I can't believe how much my opinion of this book has changed. I last read it 8 years ago (for the second time, I think) and thought it was still excellent. But this time the magic was gone, and while the book is still slightly humorous in places, it's not enough. The plot is nonexistent, there are too many characters to keep track of and very few of them are memorable, and even the end of the world is disappointing.