Interesting Times
Encyclopedia
Interesting Times is the seventeenth novel
in the Discworld
series by Terry Pratchett
.
The opening lines explain that the title refers to the phrase "may you live in interesting times
".
gods Fate and The Lady (Luck) with the Discworld
as their game board.
This novel marks Rincewind
's reappearance on the Discworld
after the events of Eric
. The Patrician of Ankh-Morpork
is sent a letter from the Agatean Empire on the Counterweight Continent commanding him to "send us the Great Wizzard". The wizards of Unseen University
, after some discussion, eventually realise the spelling of Wizzard can refer to only one man — Rincewind
.
After using Hex
to assist in performing a spell to summon Rincewind, Archchancellor Ridcully convinces him to go to the Agatean Empire and speak to whoever sent the message. A second summoning spell is used, which exchanges the position of Rincewind with that of a live cannon.
As usual, The Luggage is not far behind Rincewind, following him across the continents to its homeland. However, once there it gets the impression that Rincewind has relinquished ownership, and therefore the two are separated for a large portion of the book as The Luggage explores the land.
Upon his arrival on the Counterweight Continent, Rincewind is reunited with a companion of his previous adventures, Cohen the Barbarian. Cohen has brought a group of aging heroes, The Silver Horde, with him, in order to usurp the Emperor and "steal" the country. Rincewind also learns that the Empire is in a state of turmoil thanks to a revolutionary document entitled "What I did on My Holidays". Later, Rincewind discovers that this book was written by none other than his travelling companion in the novels The Colour of Magic
and The Light Fantastic
, Twoflower the tourist. The Empire's capital city of Hunghung is under "siege" from the Empire's five most powerful feudal lords — Hong, Tang, Fang, Sung, and McSweeney, and a revolutionary group called the Red Army is also independently plotting to overthrow the Emperor.
Rincewind travels to Hunghung where he meets Twoflower's daughters, who are members of the Red Army. He discovers that Agatean culture is not a good breeding ground for revolution and the Red Army doesn't do much more than putting up posters and shouting limp slogans. Rincewind is cajoled into helping the Red Army free revolutionary prisoners, but they are captured and thrown into the dungeons, where Twoflower is also being held.
The most powerful feudal lord, Lord Hong, has in fact been manipulating the other four families and fomenting the Red Army to further his own political gains. His plan is for the Red Army to assassinate the Emperor, so that he in turn can mount a counter-revolution, take control of the Empire and eventually conquer Ankh-Morpork
. To this end, Rincewind and the others are mysteriously allowed to escape and led to the Emperor's bedroom, where they discover that the Emperor has already been murdered by Lord Hong's soldiers.
At the same time, Cohen and his Silver Horde infiltrate the city, and penetrate the Forbidden City, home of the Emperor. Rincewind eventually finds his way to the Throne Room, where Cohen has now installed himself as Emperor. However, the city remains under siege from five armies, and the Silver Horde are called out to meet their challenge. Meanwhile, back in the University, Hex is calculating the spell needed to bring Rincewind back. However, the butterfly of Luck drops a small glob of honey in a tube, which distracts an ant, thus altering the calculation.
Rincewind, trying to avoid the battle, finds his way up an ancient hill outside Hunghung. As the battle is about to commence, a massive thunderstorm appears, and Rincewind finds himself dropped into a mysterious cave, filled with terracotta statues
, the original, legendary Red Army. After locating some magic armour that allows him to control the army, Rincewind leads them out into the middle of the battlefield and begins destroying the five attacking armies, mostly by accident. Cohen is returned to Hunghung victorious, and re-proclaims himself Emperor.
Lord Hong escapes the battlefield, and returns to Hunghung for a final showdown. Twoflower challenges him to a duel, blaming Lord Hong for the death of his wife. Just as Hong is about to kill Twoflower, the cannon is returned, lit, as a result of the Unseen University wizards' attempts to resummon Rincewind. The cannon fires, and Hong is killed, along with one of the members of Cohen's horde; Ronald Saveloy the civilization instructor, who had given up civilization as a waste of time and thinks heroes get a better class of afterlife. The rest of the Silver Horde is unharmed, due to many years' practice at not dying.
