It seems to me that those who dislike his work have only read the first few of his novels. Although I am a great fan of his, I am very ready to admit that his first novels were relatively crappy compared to most of his later novels. It isn't until his later novels that really begins to find his voice as an author. Although the puns and humour continue to an extent, they tend to take a back seat to the plot and moral of the story.
