Troll Bridge by Terry Pratchett

This was a very interesting read. I still don’t know how I feel about it. It a pretty funny short story because of Trolls and Cohen’s talking horse. However towards the end of the story, the situation isn’t as funny. The sudden realization that things are changing, and that the “good ol’ days” are actually over is rather sad for me. It kind of reminds me of the feeling I get when I finish watching a good fantasy movie. We wish there was more but we know there isn’t. That’s also how I felt after reading this story. I wished the ending wasn’t true. Of course there aren’t trolls running around in our world. However, with science nowadays I feel that everything I once thought to be magical is unveiled. It doesn’t seem as special anymore, like rainbows. I used to look at them with wonder, now I know how they are created they aren’t all that special. I think what most hit about this story was that I had a similar experience to that of Cohen. I returned to the Savannas in Venezuela and to my surprise the place was completely different. I remember when I was little it was all nature, there weren’t even roads. The next time I visited, you could see that human had been everywhere. There were houses, and roads everywhere. I fully understand why Cohen would give the Troll from under the bridge all the money he had left. The Troll was my favorite character. He tries against all odds to stick to tradition. In my eyes, he inadvertently was trying to keep the folktales and magic in that world. It almost felt wrong reading about trolls in the lumbar business. A character that I didn’t like was the Troll’s wife. It seemed like even though she was his wife, she was always putting him down instead of supporting his decision. I could understand that she wanted a better life, but if it meant giving in this new ways of being ordinary. I don’t think it’s worth it.
Another character I thoroughly enjoyed was Cohen’s horse. I loved the way he both mocked and looked after Cohen. I also like the irony in this story. It is almost as is Cohen is saving the world he used to destroy during all those years as a legendary barbarian. I did like that he in a way saved that troll from under the bridge by giving him money. He almost understands that this new world, where trolls don’t hide under bridges anymore, is partly his fault. One of the reasons I decided to read this story was the way the first few paragraphs were written. I enjoyed reading it because Pratchett did a really good job in describing Cohen and how worn out he was.