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(Note: “Does Pratchett Miss The Point” was an epic thread, spanning Alt.fan.pratchett and alt.books.tolkien. It was dull. It was boring, and a little while later, somone posted…)


On Wed, 24 Jul 2002 14:19:55 +0200, "Jens Murer"
wrote:

>So, can anybody tell me in a simple, not more than 50 words post:

Yes.

>DOES Pratchett miss the point?

Depends.

Define "Point".

The Tip (Normally Sharp) Of An Item.

No, Terry doesn't miss the point. Even he, at some point in his
life, will probably have cut himself on some sharp object.

(Aha, funny answer)

If you define the point as "TOLKI3N I5 A G3NIUS! Y0U MUST NOT EVEN
SUGGEST O7HERW1SE!!!!!!!!!!", then, yes, Terry misses your point, I
think. They defeat the Evil Overlord by throwing his jewelry into a
volcano. This Does Not Work In Real Life. Witness:

*ring*

*pickup*

Voice: "D'ya feel the painitude?"
OBL: "Wha?"[1] Voice: "This is George W Bush of the United Stateizens Of America,
Mr Bin Lay-den, and I'm just phoning you to ask you if
you feel the pain right now?
OBL: "How did you find my number?"
GWB: "Yellow Pages"
OBL: "Damnation. I knew I should have gone ex-directory. What is
this 'Pain' thing, anyway?"
GWB: "Don't you feel it? Don't you feel your power, your absolute
and total power over your armies dwindling, shinking, your
massed warriors becoming useless to you? Your power, the thing
that makes you yourself, fading slowly away?"

OBL: "No. Should I?"
GWB: "You can't foolize me. We found your ring"
OBL: "What ring?"
GWB: "The ring you left in the cave"
OBL: "What did it look like?"
GWB: "About normal size. It's quite a plain ring really. It had a
pattern of a cloverleaf on it."
OBL: "Did it have writing on the inside"
GWB: "I don't know. We destroyedified it."
OBL: "YOU BASTARD! I MADE THAT IN METALWORK!"
GWB: "Yes! We have destroyed the source of all your power! The ring
you forgified yourself in the mountains of Doom!"
OBL: "How did you know I went to Doom Comprehensive?"
GWB: "We have your school records. Never did very well at RE, did
you? Now can you feel your power fading?"
OBL: "No, you 'merican scum. I shall destroy you!"
GWB: "Look, you evil person, you should have faded to a shadow of
your former self by now."
OBL: "You stupid, badly phrased, moron."
GWB: "I know you are, you said you are, so what am I?"

And we leave the call there, for there are some waters too deep to
wade.

Oh, the other possibility? I can't remember what it is now. Sorry.

[1] Reactions translated to protect the understanding.

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