Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett
The latest novel by Great Britain's best-selling author Terry Pratchett is a parody on European football (soccer) and all the cultural phenomena that go along with it, such as cheerleading and football hooliganism. The book, Unseen Academicals may therefore be a bit more exciting to Europeans than to Americans.
But the book is really about much more than football (soccer). It's about the many foibles and follies of human nature, which are Universal, European or American alike. It is also a novel about every conceivable variety of pie (and its connection to football); fashion super models (and their connections to football super stars); as well as about orcs and goblins (connection to football unknown).
In the hallmark Terry Pratchett tradition, things on the Discworld are just like in our own world, only hilariously exaggerated. Instead of cheerleaders, the Discworld has naiads dancing on the sidelines, and in the place of our tail-gate markets, there are cart-tail vendors.
The main character in Unseen Academicals is an orc named Nutt. As one of the few surviving members of a persecuted race, Nutt wins the favor of two of Discworld's most prominent leaders, who wish to see the orcs survive.
It should be mentioned that these two enlightened world leaders, Lady Margolotta and Lord Vetinari have previously done the same to help werewolves, rock trolls, golems, and vampires become accepted members of society. Margolotta herself being one of the latter, or so rumor has it.
As part of his process of merging into human society, Mr. Nutt has been assigned by Lady Margolotta to accumulate 'worth.' A task which he goes at with no restraints and in the process makes many friends and allies. Nutt's co-worker Trev Likely stops at nothing to save his life when it's in peril. And in the night kitchen of the Unseen University where he works, Nutt finds a romantic interest in Miss Glenda Sugarbean, supreme creator of the crusty onion pie and other gourmet delicacies.
Mr. Nutt so impresses his superiors at Unseen University with his strategic thinking and vast knowledge that they decide to place him in charge of the school's new football team as its head coach. After that, there is no stopping the events that follow.
Unseen Academicals may be a parody on the phenomenon of European football (soccer), as well as a number of other things thrown in for good measure, but soccer fan or not, this book will give you many hours of joyous reading and barrels of laughs.
Mrs. Hellman lives in Western North Carolina with her spouse and three sons. She's a professional copywriter and does book reviews as a hobby. Visit the website named after The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett, where you can order Unseen Academicals or any of the other 36 novels in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.
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