Back with #OokClub much later than expected. When I planned this I couldn't start to predict all the things that would happen. I particularly didn't expect to catch coronavirus 3 weeks ago. I've not even had the energy to read. Which is a bit of a problem for a reading challenge.

But I've finally got enough energy back to crack on (I might even get out of bed tomorrow) - so we're back with #ThiefOfTime. The last of the Death and Susan Sto Helit books (although obviously not the last of Death's appearances).

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#ThiefOfTime is an odd "Death" book - because Death feels more like a side character than ever. Even Susan feels like she's in a secondary plot. Really this book belongs to Lobsang, Lu-Tze and the History Monks.

Which isn't a criticism - their story is great.

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It's clever and twisty and has the feel of a good old fantasy action movie. And actually the way the several threads of the story drive together to the big climax gives #ThiefOfTime a truly epic feel. I'd love to see this one made into a movie.

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The downside to this epic-ness is I'm struggling to work out where to begin a discussion - even summarising #ThiefOfTime is tricky.

The auditors are up to their shenanigans again and this time they've recruited a human to unwittingly help... well, an almost human.

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Death can't stand against them, it’s the end of the world and he has a duty to ride out - but he might be able to get Susan (now MISS Susan) to help once she finds out someone like her is involved. Someone almost human.

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Meanwhile in enlightenment county a foundling boy is causing difficulty - the only person who might be able to train him is Lu-Tze, the legendary sweeper (who you may remember from #SmallGods). But the History Monks are about to have bigger problems...

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Someone is building a glass clock and they're about to shatter time. Again.

Ok, 3 tweets - not too dreadful but there's a ton that doesn't cover. Wen the Eternally Surprised for starters AND Nanny Ogg's exceptional guest spot for example.

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Ok... I may have mostly shared those quotes because WITCHES ARE MATRILINEAL! A fact I will treasure. Plus Susan dealing with Nanny is a delight.

I think the reason I'm finding #ThiefOfTime so difficult to get my head around is the wealth of world building involved.

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After #SmallGods the History Monks were still a vague group in the background, but suddenly we see them fully fleshed out (and more than a bit ridiculous) and we really get to see their work. And it's just as fascinating and imaginative as you would expect.

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The sheer inventiveness of Terry's mind always blows me away and #ThiefOfTime shows this again and again and again. The cleverness and the details.

AND BEST OF ALL - he's given himself a brilliant cover for any mistakes that might sneak in.

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And that's before we even get started on the Lancre timeslip or the events of #Mort & #NightWatch - there's a whole heap of excuses for any Discworld inconsistencies. And also a reason why coming up with a definitive Discworld timeline is nigh impossible**

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** Not that I don't regularly want to try - I repeatedly have to remind myself that attempting to work out the timeline is impossible because I really, really would like to manage it. And I can't count even at the best of times.

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Past all the cleverness - the thing that really struck me about trying to write that summary is how much loneliness is still such a fundamental part of Susan's story. 'Someone like me' resounds again and again.

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Susan is a great teacher (like if you crossed the skills of Miss Frizzle with the demeanour of Wednesday Adams) and she obviously gets a great deal of grim satisfaction from the work. But that's it, it feels grim, not joyful.

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And her status as only mostly human is obviously haunting her and separating her from meaningful relationships. And, of course, her relationship with Death is still deeply broken. Because obviously I haven't cried about the two of them enough.

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And then she finds Lobsang - someone like her, someone mostly human... except that it turns out he isn't.

"She had't been aware of the rise of her heart, but now it was sinking."

Ouch. I really feel this one.

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And #ThiefOfTime is the last time we see Susan. Terry leaves us with a hint that things might work out after all between her and Lobsang. A perfect moment stolen in a stationery cupboard. And perhaps that's why we never see her again, maybe they forge a future together.

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I'd like to believe that. But I have to admit that I find it hard. Perhaps it's that it reminds me too much of the end of #SoulMusic. But more its that I find Susan so brittle in #ThiefOfTime that I find it really hard to imagine her bending enough for this future.

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I'd like to believe that. But I have to admit that I find it hard. Perhaps it's that it reminds me too much of the end of #SoulMusic. But more its that I find Susan so brittle in #ThiefOfTime that I find it really hard to imagine her bending enough for this future.

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Maybe settling down in series of perfect moments would work for her. Maybe being less alone would ease the tension thrumming through her. But I don't feel the truth of that

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Something else I hadn't really considered before writing this thread is how much Lady LeJean is a foil to Susan in #ThiefOfTime. She's an auditor wearing a human body. And whilst Susan goes from feeling lonely and odd and isolated to finding a form of community...

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...Lady LeJean does the opposite. Her journey starts in conformity and extreme community and leads her to her own uniqueness (plus she gets a cat into the bargain). And, of course, her relationship with Jeremy is a mirror to the one between Susan & Lobsang.

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I've found myself a little stuck on where I should go from here (and I've been writing this for days already ). I know I should be talking about Lobsang and Lu-Tze and Jeremy and Igor (Hey, Igor! And yay for We R Igors) but my mind is utterly blank.

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Of course some of that might be the lingering illness...

I stand by my assessment of #ThiefOfTime as a great book but I don't have a strong emotional connection to it. I like all of the characters but don't really love any of them. Even Lu-Tze, who is in many ways...

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