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For nearly three decades, Terry Pratchett has enthralled millions of fans worldwide with his irreverent, wonderfully funny satires set in the fabulously imaginative Discworld, a universe remarkably similar to our own. From sports to religion, politics to education, science to capitalism, and everything in between, Pratchett has skewered sacred cows with both laughter and wisdom, and exposed our warts, foibles, and eccentricities in a unique, entertaining, and ultimately serious way.
At long last, Lady Sybil has lured her husband, Sam Vimes, on a well-deserved holiday away from the crime and grime of Ankh-Morpork. But for the commander of the City Watch, a vacation in the country is anything but relaxing. The balls, the teas, the muck—not to mention all that fresh air and birdsong—are more than a bit taxing on a cynical city-born and -bred copper.
Yet a policeman will find a crime anywhere if he decides to look hard enough, and it’s not long before a body is discovered, and Sam—out of his jurisdiction, out of his element, and out of bacon sandwiches (thanks to his well-meaning wife)—must rely on his instincts, guile, and street smarts to see justice done. As he sets off on the chase, though, he must remember to watch where he steps. . . . This is the countryside, after all, and the streets most definitely are not paved with gold.
Hailed as the “purely funniest English writer since Wodehouse” (Washington Post Book World), with a “satirist’s instinct for the absurd and a cartoonist’s eye for the telling detail” (Daily Telegraph, London), Terry Pratchett offers a novel of crime, class, prejudice, and punishment that shows this master at his dazzling best.
Terry Pratchett is one of the world’s most popular authors. His acclaimed novels have sold more than 75 million copies worldwide. In January 2009, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Pratchett a Knight Bachelor in recognition of his “services to literature.” Sir Terry lives in England.
Beloved British writer Pratchett first jump-started his career while working as a journalist for Bucks Free Press during the '60s. As luck would have it, one of his assignments was an interview with Peter Bander van Duren, a representative of a small press called Colin Smythe Limited. Pratchett took advantage of his meeting with Bander van Duren to pitch a weird story about a battle set in the pile of a frayed carpet. Bander van Duren bit, and in 1971 Pratchett's very first novel, The Carpet People, was published, setting the tone for a career characterized by wacky flights of fancy and sly humor.
Pratchett's take on fantasy fiction is quite unlike that of anyone else working in the genre. The kinds of sword-and-dragon tales popularized by fellow Brits like J.R.R. Tolkein and C. S. Lewis have traditionally been characterized by their extreme self-seriousness. However, Pratchett has retooled Middle Earth and Narnia with gleeful goofiness, using his Discworld as a means to poke fun at fantasy. As Pratchett explained to Locus Magazine, "Discworld started as an antidote to bad fantasy, because there was a big explosion of fantasy in the late '70s, an awful lot of it was highly derivative, and people weren't bringing new things to it."
In 1983, Pratchett unveiled Discworld with The Color of Magic. Since then, he has added installments to the absurdly hilarious saga at the average rate of one book per year. Influenced by moderately current affairs, he has often used the series to subtly satirize aspects of the real world; the results have inspired critics to rapturous praise. ("The most breathtaking display of comic invention since PG Wodehouse," raved The Times of London.) He occasionally ventures outside the series with standalone novels like the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy, a sci fi adventure sequence for young readers, or Good Omens, his bestselling collaboration with graphic novelist Neil Gaiman.
Sadly, in 2008 fans received the devastating news that Pratchett had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. He has described his own reaction as "fairly philosophical" and says he plans to continue writing so long as he is able.
Discworld is not just the subject of a bestselling series of novels. It has also inspired a series of computer games in which players play the role of the hapless wizard Rincewind.
A few fun outtakes from our interview with Pratchett:
"I became a journalist at 17. A few hours later I saw my first dead body, which was somewhat…colourful. That's when I learned you can go on throwing up after you run out of things to throw up."
"The only superstition I have is that I must start a new book on the same day that I finish the last one, even if it's just a few notes in a file. I dread not having work in progress.
"I grow as many of our vegetables as I can, because my granddad was a professional gardener and it's in the blood. Grew really good chilies this year.
"I'm not really good at fun-to-know, human interest stuff. We're not ‘celebrities', whose life itself is a performance. Good or bad or ugly, we are our words. They're what people meet.
WonkyChewbacca
Posted October 13, 2011
While a long-time reader and steadfast zealot of Pratchett's works, his latest three books nearly bring me to tears at times. His illness is becoming more and more evident. Snuff rambled along its plotline in a disjointed fashion, and the characters we have grown so familiar with practically seemed strangers at times in the uncharacteristic manner in which they behaved. Willikins in particular behaves and speaks in a manner completely at odds with every previous portrayal of the character, as the most clear example. Further, the sense of clarity and incisiveness that always made Pratchett stand above his fellow writers so clearly has dimmed. While there were humorous moments, he never really wrung more than a bitter smile from me compared to the previous laughter he once evoked. While I will treasure his books and contribution to the world with all my heart, for all my life, I believe I will not read any future works of his. It would be too much like watching the slow death of a treasured grandparent.
9 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 18, 2011
Terry Pratchett has, as usual, told a great story. Sadly, Harper Collins released an ebook/nook version full of typos (kindle owners are complaining, too). There are words mashed together on every page; it's nearly unreadable. Buy the paper copy!
