<;post-hero class=";wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal";>; <;div class=";container container-desktop";>; <;div class=";flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container";>; <;div class=";post-hero-content";>; <;div class=";post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase";>; <;span class=";mr-3";>; <;i class=";inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue";>;<;/i>; <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/articles/book-recommendations/"; class=";inline-block link-no-animation"; aria-label=";Link to term or tag Book Recommendations 0";>; Book Recommendations <;/a>; <;/span>; <;span class=";mr-3";>; <;i class=";inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue";>;<;/i>; <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/tag/terry-pratchett-book-club/"; class=";inline-block link-no-animation"; aria-label=";Link to term or tag Terry Pratchett Book Club 1";>; Terry Pratchett Book Club <;/a>; <;/span>; <;/div>; <;h2 class=";post-hero-title text-h1";>;Terry Pratchett Book Club: <;i>;Unseen Academicals<;/i>;‚ Part II<;/h2>; <;div class=";prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero";>;May your sherry whisper wonderful things to you‚ too<;/div>; <;div class=";post-hero-wrapper";>; <;div class=";post-hero-inner";>; <;p class=";post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&;amp;_a]:link-hover";>;By <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/author/emmetap/"; title=";Posts by Emmet Asher-Perrin"; class=";author url fn"; rel=";author";>;Emmet Asher-Perrin<;/a>;<;/p>; <;span class=";post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block";>;|<;/span>; <;p class=";text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv";>; Published on April 12‚ 2024 <;/p>; <;/div>; <;/div>; <;div class=";quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden";>; <;div class=";flex gap-[30px] tablet:gap-6";>; <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/#comments"; class=";flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase translate-x-[1px] translate-y-[1px]";>; <;svg class=";w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover"; 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fill=";currentColor"; fill-opacity=";0.2";>;<;/path>; <;/g>; <;defs>; <;clippath>; <;rect width=";17"; height=";17"; fill=";white"; transform=";translate(0.678711 0.414307)";>;<;/rect>; <;/clippath>; <;/defs>; <;/svg>; <;/a>; <;/li>; <;/ul>; <;/div>; <;/details>; <;/div>;<;/div>; <;/div>; <;div class=";post-hero-media ";>; <;figure class=";w-full h-auto post-hero-image";>; <;img decoding=";async"; width=";740"; height=";407"; src=";https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pratchett-Book-Club-unseen-academicals-740x407.png"; class=";w-full object-cover"; alt=";Cover of Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett."; srcset=";https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pratchett-Book-Club-unseen-academicals-740x407.png 740w‚ https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pratchett-Book-Club-unseen-academicals-1100x605.png 1100w‚ https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pratchett-Book-Club-unseen-academicals-768x422.png 768w‚ https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pratchett-Book-Club-unseen-academicals.png 1200w"; sizes=";(max-width: 740px) 100vw‚ 740px";>; <;/figure>; <;/div>; <;/div>; <;/div>;<;/post-hero>;<;div class=";wp-block-more-from-category";>; <;div>; <;/div>;<;/div>;<;p>;Whos up for practice? Who wants Rincewind on their team? (Me‚ I do.)<;/p>;<;p class=";has-lg-font-size";>;Summary<;/p>;<;p>;Glenda and Juliet head back to the university to give themselves an alibi for not being at the match. Ottimony comes in to tell them all about it after leading the wizards there‚ and he swears that Juliet looks like the girl at the match. Glenda is summoned to the Stollops because Juliets dad got a letter from Vetinari‚ asking him to attend a dinner with the wizards to talk about the future of football. Trev finds Nutt asleep at the university‚ having eaten a large quotient of Glendas pies. He tells Glenda and Juliet what happened‚ and when Nutt comes to‚ he start up his work again. But he says a few things about how Trev really feels about his late father that sends Trev catatonic. Glenda asks Nutt how he knows all these things‚ how he managed not to die‚ and where he comes from. Nutt isnt entirely sure; he only knows how he came to be in Ladyships castle and that theres a door in his mind that he cant access. Nutt thinks about writing love poetry for Trev to give Juliet‚ and Juliet bothers Glenda the next day about going to a fashion show‚ which has an ad in the paper next to an article about the origins of football going back a millennia. Glenda agrees to the show‚ but only after she gets a chance to listen in on the University Council meeting.