Subject: Re: Question for Terry Pratchett fans
Author:
Posted on: 2009-08-24 09:54:00 UTC
Of course all major cities are so like each other that it isn't even funny. A-M could be New York, or London or Madrid or Paris or Berlin or Washington or any major city. I feel the differences between major cities are much akin to identical twins getting their hair dyed and this is why you will always see something of home in A-M
I've been re-reading the Discworld books lately, and a rather curious sensation keeps popping up. See, to my American eyes, the book has a distinctly British feel, as you might expect from a book written by a British writer. But sometimes, when I'm reading his books, I find myself thinking, "Wow, this feels very American," or "Geez, he really got this bit of America down flat!"
I'm pretty sure that part of the reason is that I've been rereading books set in Ankh-Morpork, which is something like the horribly mutated spawn of New York and London bred together in a ghastly experiment that should never have taken place. But I can't help wonder if this feeling goes beyond that--that maybe Pterry hit upon something international that everyone around the world feels and identifies with as a member of their country.
...Not quite sure if that came out right, tell me if you need clarification.
Anyways, I was wondering if any of you guys have ever felt the same thing: "Wow, he's really got (Insert Country Here) down perfectly!" I know this board is international, which is one of the reasons why I'm posting this question here, because I'd like to hear from people outside America and Britain especially.
Of course all major cities are so like each other that it isn't even funny. A-M could be New York, or London or Madrid or Paris or Berlin or Washington or any major city. I feel the differences between major cities are much akin to identical twins getting their hair dyed and this is why you will always see something of home in A-M
My take on it, as an English reader, and bearing in mind just what he's playing off, is that Ankh-Morpork's got nothing to do with New York; rather, New York has its origins in the same city Ankh-Morpork does.
Ankh-Morpork is really nothing to do with New York. A-M is an evolved twist on London as was. But so, in fairness, is NY (or so Pterry says) - this is why so many Discworld cities have an A-M flavour while not being A-M; this is why so many Real World cities have a flavour of London. All cities, in a Platonic sense, are echoes of one city, Pterry tells us, and that city is Ankh-Morpork.
Or, if you'd rather, the man's not that familiar with America or New York, but he is familiar with London as is and as was, and also with the tropes surrounding fantasy cities. Mix the two, and you might get something resembling New York, but it's not actually based on New York. It's more a case of reality resembling the fictitious natural progression of that city.
(He also gets a lot down pat, because the man's an excellent satirist, and there's a lot of readily available source material.)
I mean, the place does have a popular song that runs "Ankh-Morpork, Ankh-Morpork, So Good They Named It Ankh-Morpork", so there has to be some connection. But mostly it's just Ur-London. (And I know he claims the map's not based on any particular city, but with the Isle of Gods and Hide Park in there, it's hard to believe that)
hS
I agree. I think that Pratchett has simply hit upon something to do with the peculiarities of being human. People are really more alike than they think (or would like to believe, in some cases).
But that's merely my two cents =)