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 12, 2011
Terry Pratchett has another gem! The story and characters are excellent. I can not give this eBook Nook version four stars as it is full of typos! How could the publisher release this? I am reading it with the Nook app on the iPad. The publisher should proof read and test these out before charging $12.99 for a digital copy. Next time I will get the Kindle version!
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ankh-Morpork City Watch Commander Sam Vimes faces his most difficult assignment in years. His Grace Sir Samuel, the Duke of Ankh, will spend two torturious weeks rusticating with his wife Sybil and their six years old son Young Sam at her family's estate. Sam loves the idea of spending time with his beloved spouse and son, but his in-laws make a boring vacation worse and not worth changing from his cardboard soles.
However, life picks up as Vimes quickly gets involved with the locals when someone brutally murders a female goblin. Feeney the inexperienced local copper and Willikens the gentleman's gentleman assist Vimes as he works vacation time for no pay investigating the homicide.
The latest Discworld satire (see I Shall Wear Midnight) is a wonderful entry that looks deeply at inalienable human (and other species) rights and bigotry to take away those accepted rights. Fast-paced Vimes is at his cynical best as he learns life in the country means a female woodcutter works with woodies and that rural does not mean crime free; as he leads the inquiry into the vicious murder of the Goblin Girl. Terry Pratchett provides a strong entry filled with social commentary intertwined into an exciting thriller.
Harriet Klausner
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 27, 2011
Fine additon to the Discword opus.
As usual, it seems to start out slow. But he's building the groundwork for the maelstrom that soon follows.
I enjoyed seeing the continued development of the characters, especially Sibyl and Willkins. They probably would not have acted like this in the earlier books, but the characters have changed and grown through the series, and here is the result.
And of course Sam Vimes is just, well, Sam. Gods love him.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 14, 2011
A longtime reader of Sir Terry will enjoy the next installment in the Discworld series. The old characters are back, growing in believable ways, and new characters enter the story to make for an exciting adventure. There's action, there's romance, there's mystery - and as always, great insight to human nature. And a lot of laughs. If you've read other Discworld novels, grab this one quickly. If you haven't read any others...well, what are you waiting for?!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 23, 2011
Now that I've read the book in its entirety, I can recommend it wholeheartedly.
Myself a long-time reader of Terry Pratchett's stories, I found this book to be absolutely wonderful. It was truly satisfying to read of real hope- to have such a clear description narrated of the actual good that all sentient beings can do. I also find the always-present realistic observations on the business of life very comforting.
I hope Terry's books, especially the more recent ones- that illuminate such strong positive possibilities for our future- make it into everyone's home. And that people will actually think when they read them... but then, humans are humans, I suppose.
What I *really* hope for is more from Terry Pratchett!
- T. William Gage
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 24, 2012
Another amazing (albeit darker) Discworld offering. May we have Pratchett and Vimes for years to come!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 20, 2011
Excellent read although the development of charcters moves in a direction I would not agree with. Still an excellent read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 5, 2011
Terry Pratchett has a new book coming out! I cant wait for "Snuff" I have read the entire Discworld series, and if you haven't, START READING THEM NOW! Pratchett's books are funny, entertaining and thought provoking. I would recommend them to absolutely anyone. The Discworld is wide and varied, often mirroring our own, and Pratchett has a real gift for creating absolutely unforgettable characters and situations. I couldn't say enough good things about this series and I have the highest of hopes for this new addition.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 18, 2012
Good times are always guaranteed when Terry Pratchett is behind it. As usual, I didn't want the book to end!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Sekhautet
Posted March 3, 2012
Terry Pratchett's Snuff is a solid entry in the Discworld series, but not his funniest. I loved that the book paralleled the issues of slavery and the treatment of goblins. And of course, who doesn't enjoy a good Commander Vimes solved murder, but I felt that the last four chapters could have been cut without the plot suffering. However, I enjoyed learning more about goblin culture and all the fascinating poo references were very entertaining. If you love Discworld, then you will like this book, but don't make it your first introduction into the series. It will be disappointing, otherwise.
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Posted February 25, 2012
Just read this and it is just wonderful. Can't really add to whatever else anyone has said, except to say, buy it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Making Money, The fifth elephant, with going Postal, Pratchett is still writer of merit. A few slips but, I DO NOT CARE!
I have found another writer to buy books by name only!
Terry, I will wait till the next issue from Discworld. I now be going the "Color of Magic" next. I plan to start at the beginning and work back through the books I missed.
SIR Pratchett -- live long and and keep them coming.....
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 14, 2011
Excellent as always.
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Posted October 22, 2011
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Posted January 6, 2012
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Overview
For nearly three decades, Terry Pratchett has enthralled millions of fans worldwide with his irreverent, wonderfully funny satires set in the fabulously imaginative Discworld, a universe remarkably similar to our own. From sports to religion, politics to education, science to capitalism, and everything in between, Pratchett has skewered sacred cows with both laughter and wisdom, and exposed our warts, foibles, and eccentricities in a unique, entertaining, and ultimately serious way.
At long last, Lady Sybil has lured her husband, Sam Vimes, on a well-deserved holiday away from the crime and grime of Ankh-Morpork. But for the commander of the City Watch, ...