8 /10 1 Votes
Language English Publication date 2009 Originally published 2009 Preceded by Making Money Genre Fantasy | 4/5 Goodreads Publisher Doubleday ISBN 0385609345 Followed by I Shall Wear Midnight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series Discworld
37th novel – 7th individual story Subject association football (soccer)
Characters
Mustrum Ridcully, Ponder Stibbons, The Librarian, Rincewind, Havelock Vetinari, Lady Margolotta
Locations
Ankh-Morpork Characters Mustrum Ridcully, Ponder Stibbons, Igor Similar Terry Pratchett books, Discworld books, Fantasy books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Guardian book club unseen academicals
Unseen Academicals is the 37th novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. The novel satirises football (soccer), and features Mustrum Ridcully setting up an Unseen University football (soccer) team, with the Librarian in goal. It includes new details about "below stairs" life at the university. The book introduces several new characters, including Trevor Likely, a street urchin with a wonderful talent for kicking a tin can; Glenda Sugarbean, a maker of "jolly good" pies; Juliet Stollop, a dim but beautiful young woman who might just turn out to be the greatest fashion model there has ever been; and the mysterious Mr Nutt, a cultured, enigmatic, idealistic savant. According to the publisher, Transworld, the "on sale" date for the hardback was October 1, 2009 although the official publication date is October 8, 2009. Bookshop chain Borders included a small set of exclusive Discworld football cards with each book.
Contents
- Guardian book club unseen academicals
- Unseen academicals
- Synopsis
- Themes
- Television adaptation
- Reviews
- References
The title is a play on the names of rugby and football teams in the UK who have or have had a connection to educational institutions, examples being Hamilton Academical and Edinburgh Academicals.
Unseen academicals
Synopsis
Unseen Academicals tells the story of the faculty of Unseen University being forced to choose between (only) three meals a day and playing a game of football, as tradition mandates the game in exchange for their large financial endowment by a wealthy family. The wizards soon learn that the local version of football (similar to the actual game of mob football) is very violent and deaths are common. Thus, in collaboration with the city's tyrant Lord Vetinari, they set out to make new 'official' football rules, which includes forbidding the use of hands and mandating the use of official footballs as opposed to the makeshift balls the street games use. The book includes a satirisation of the Mallard ceremony performed at All Souls College, Oxford
Parallel to this, the book tells the story of four young people. A candle dribbler named Mr. Nutt discovers that he is not what he thinks he is and must overcome the fear of his race, both by humans and by himself. He is also chosen to train the university's team for the big match. Trev Likely, who is Mr. Nutt's coworker and best friend, is the son of the Ankh-Morpork's most famous deceased footballer, but has promised his (late) dear old mum that he won't play. Glenda is a friend of Mr. Nutt and Trev, runs the Unseen University Night Kitchen, and bakes the Disc's best pies. Juliet works for Glenda, has a crush on Trev, is simple and beautiful, and daydreams about fashion. The four of them end up advising the wizards on their football endeavour, which culminates in an intense game between the Wizards and the former street footballers.
Themes
Television adaptation
A proposed two-part television adaptation was to be produced by The Mob, and due to be broadcast on Sky1 and in high definition on Sky1 HD. Filming was set to take place in 2011.
As of July 2012, it should have been in development. As of June 2013, The Mob reported that it was scheduled for production in 2013. However, as this has disappeared from their website, the status of the project is unknown.
It was to be the fourth in a series of adaptations, following Terry Pratchett's Hogfather, Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic and Terry Pratchett's Going Postal.