<;/p>;<;p>;The wizards are putting together thoughts for what they need as a team‚ including the pies‚ the uniforms‚ and the fans. Glenda is bemused by the whole conversation and accidentally interjects herself‚ letting them know that theyve got it largely wrongthey wont be able to change much about how football functions‚ and they wont be able to dictate how people enjoy it. She also tells them not to make their uniforms sport a UU across the front‚ or itll make the team look like they have bosoms. Ridcully asks what she does‚ and they all learn that she runs the Night Kitchen and makes the incredible pies theyre all so fond of. After she leaves‚ Ponder notes that Glendas talk of football invoked memories in the group‚ whether or not they had them; it was a kind of religious experience. Glenda goes with Juliet to a dwarf chainmail fashion show run by Madame Sharon‚ who has her assistant Pepe measure Juliet and asks them to help her because her model dropped a pickaxe on her foot. Glenda negotiates a hefty sum for Juliet to model the new cloth-like micromail. The wizards begin their first practice round of football‚ which they dont rightly understand.<;/p>;<;p>;Glenda sees Juliet through her first fashion show. Shes very drunk and stumbles into the next room after its over‚ having a talking with Pepe‚ who turns out to have converted to being a dwarf with Madame Sharons help. They want Juliet to keep working for them‚ planning to pay her lots of money travel her around the Disc. They know Glenda is the key to her cooperation‚ so they ask her to consider it‚ and Glenda decides theyre going home for the night first. Despite the fact that Ridcully promised never to use it for these sorts of purposes‚ he demands that Ponder let them in to the Cabinet of Curiosity so that it can make them a proper footballbecause they dont have one. They can only keep the ball outside the cabinet for about fourteen hours before causing trouble‚ so Ridcully stops Trev and Nutt in the hall and asks them if they know where to have the ball replicated. He gives them money for the job and they set off. Glenda tells Juliet that theyll open up a bank account for her so that her father cant get at her money. Trev and Nutt run into Andy again‚ and when he threatens Trev‚ Nutt threatens to break his hand. They make it to a dwarf shop‚ and ask him to replicate the ball in exchange for money and a university license to make more of them.<;/p>;<;p>;Juliet decides she agrees with Glenda about staying in her job at the university‚ which makes Glenda feel wretched; the next day her picture is in the paper. Trev goes to pee out back while Nutt and the dwarf artisan are working and sees two vampire women outside‚ which Butt later tells him are protection for Ladyship. Nutt delivers the love poem he wrote for Trev to Glenda‚ so she can give it to Juliet. Glenda reads the letter for Juliet and knows that Trev didnt write it‚ but doesnt tell her. Pepe wakes to Times reporters in their store and everyone asking about Juliet. King Rhys has the paper sent via clacks‚ and the grags are in a tizzy about Juliets appearance‚ deeming it undwarfish. Ponder returns the Cabinets ball to the Cabinet and they begin creating teams again. (Rincewind tries to get out of this to no avail.) The (former) Dean has arrived at the university‚ but the game is interrupted by Nutt‚ who means to tell Ridcully that theyre playing the game all wrong‚ and more strategy is needed and‚ indeed‚ more theater. Trev comes to Nutts defense to make sure no one gets upset with him for speaking out of turn‚ but Ridcully is amenable to the idea. Glenda sells a lot more for Stronginthearm and gives him ideas for whole new troll fashion lines.<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;p class=";has-lg-font-size";>;Commentary<;/p>;<;p>;There are several overlays going on with the Juliet and Trev story‚ one of them obviously being the Romeo and Juliet angle that you get from her name and the two houses being their two football teams. This is mostly funny to me because I saw some Tumblr post just a few days ago that was pointing out that the Montagues and Capulets being both alike in dignity as houses did not preclude any level of poshnessthey just needed to be the same. Hence‚ footballer families.