how Susan
laughed at the swing he tried to make for her it brought tears to my eyes...
I absolutely love Pratchetts work. I also love music
so I was ready to love this book.
but, what can I say? it was kinda boring- not one
of his best. there wasn't enough plot for 380 pages.
and the ending was a bit hazy. I'm not even sure
what happened there.
but still, 3 stars on the Pratchett scale is about
5 stars on any other scale.
better buy Small Gods or Carpe Jugulum instead, and save that one for later!

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5.0 out of 5 stars maybe more like 4.5, May 12 2002

By

Brian "Brian" (Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews

As my second Discworld book, I didn't like it as much as "Hogfather", but as a professional musician I found many more things amusing than some non-musicians may. There is some very subtle humor (or humour) for musicians in here.

It was nice to follow Death on one of his journies to find himself and it is always great to hear from the Grim Squeaker (Death of Rats) again.

Good book.

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4.0 out of 5 stars For the most part holds up on its promises., Jan 13 2002

By

Kam (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews

I always have a difficult time getting into the groove with Pratchett novels. Given the serious nature of most of the books I ever read, it takes me at least fifty pages to begin to come to terms with all the slapstick parody. Usually after that, though, I find myself in heaven, and "Soul Music," for the most part, upheld that illusion without a hitch.

I used to be into rock music a number of years ago, but I grew out of it as I began to take notice of just how pointless all the angst associated with the scene really was; the fact that all the bands sounded the same, I suppose, must have also played a part in my disenchantment. Whatever the case, this installment in the Discworld series struck a chord with me as it began to make note of all the conventions that go along hand in hand with the music; spike-studded leather clothing, you could say, goes along pretty well with the entire scene--but outside of that, you really can't justify its usage with any other point.

For a while, it's great to see Pratchett introduce element after element on the ground that "it just *fits*"--at least, until the end of the novel approaches, and you realize that what has been parodied is really nothing more than the superficial elements of it all.

But it's all fine and dandy, because when things begin to grow stale, our attention is turned towards Death's granddaughter's approach to her newly-inherited vocation, and the more intimate details of Death's home. I don't know if any details on the latter may have been dispersed in previous installments of the series (as I've only read a handful), but what's here is a hoot--it's a neat little way to make Death a more palatable, charismatic character.

The most problematic issue at hand, though, seems to be the conclusion of the novel--we're treated to dozens of terse passages that try to build up momentum for a situation so clichéd that it almost lacks any sort of impetus whatsoever, and at the end of it all you're left scratching your head at what seems to be a rushed, indolent excuse for an ending. And if you read over it, you'll realize that the passages relating to the Patrician are but a waste of time--nothing he does is important enough to progress the story, and since Pratchett forgets about him by the end (or middle) of the book, it seems like the reader is expected to have done so as well.

So I'll forget, and imbue the inner recesses of my mind with the opinion that "Soul Music" is a great frivolous read. There's really not enough reason here to regret having spent my money; in fact, for more passages with C.M.O.T. Dibbler alone, I'd probably be willing to fork over twice as large an amount.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Job, PTerry
In this Discworld installment, PTerry definitely did a great job on the characters, of which there is no shortage. Read more

Published on Dec 28 2001 by boston403

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best on Death
Death is easily one of my favorite characters in the Discworld series, and this book is him at his prime. Read more

Published on Dec 13 2001 by J. McGuire