Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 18:00:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: dicconf <dicconf at radix.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Ptatchett was Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

On Tue, 26 Apr 2005, Mike B. wrote:

> At 02:18 PM 4/26/05 -0400, Michael Walsh wrote:
>
> >The Amazon.co.uk description:
> >"The Post Office: this musty, dusty and sh***y organisation was jolted
> >back into life in GOING POSTAL, 2004's Number One Discworld bestseller,
> >and out in MMP in 2005. Hidebound and rulebound, the Post Office is
> >creaking towards a brave new world of efficiency - and it may even
> >deliver the mail, too. Now that it has been jolted back into life, it is
> >to become an established feature of Discworld life in the future - so
> >established that in December 2004 it will open a branch in Wincanton in
> >Somerset. Discworld stamps are already selling like ... stamps! But like
> >all bureaucracies, the Ankh-Morpork Post Office has its rules and
> >regulations and these, together with the history of this once-great
> >department, are highlighted and parodied in the Ankh-Morpork Post Office
> >Handbook. * that's of the pigeon guano type, of course."
>
> You know, I really hope the book reads better than the review.  Maybe
> it's just not being familiar with the series, but that review seems like
> listening to the radio...and hitting "scan" every few seconds.  First
> we're talking about the post office, then a book called "Going Postal",
> then back to the post office...the real one, or the one in the story is
> unknown, but next we are talking about stamps in Somerset.  Then we're
> in a post office somewhere else, probably fictional, looking at their
> handbook, and then it's on to pigeon shit...say, huh?

I'm probably missing something subtle, but:
The only part that isn't about the book is the comment that a branch
will open in Wincanton and that the Discworld stamps are selling well
(and that last could be in reference to the book as well as to the
tie-in stamps).

The fact that some of the elements of the Discworld Post Office resemble
some elements of the real world post office is entirely coincidental...

=Tamar