Book Review: Snuff by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #39)

“I know that I am a small, weak man, but I have amassed a large library; I dream of dangerous places.”

- Terry Pratchett, Snuff

All good things (must) come to an end, including the fantastic Discworld novels. Snuff is the 39^th installment in Discworld series. Technically, it is not the “final” Discworld book, but it is the last book in the Ankh-Morpork City Watch sub-series. So is Snuff any good?

In my opinion, Snuff is a good book, but it does have some problems. However, I will say this; Snuff is a memorable book, it has a very moving story and I am very fond of it. I think Snuff is a very difficult book to review, but I shall try my best. Let me begin, by providing a synopsis for the book.

Synopsis:

Commander Samuel Vimes has served diligently at Ankh-Morpork for decades. It is time for him to take a break from the busy work of policing. He is going to have a holiday with his family. The goal, is travel to their estate at the country side and have a relaxing break.

A relaxing break? In Vime's dreams.

After Vimes arrived at the seemingly innocent country side, he walked into a pub and observed the head of a goblin hanging on the wall as a hunting trophy. To an experienced copper like Vimes, this translates to: something doesn't smell right in the air. It smells like... crime..... As Vimes dived into investigations, he uncovered more and more dead bodies. Soon, he realized the country side is masking a terrible crime more sinister than any murder case.

Vimes is out of his jurisdiction, but a crime is a crime and it needs solving. Jurisdictions or not, Vimes is determined to prod some serious buttocks and see some justice done.

My thoughts on this book:

When Snuff was published, Terry Pratchett was already suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. While the illness did not impair his ability to write, but (in my opinion) when comparing Snuff to the earlier Discworld novels, this book took a slight dip in terms of the quality of writings. And I think this is probably caused by Terry Pratchett's declining health. In Snuff, the writings are not always concise. There are several places in this book where Terry Pratchett used overly long paragraphs to expound one point. This sort of things never occurred in the earlier Discworld novels. Having said this, even with Alzheimer's disease, Terry Pratchett still wrote more beautifully and powerfully than a mere mortal such as myself can ever dream of writing.

I also noticed Snuff differs from the earlier Discworld novels, in that this book is very upfront about its themes. The main themes in this book, are racial discrimination and slavery, both are very sensitive subjects. While some people may feel Terry Pratchett is being overly preachy in this book, but I actually think the story in this book, while being upfront, is also raw, brutally honest, and masterfully conceived.

In my opinion, Snuff stands out from other fantasy novels, because in this book Terry Pratchett cast goblins as victims of racial discrimination and slavery, which I consider to be a genius plot device. Allow me to explain my thoughts.

The conventional fantasy literature popularized the notion, that goblins are either: 1) totally depraved and wicked creatures (see Tolkienesque and C.S Lewis books), or 2) pet-like creatures whose best function is to be pets for humans. Additionally, goblins are usually depicted as having physical appearances considered both foreign and ugly by the human standard. In other words, goblins are usually portrayed as having little or no humanoid aspects, creatures whose natural position is either the enemies of humans, or sub-ordinates to humans. Furthermore, conventional fantasy literature tends to weigh up the redemptive qualities of goblins, by measuring “how much they can become like humans”.

In Snuff, Terry Pratchett turned the table up-side-down. In this book, goblins are treated as vermin on Discworld. They are not protected by the law like other, more “humanoid” races are (such as dwarfs and trolls), which means goblins have no right, and thus treated as cattle and merchandize. However, as readers journey with Samuel Vimes, through his eyes, we gradually set aside goblins' physical appearances and the differing culture, then come to understand them, on their own terms. In the process discovering goblins and humans actually have in a lot in common. From here, readers' compassion takes over, as we begin to comprehend the wrongness and the horror about the way goblins were treated on Discworld. In this story, Snuff hits readers with a profound truth:

We shouldn't accept other people on the condition that they become more like us. No, that's arrogant self-centredness. Instead, the first step to embrace other people is to understand them, on their own terms.

In fact, the most powerful moment in Snuff struck me, when I read an exchange between Vimes and Mrs. Beedle, who helped the goblins by teaching them “human manners”. During this exchange, Vimes asked if Mrs. Beedle was teaching goblins to be “better citizens”. As Vimes blurted his question, Mrs. Beedle slapped him on the face, then proceeded to tell Vimes about the vastness of the goblin culture, and that she was teaching human manners to goblins, so they could communicate with humans who thought goblins were stupid. To be honest, when I read this part of the book, I could almost feel Mrs. Beedle's slapping palm burning into my own face. Mrs. Beedle rightfully rebuked the arrogant attitude where acceptance is only granted to other people if they become more like us. It is in this arrogant attitude, where discrimination and prejudice of all sorts and kinds spawned. I am just as guilty as Vimes (and many others) for this pride and arrogance. Thanks to Mrs. Beedle and her raw honesty, she did me a great service when she slapped me out of my ivory tower.

