I'm confused as to who the Wordsworth Polly encounters actually is? Is he an image of 'the narrator' as suggested by the poem (i.e a slightly dotty old Wordsworth who has a daffodil fixation) or the ghost of the real McCoy, or what? In other words, when works contained within the bookworld contain real life characters, in particular I'm thinking biographies here, do these have any relationship or connection to the actual person involved? I'd guess they are like actors, playing a part - like Mel Gibson playing Hamlet. Am I right? And does this explain who the Wordsworth Polly meets is? I notice JF never mentions ghosts in his books (except for eg as a reference to a fictional ghost, as in Hamlet, and in the Underworld scenes with Thursday and Spike) but I'd guess even authors and poets ghosts would stay in the 'real' world, yes?

Also, the fact there is a 'page' where Thursday's washing machine instructions are actually realised as a living person, suggests to me that ALL written work must be there. This would include newspapers, magazines and even letters written privately - am I right? If, say 'The Toad' exists in the BW, what happens to all the old copies? Do they get recycled? Lastly, what about TV and film scripts? If, for example, Mad Max existed in Thursday's world, would the script be held in the Bookworld? And if so, what form would it take - I'd guess, the same movie but where you can actually be part of it, and a Mel who LOOKS the same, but isn't.

I'm not really anally retentive. Just very very annoyed it isn't my birthday yet (due on the third). Cos guess what I'm getting myself as a pressie? I'm climbing the walls waiting for those signing sessions to come round ...

Make your way to Nextian Chat and add a message to the birthday thread (or PM me) and I will add your name to the birthday list. When your name reaches the top you will be receive 20 birthdays. Hang on. That's not right is it? You will receive birthday messages and cyber-cake. That's better.

I don't think the bookworld was fully fleshed out when TEA was finalised... so there are one or two inconsistancies in there. But the best way to plug the bloophole that, for example, bronte doesn't appear in Jane Eyre, or any of the other authors in their work is that Polly met the narator, wandering lonley.

I reckon the generics probably do a bit of work on things like newspapers, it'd be good experience. And the stories probably do get recycled, just as bits of Caversham Heights were being re-used in other novels.

Rob

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That statement is either so deep it would take a lifetime to fully comprehend every particle of its meaning, or it is a load of absolute tosh. Which is it, I wonder?
Terry Pratchett, Hogfather