"Unseen Academicals" ~ Terry Pratchett

"Unseen Academicals" on the surface is about football, or soccer to us crazy Americans.  The Unseen University must field a football team or face losing a substantial endowment. Underneath, it's a about growing, challenging the status quo, and prejudices, both ours and others.  It was a good book and I mostly enjoyed it.   Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood.

Maybe I still harbor some ill-will toward this book that is no fault of it's own.  See I had checked this book out of the library and it was on the floor in the back seat.  So last summer I'm taking my two nieces, 6 & 7, to Como Park for the day.  As we are cruising across town, Niece #1 says "I don't feel so good".   Then as I frantically try to find an exit, Niece #2 says "Too late, she threw up."  We got everything cleaned up and ended up having a great day, but I did end up with a ruined library book. So I bought them a new one and took it in. Turns out it wasn't the "right kind" of hardcover book with the same isbn number and I had to pay for the ruined one as well.  In the end I had two copies, one that went right into the trash and one that sat on a shelf for over a year.

Anyway, This book is full of new and old characters.  I especially liked Glenda and Mr. Nutt.   Glenda in some ways reminds me of myself.  When you look at you life and your routines and think why do I do this.  What are the invisible restrictions and rules that are so ingrained that you don't even question how they came to be.  Mr. Nutt is hard to describe, especially without giving away crucial information.  I'm not a football fan, but Pratchett pulls me right in with his descriptions of the crowds and the sense of loyalty to the sport. 

Since the University has to field a team anyway, Lord Vetinari tasks them with revamping the game and drag it into the century of the fruitbat.  The clash of old and new, street vs university, and rival clubs provides plenty of action.  I liked this book and while not my favorite book, I would recommend it to anyone who likes smart, funny or football books.