Snuff wrapped up the City Watch sub-series fittingly. I had such a fun time reading these stories. While I waved good bye to Samuel Vimes and other beloved characters in Ankh-Morpork City Watch, I slowly came to realize the lessons I learned from reading these books. They broadened my horizon, guiding me to look at the world from a different light. A light that shines on a desert road leading to an oasis. If you have not read Discworld novels, then my question is: What are you waiting for?

Until the next time. Happy reading!

Book Review: Thud! by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #34)

Counting to 40 books, Discworld probably trumps every other fantasy series in terms of quantities. Meanwhile, unlike many long-running fantasy series where the quality of books declined as the series went on, Discword maintained its radiance, continuing to charm legions of readers with spellbinding stories. For 30 years, the luster of Discworld books never waned, and the new books are as brilliant as the old ones. This is definitely the case for Thud!, the 34^th installment in the series (and the 7^th book in a sub-series featuring Ankh-Morpork City Watch).

Thud! was published in 2005. It is a medium sized novel set in Ankh-Morpork, the melting-pot of Discworld. In comparison to Night Watch, Thud! is not as dark. However, this book maintained a serious tone, while returning to the slapstick comedy tradition found in earlier Discworld novels. I think Thud! is a very good and unique book. It is not because the title ended with an exclamation mark, but because this book has a gripping story, witty humors, while touching important issues in our contemporary society. So without further delay, allow me to begin my book review.

Synopsis:

On earth, there is a saying. It goes like this: “it is written”.

It is written?

How do we know what is written down is the truth?

A lot of things are written down, but one has to wonder, how much of that is wholly true?

The question of epistemology exists in every corner of the universe. And like on earth, sometimes it can even get people killed. Especially when the alleged “written truth” is used to fuel an agenda, breeding endless cycles of conflicts, creating “us” versus “them”, pitting one group of people against the next.

Don't believe me? Well, take a trip to Discworld. A world as flat as a disc, carried on the backs of 4 elephants standing on a giant star turtle. This is a place where dwarfs and trolls have a long history of uneasy relationship. According to dwarfs, it is written in the dwarven texts, that when Tak wrote the world, trolls were made to be wild and barbaric.

Furthermore, to understand the mutual dislikes between dwarfs and trolls, you must also know about Koom Valley.

What is Koom Valley? Trolls believe it was an ancient battle ground where dwarfs ambushed trolls, while dwarfs believe it was trolls who ambushed dwarfs. It was 500 years ago and its memory is a blur. But there is a memorial day for it nevertheless. And it just so happens that, as the memorial day approaches, a dwarf was murdered in the city. The dwarven community in Ankh-Morpork accused a troll for the murder. Needless to say, this murder resurrected a buried memory of dark hatred between dwarfs and trolls.

A fiery wind of chaos and war descends upon the city, giving commander Samuel Vimes a headache. If he can't solve the murder before the memorial day, then citizens of Ankh-Morpork are going to witness the battle of Koom Valley fought again. This time, outside their front doors...

My thoughts on this book:

In many ways, Thud! is a traditional Discworld novel featuring City Watch. The centre piece of the plot is a murder mystery. Upon which the characters and themes evolved and developed. Like most Discworld novels, Thud! is abundant with good humors. Readers will laugh and chuckle upon seeing the parodies of numerous icons in the popular culture. The narrative is plot-driven, and the storytelling steers along a clear direction.

Every Discworld novel can be seen as a social commentary with a theme. Thud! is no stranger to this hallmark. In this book, with a gripping, humorous story, Terry Pratchett invites his readers to explore topics such extremism, fanaticism, groupthink, and their consequential tragedies. I have only good things to say about the meanings behind this book. Although, this book took its time to create and build the story's background, and some readers may find the first 30% of the book a bit slow. Having said this, once the background is established, the story's momentum becomes unstoppable as a jetting torrent from a bursting dam.

Every Discworld novel is meant to be a stand-alone story. While this may also be the case for Thud!, but gentle readers, I would highly recommend reading at least 3 City Watch novels before you read this book. The reason being, while Thud! is not a continuation to previous Discworld novels, yet this book features many characters and referencing events from previous City Watch books. This means, if you have read at least 3 City Watch novels, it will certainly grant you a deeper appreciation for the character developments and the story in Thud!.

