As someone who loves buddy comedies to no end and is infatuated with adventure — my cat’s name is Indiana, if that tells you anything — I was utterly swept away with love for Terry Pratchett’s first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic. Its sequel, The Light Fantastic, had much the same effect. I devoured the little book in one day, stopping only to go out for dinner with some visiting family, and needing to remind myself not to grin like a lunatic at apparently nothing while in public (while, in my head, I was visited with imaginings of our two main characters, Rincewind and Twoflower).
The Light Fantastic continues the adventures of this unlikely (and, to me, unforgettable) pairing: Rincewind, the wizard drop-out who knows only one mysterious and very probably extremely dangerous spell, and Twoflower, the Disc’s first tourist. Their antics, Twoflower’s undying enthusiasm, and Rincewind’s equally undying stress never fail to make me grin and cackle at the pages of my book. Pratchett’s delicious humor and vibrant world building are crucial components of this comedy-adventure-fantasy cocktail, and make The Light Fantastic a delightfully breezy read that I’m already looking forward to revisiting.
While the events, characters, and scenarios of The Light Fantastic didn’t personally bring me the same level of exuberance as The Color of Magic, it was still an extraordinarily fun time. Sadly, the next book in the series, Equal Rites, moves on to other characters, and I will miss Rincewind and Twoflower deeply. But I have great faith that Pratchett will continue to whack my funny bone and make my cheeks sore from smiling, even with a different cast of characters.
And Rincewind and Twoflower? Well, we’ll always have Ankh-Morpork.
Thank you for exploring with us! Until next time, may the pages and paths ahead of you be great.
