Book:Interesting Times/Annotations

Interesting Times Annotations

Annotations

• "'So they'll sort of be in charge of themselves, will they?', [said Rincewind]. 'Indeed,' said Lotus Blossom. 'By means of the People's Committee,' said Butterfly [...] 'My word,' [Rincewind] said [...] 'I had this sudden feeling [...] that there won't be all that many water buffalo string holders on the People's Committee. In fact... I get this kind of... voice telling me that a lot of the People's Committee, correct me if I'm wrong, are standing in front of me right now?' 'Initially, of course,' said Butterfly. 'The peasants can't even read and write.'" - the Red Army's plans sound a lot like the Bolshevik revolution

• "[21] Much later, Rincewind had to have therapy for this. It involved a pretty woman, a huge plate of potatoes and a big stick with a nail in it." - This footnote appears fairly early in the book, and sort of gives away that Rincewind will at least survive the battle, since the therapy occurs "much later". - This is also a reference to Pavlovian conditioning.

• [Harper PB p177] "So...this is the new Great Wizard of...whom we have read so much, is...it?" I suppose it's wishful thinking, but the Japanese film Gamera features the line "Maybe it's the flying saucer that I...heard them...talk...about...so much...late...ly?", which mercilessly mocked in the 1991 season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and was used as a callback in several other episodes.

• [Corgi PB, p195] The exchange between the sisters Pretty Butterfly and Lotus Blossum, debating the non-appearance of traitor Two Fire Herb.

Lotus Blossom innocently says "You mean he had been caught already?"

This echoes Winston Smith in Orwell's 1984, when in prison he is brought before O'Brien, who he innocently thinks is another dissident. In fact O'Brien is an agent provocateur whose role is to draw out sedition by pretending to be a rebel.

"O'Brien! You mean they got you too?"

O'Brien smiles unpleasantly and says "Oh no, Winston. They got me a long time ago", leaving the awful truth to dawn...