Fate then remarks that although the Lady has won, she has lost her most powerful piece, because the imbalance in mass between the cannon and Rincewind will mean that when he materializes in the University, he will fly into a wall at 500 miles an hour, as he did when he was teleported to the Counterweight Continent. Due to a slight error in calculation by Hex caused by Luck's interference however, Rincewind is not returned to the University, thus saving his life. The wizards determine that Rincewind has in fact been transported to "XXXX", an unexplored continent. At the end, it appears that Rincewind is about to be pulled into another adventure despite his best efforts.
! colspan="3" | Reading order guide
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
in the Discworld
Discworld
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
series by Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
.
The opening lines explain that the title refers to the phrase "may you live in interesting times
May you live in interesting times
"May you live in interesting times", often referred to as the Chinese curse, is reputed to be the English translation of an ancient Chinese proverb and curse, although it may have originated among the English themselves...
".
Plot summary
The events of the novel are a "game" between the DiscworldDiscworld
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
gods Fate and The Lady (Luck) with the Discworld
Discworld (world)
The Discworld is the fictional setting for all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld fantasy novels. It consists of a large disc resting on the backs of four huge elephants which are in turn standing on the back of an enormous turtle, named Great A'Tuin as it slowly swims...
as their game board.
This novel marks Rincewind
Rincewind
Rincewind is a fictional character appearing in several of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. He is a failed student at the Unseen University for wizards in Ankh-Morpork, and is often described by scholars as "the magical equivalent to the number zero". He spends just about all of his time...
's reappearance on the Discworld
Discworld (world)
The Discworld is the fictional setting for all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld fantasy novels. It consists of a large disc resting on the backs of four huge elephants which are in turn standing on the back of an enormous turtle, named Great A'Tuin as it slowly swims...
after the events of Eric
Eric (novel)
Eric, also known as Faust Eric, is the ninth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. It was originally published in 1990 as a "Discworld story", in a larger format than the other novels and illustrated by Josh Kirby...
. The Patrician of Ankh-Morpork
Havelock Vetinari
Havelock Vetinari, Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, is the fictional ruler of the city state of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, a series of over thirty books describing a parallel universe whose main world has reflections of - even more or less subtle jokes about - our...
is sent a letter from the Agatean Empire on the Counterweight Continent commanding him to "send us the Great Wizzard". The wizards of Unseen University
Unseen University
The Unseen University is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of fantasy novels. Located in the city of Ankh-Morpork, the UU is staffed by a faculty composed of mostly indolent and inept old wizards. The university's name is a pun on the Invisible College...
, after some discussion, eventually realise the spelling of Wizzard can refer to only one man — Rincewind
Rincewind
Rincewind is a fictional character appearing in several of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. He is a failed student at the Unseen University for wizards in Ankh-Morpork, and is often described by scholars as "the magical equivalent to the number zero". He spends just about all of his time...
.
After using Hex
Hex (Discworld)
Hex is a fictional computer featuring in the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. First appearing in Soul Music, Hex is an elaborate, magic-powered and self-building computer housed at the Unseen University in the city of Ankh-Morpork...
to assist in performing a spell to summon Rincewind, Archchancellor Ridcully convinces him to go to the Agatean Empire and speak to whoever sent the message. A second summoning spell is used, which exchanges the position of Rincewind with that of a live cannon.
As usual, The Luggage is not far behind Rincewind, following him across the continents to its homeland. However, once there it gets the impression that Rincewind has relinquished ownership, and therefore the two are separated for a large portion of the book as The Luggage explores the land.
