Unseen Academicals (Discworld Series #37)

by Terry Pratchett Narrated by Colin Morgan, Bill Nighy, Peter Serafinowicz

Overview

“Football, food, fashion and wizards collide in Pratchett's affectionate satire on the foibles of sports and sports fans. . . .The prose crackles with wit and charm. . . . At its heart, this is an intelligent, cheeky love letter to football, its fans and the unifying power of sports.” -Publishers Weekly

Football (aka soccer) comes to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork, upending the wizards of Unseen University-and dividing Discworld-in this wonderfully funny novel in Sir Terry Pratchett's internationally bestselling Discworld series (and the 7th book in the Wizards collection). This fantastic new recording is read by Colin Morgan (Merlin;*Belfast), with Golden Globe award-winning actor Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean;*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) reading the footnotes, and Peter Serafinowicz (Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace) starring as the voice of Death.

The wizards at Ankh-Morpork's Unseen University are renowned for many things-wisdom, magic, teatime-but athletics, not so much. When Lord Vetinari, the city's benevolent tyrant, strongly suggests to Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully that the university revive its sports program and field a football team composed of faculty, students, and staff-or lose the funding that pays for their nine daily meals-the wizards of UU find themselves in a quandary. First, they have to understand what makes foot-the-ball so popular with Ankh-Morporkians. Then they have to learn how to play it-and win-without using magic.

Of course, the thing about football is that it is never just about football.

The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Unseen Academicals is the seventh and final book in the Wizards collection (and 37th Discworld book). The other books in the Wizards collection include:

• The Color of Magic
• The Light Fantastic
• Sourcery
• Eric
• Interesting Times
• The Last Continent

Editorial Reviews

Sir Terry Pratchett's 37th Discworld novel, the first since he made the announcement that there might not be too many more, contains plots, subplots, side plots, thwarted plots, romance, comedy, soccer, and more. Set in the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork, Unseen Academicals seizes all the things you thought you understood, shakes them vigorously, and invites you to watch with snow globe sensations. On the shortlist of the most invigorating authors on the planet.

Publishers Weekly

In the magical universe of Discworld, the dithering and very dotty wizards at Unseen University struggle to master the arcane rules of football as they enter a violent street sport competition. The challenges include getting the sedentary and distracted professors to play with some enthusiasm (and without magic), defending themselves against their opponents’ unsportsmanlike behavior, and naturally, to win. It’s not easy to track the multitude of characters, but Stephen Briggs gives each of them a distinctive voice. Briggs has been adapting Pratchett’s novels to the stage since 1991, and the recurring characters are his to command. His performance brings out the best of the satirical humor and Pratchett’s really good bad puns. Fans of Discworld will not be disappointed. A Harper hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 31). (Nov.)

Kirkus Reviews

Imagine Harry Potter rewritten by Monty Python: That's the mood of Pratchett's return to Discworld (Making Money, 2007, etc.). This account of Unseen University's entry into the world of soccer (or, as they occasionally call it, "foot-the-ball") pushes past the usual conventions of satire to offer equal parts absurdist philosophy and heartwarming romance. Here, all the professors are ponderous buffoons as well as wizards, though occasionally they indulge those they consider their inferiors with "the sarcasm of a born pedagogue." Those inferiors generally have a whole lot more common sense and occasionally more learned erudition, particularly in the case of our hero, Mr. Nutt. A lowly candle dipper who is also a goblin and may well be something else as well, the humble Nutt ultimately reveals more brain power than anyone else in the novel, along with a variety of other powers, even though his background makes this intellectual range and depth seem unlikely. When Unseen University decides to field a soccer team, Nutt emerges as the coach, the driving force and the potential star, using his "talent for pattern recognition in developing situations" to train a team of players who previously had no conception of teamwork. In the process, Nutt not only falls in love with a worthy cook no one else considers lovely, he also helps his mate win the heart of the cook's helper, who has somehow become the rage of the land as a fashion model. Pratchett has great sport with a university that employs a Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography and Chair of Indefinite Studies and spouts platitudes such as "if we can make a tradition out of not observing another tradition, that's doubly traditional." Ofcourse, that's not such a weird comment in a society whose adages include "the leopard may change its shorts" and "thirst springs eternal."A witty addition to the long-running fantasy series.

From the Publisher

In short, this is as busy and as daft as any other Discworld yarn, which means it is the quintessence of daft. Nobody writes fantasy funnier than Pratchett.” — Booklist

“At its heart, this is an intelligent, cheeky love letter to football, its fans and the unifying power of sports. — Publishers Weekly

“This account of Unseen University’s entry into the world of soccer (or, as they occasionally call it, “foot-the-ball”) pushes past the usual conventions of satire to offer equal parts absurdist philosophy and heartwarming romance....A witty addition to the long-running fantasy series” — Kirkus Reviews

“Thirty-seven books in and . . . Discworld is still going strong . . . and doing so with undimmed, triumphant exuberance. ” — The Guardian

“A triumphant effort.” — The Independent on Sunday

The Independent on Sunday

It’s a triumphant effort

Booklist

In short, this is as busy and as daft as any other Discworld yarn, which means it is the quintessence of daft. Nobody writes fantasy funnier than Pratchett.

The Guardian

Thirty-seven books in and ... Discworld is still going strong...and doing so with undimmed, triumphant exuberance.

Booklist

In short, this is as busy and as daft as any other Discworld yarn, which means it is the quintessence of daft. Nobody writes fantasy funnier than Pratchett.

The Independenton Sunday

"It’s a triumphant effort"

NOVEMBER 2009 - AudioFile

Would a cook at wizard-filled Unseen University fall in love with a soccer coach even if he ate all her pies? Would a shy kitchen maid wear a fake beard to make it big as a fashion model? Of course they would, and nobody is more delighted to read Terry Pratchett's 37th novel (or so) than longtime Discworld aficionado and narrator Stephen Briggs. He has a perfect accent and character voice for every vampire, dwarf, wizard, and human in this insightful spoof on college athletics, sports fans, and the fashion industry. Like Pratchett, Briggs loves the comic rhythm, sound, and very taste of words—just for their own sake. So order up a tuna-spaghetti-jam sandwich (with sprinkles) and be prepared for a wonderful time. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159931528
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/05/2023
Series:	Discworld Series
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	562,266

Videos