Done!

Last night I wrapped up “Soul Music” and have nothing but good things to say about it.  The character Death is so entertaining!  I can fully envision his personality and what this character is like.  Even if I had never seen “The Hogfather”, I’d still be able to recreate the same image in my mind.  The whole universe that Terry Pratchett has created is amazing.

I absolutely could not stop giggling at the wizards at the Unseen University.  Their logic is complete crap and the fact that all of the professors are hesitant (more like terrified) to teach their students just cracks me up.

This is the set up for “Soul Music”.  Imp Y Celyn (aka Buddy) has traveled from his home to Ankh Morpork to become a musician.  Along the way he meets up with a dwarf and a troll and they make a quick decision to form a band.  The Musician’s Guild turn down their application to become musicians because they can’t pay the fee to join the Guild.  Destitute, they formulate a plan to play music in secret where the Guild won’t find them.  While they are planning, Imp’s harp, a one of a kind and not made to be fixed, is sat on by one of the group and broken.  They pick up a guitar at the local music store, which none of them remember having been there, but it must have been, becaue it’s always been there. The guitar takes a special hold on Imp and propels the group into wacky music stardom.

In the meanwhile, Death has become somewhat depressed and goes on his own journey of attempting to forget.  As a result, his granddaughter Susan is plucked from her boarding school and put in charge of all things Death related.  Her companions are the Death of Rats who has a raven for a translator and Binky, Death’s horse.  She becomes wrapped up in her own question of ethics and challenges the way of the world when she learns that Imp is supposed to die.

Throughout the book I caught on to the many references to different artists and songs.  For instance:

“Don’t Tread on my New Blue Boots” is Elivs Presley’s “(Don’t Step on My) Blue Suede Shoes”

“Good Gracious Miss Polly” is “Good Golly, Miss Polly”

“Pathway to Paradise” as Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”

Other parts of it that reflect pop culture is when the Dean paints his room black as a result of going to a rock concert.  You are immediately reminded of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black”.  The entire city goes bananas after hearing Music With Rocks In (the name of Imp’s band).  Virtually everyone decides to create their own band and goes to town playing bad music and the wizards start rebelling against their wizardness.  The wizards and some of the help start wearing leather pants and jackets and beehive hairdo’s and platform shoes.  Basically everybody goes crazy with music on their brain.

I heartily recommend this book because it’s a fun read!