<;/p>;<;p>;But the more intriguing slice here is the Cyrano parody‚ at least to me. Nutt is effectively playing the Cyrano part‚ writing letters on Trevs behalf‚ whos in the Christian role. But the intention isnt to make a direct parallel‚ of course‚ because Nutt clearly isnt interested in Juliethe likes Glenda. And I appreciate the lack of conflict‚ but moreso‚ I find myself appreciating the fact that someone whos as bright as Nutt isnt really interested in someone whos pretty if theyre not particularly thoughtful? Juliets not his type‚ so no issue there.<;/p>;<;p>;And conversely‚ Juliets route to becoming a fashion model for micromail is endearing too‚ namely due to Glenda learning some things for herself about snuffing out the desire to dream a little bigger. Do I like that its helped along by too much sherry? Yes‚ I do. I wish sherry talked to me like that. Tequila does‚ though‚ so I cant complain too much.<;/p>;<;p>;Were getting more clues on Nutts true identity as we go‚ but I do appreciate that the mystery is drawn out and viewed from multiple character perspectives‚ making it that much harder to guess point blank.<;/p>;<;p>;The bits where the wizards are practicing football are favorites for me because it reads like its written by someone who feels exactly the same way about sports that I do. Theres no sense‚ no real interest in the game itself‚ nor any inclination toward athleticism (aside from Ridcullys own personal interest and physical prowess). The only time things make sense is when everyone is thinking about how exciting the game should be‚ how to generate narrative around it‚ how to make it a spectacle. I get that part. The rest is just window dressing.<;/p>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;p class=";has-lg-font-size";>;Asides and little thoughts<;/p>;<;ul>;<;li>;Of Vetinari being the wrong sort for Juliet despite being the only available prince around‚ Glenda thinks: <;em>;Besides‚ no one was sure which side of the bed he got out of‚ or even if he went to bed at all.<;/em>; Meaning: Were honestly not sure if the man is gay‚ straight‚ or ace.<;/li>;<;li>;By his own admission‚ he would rather run ten miles‚ leap a five-bar gate and climb a big hill than engage in any athletic activity. Me too‚ Ponder.<;/li>;<;li>;Ridcullys entire response to the concept of possible gaynessthat could really just be some wizard having an affair with a married woman and hes not getting itbeing that theres not enough love in the world and also Well done‚ that man! (which is‚ itself‚ actually in response to people playing football and grabbing his attention) is pretty perfect‚ all things considered.<;/li>;<;/ul>;<;div aria-hidden=";true"; class=";wp-block-spacer";>;<;/div>;<;p class=";has-lg-font-size";>;Pratchettisms<;/p>;<;figure class=";wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left";>;<;blockquote>;<;p>;It has been said that crowds are stupid‚ but mostly they are simply confused‚ since as an eyewitness the average person is as reliable as a meringue lifejacket.<;/p>;<;/blockquote>;<;/figure>;<;figure class=";wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left";>;<;blockquote>;<;p>;Ponder had found a gray hair on his comb that morning and was not in the mood to take this standing up.<;/p>;<;/blockquote>;<;/figure>;<;figure class=";wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left";>;<;blockquote>;<;p>;The citys walls corseted it like a fetishists happiest dream.<;/p>;<;/blockquote>;<;/figure>;<;figure class=";wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left";>;<;blockquote>;<;p>;Thank you for you input‚ Mister Stibbons‚ but may I gently remind you who is the guv around here?<;/p>;<;/blockquote>;<;/figure>;<;figure class=";wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left";>;<;blockquote>;<;p>;But authority must back up authority‚ in public at least‚ otherwise there is no authority‚ and therefore the senior authority is forced to back up the junior authority‚ even if he‚ the senior authority‚ believes that the junior authority is a tiresome little tit.<;/p>;<;/blockquote>;<;/figure>;<;hr class=";wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots";>;<;p>;Next week well read up to:<;/p>;<;figure class=";wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left";>;<;blockquote>;<;p>;I know how to do that‚ said Nutt. Mister Trev‚ I would be glad if you would come and help me with the bellows. <;/p>;<;/blockquote>;<;/figure>;<;p>;[end-mark]<;/p>;<;p>;The post <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/terry-pratchett-book-club-unseen-academicals-part-ii/";>;Terry Pratchett Book Club: &;lt;i&;gt;Unseen Academicals&;lt;/i&;gt;‚ Part II<;/a>; appeared first on <;a href=";https://reactormag.com/";>;Reactor<;/a>;.<;/p>;