Upon his arrival on the Counterweight Continent, Rincewind is reunited with a companion of his previous adventures, Cohen the Barbarian. Cohen has brought a group of aging heroes, The Silver Horde, with him, in order to usurp the Emperor and "steal" the country. Rincewind also learns that the Empire is in a state of turmoil thanks to a revolutionary document entitled "What I did on My Holidays". Later, Rincewind discovers that this book was written by none other than his travelling companion in the novels The Colour of Magic
The Colour of Magic
The Colour of Magic is a 1983 comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the Discworld series. Pratchett has described it as "an attempt to do for the classical fantasy universe what Blazing Saddles did for Westerns."...
and The Light Fantastic
The Light Fantastic
The Light Fantastic is a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the second of the Discworld series. It was published in 1986. The title is a quote from a poem by John Milton and in the original context referred to dancing lightly with extravagance....
, Twoflower the tourist. The Empire's capital city of Hunghung is under "siege" from the Empire's five most powerful feudal lords — Hong, Tang, Fang, Sung, and McSweeney, and a revolutionary group called the Red Army is also independently plotting to overthrow the Emperor.
Rincewind travels to Hunghung where he meets Twoflower's daughters, who are members of the Red Army. He discovers that Agatean culture is not a good breeding ground for revolution and the Red Army doesn't do much more than putting up posters and shouting limp slogans. Rincewind is cajoled into helping the Red Army free revolutionary prisoners, but they are captured and thrown into the dungeons, where Twoflower is also being held.
The most powerful feudal lord, Lord Hong, has in fact been manipulating the other four families and fomenting the Red Army to further his own political gains. His plan is for the Red Army to assassinate the Emperor, so that he in turn can mount a counter-revolution, take control of the Empire and eventually conquer Ankh-Morpork
Ankh-Morpork
Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city-state which prominently features in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of fantasy novels. As cities go, it is on the far side of corrupt and polluted, and is subject to outbreaks of comedic violence and brouhaha on a fairly regular basis...
. To this end, Rincewind and the others are mysteriously allowed to escape and led to the Emperor's bedroom, where they discover that the Emperor has already been murdered by Lord Hong's soldiers.
At the same time, Cohen and his Silver Horde infiltrate the city, and penetrate the Forbidden City, home of the Emperor. Rincewind eventually finds his way to the Throne Room, where Cohen has now installed himself as Emperor. However, the city remains under siege from five armies, and the Silver Horde are called out to meet their challenge. Meanwhile, back in the University, Hex is calculating the spell needed to bring Rincewind back. However, the butterfly of Luck drops a small glob of honey in a tube, which distracts an ant, thus altering the calculation.
Rincewind, trying to avoid the battle, finds his way up an ancient hill outside Hunghung. As the battle is about to commence, a massive thunderstorm appears, and Rincewind finds himself dropped into a mysterious cave, filled with terracotta statues
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army or the "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China...
, the original, legendary Red Army. After locating some magic armour that allows him to control the army, Rincewind leads them out into the middle of the battlefield and begins destroying the five attacking armies, mostly by accident. Cohen is returned to Hunghung victorious, and re-proclaims himself Emperor.
Lord Hong escapes the battlefield, and returns to Hunghung for a final showdown. Twoflower challenges him to a duel, blaming Lord Hong for the death of his wife. Just as Hong is about to kill Twoflower, the cannon is returned, lit, as a result of the Unseen University wizards' attempts to resummon Rincewind. The cannon fires, and Hong is killed, along with one of the members of Cohen's horde; Ronald Saveloy the civilization instructor, who had given up civilization as a waste of time and thinks heroes get a better class of afterlife. The rest of the Silver Horde is unharmed, due to many years' practice at not dying.
Fate then remarks that although the Lady has won, she has lost her most powerful piece, because the imbalance in mass between the cannon and Rincewind will mean that when he materializes in the University, he will fly into a wall at 500 miles an hour, as he did when he was teleported to the Counterweight Continent. Due to a slight error in calculation by Hex caused by Luck's interference however, Rincewind is not returned to the University, thus saving his life. The wizards determine that Rincewind has in fact been transported to "XXXX", an unexplored continent. At the end, it appears that Rincewind is about to be pulled into another adventure despite his best efforts.
External links
! colspan="3" | Reading order guide