Speaking of characterizations, Thud! features the full cast of characters from City Watch. In addition to Samuel Vimes and lady Sybil, all of our favorite characters, from Fred Colon, Nobby, Carrot, Angua, Detritus, and Cheery returned in this book to play major roles in the story. In addition to this, Terry Pratchett introduced a new character to City Watch, Sally the vampire, whose friendship with Angua branched off into an interesting sub-plot in the book. Every character in this book is portrayed vividly, their depictions highlighted by colorful spheres of likable, comedic eccentricity.

Thud! is a solid entry to Discworld. It is the 34^th addition to the series, but it has not lose one bit of its charm. This book delivers a gripping story that is both entertaining and meaningful. I have fond memories of the characters from this book. Therefore, I highly recommend Thud!. If you have been reading Discworld novels, then make sure to check out books from City Watch sub-series and add this book to your “to read” list.

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #29)

Time travel is a plot device appearing frequently in sci-fi books and movies, but it is not always implemented well. I used to rank Stephen King's 11/22/63, as my favorite book about time travel. This is no longer the case now that I have read Terry Pratchett's critically-acclaimed novel, Night Watch, the 29^th installment in Discworld series. This is also the 6^th book in the series that features Ankh-Morpork City Watch.

In fact, on Goodreads, Night Watch currently holds the highest rating of all Discworld novels. After I read this book, I am updating my list of top 5 Discworld novels, and Night Watch is taking the spot of NO.3, it is a really good book. Today, I will like to share my thoughts on this book, and talk about the reason(s) why I like this book so much.

Synopsis:

Have you ever used the phrase: “in the wrong place, at the wrong time”?

I bet a lot of us have used this phrase in the past. But if you think about it, a place is just a place, and the time is just the time, how can a place or the time itself be “wrong”?

At this point, you might to say to me: “ You are not supposed to interpret the phrase literally”.

Granted.

However, while terrestrial languages use a lot of metaphors, figures of speech, and allegories, but this may not be the case for the rest of the universe. In fact, let's journey to Discworld, where unfortunate souls can LITERALLY step into the wrong time, taking them to the wrong place.

The story began on a gloomy night in Ankh-Morpork. The air smelt of a coming storm. The City Watch was on hot pursuit for Carcer Dun, an infamous criminal. During the desperate chase, commander Samuel Vimes came very close to arresting Carcer, when a magical storm caught both Carcer and Vimes, transporting them back to 30 years in the past.

What was Ankh-Morpork like 30 years in the past?

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of tyranny, it was the age of revolution. It was the epoch of corruption, it was the epoch of honor. It was the season of stagnation, it was the season of change. It was the spring of the future, it was the winter of the past. After the magical storm passed, Samuel Vimes woke up on the street of Ankh-Morpork, and realized while he had everything before him, but he also had nothing before him. 30 years in the past, Ankh-Morpork was on the brink of revolution. To survive his ordeal, Vimes must take up the identity of Sargent John Keel, and show his fellow watchmen what it means to be a member of the City Watch. 

Thus begins, Discworld's A Tale of One City.....

My thoughts on this book:

As I read more and more Discworld books, I noticed some changes in Terry Pratchett's writing style. That is, his books became more plot-driven than his earlier works. The story in this book is gripping, gathering momentum gradually until it cresendoed to an explosive end. Night Watch is perhaps, the greatest departure from the slapstick-comedy tradition of Discworld books. There are still moments that will make you chuckle, but this book mostly took on a dark and serious tone.

In Night Watch, Terry Pratchett wrote a compelling story about humanity, the nature of good and evil, right and wrong, then exploring their applications in real life. The real life where most things usually reside in shades of gray. Terry Pratchett tends to make points in Discworld novels. Yet, he doesn't preach about it, nor does he try to shove it down your throat. Instead, he lets you think about it for yourself while you are enjoying a good story. In Night Watch, Terry Pratchett subtly raised many points as food for thoughts. But even if you don't feel like thinking about these things, you can still enjoy his books for what they are - good and entertaining stories.

The story in Night Watch is centred on one of Discworld's most beloved Characters, Samuel Vimes, whose pragmatic view of life added layers of realism to the book. Vimes has a cynical outlook on other people and his fellow watchmen, but he also knows his own shortcomings, fully aware that he is no better than other people. However, he never gave up on doing his job and doing the right thing. In the City Watch sub-series, readers witness Vimes' journey of redemption, from a drunk, disillusioned policeman in Guards! Guards!, to a commander of the City Watch in the later books, where he found in his heart to do what he always wanted to do. Which is to uphold the law. The sky may come crashing down on Vimes, but his integrity is never for sale.

The villain in this book, Carcer Dun, is a memorable antagonist. In some way, Carcer has many of Vime's qualities. What separates these 2 characters, is Carcer used these qualities for negative purposes. In Night Watch, we also meet the younger versions of several characters from City Watch, notably Fred Colon, Nobby, Reg Shoes, and a young, inexperienced Samuel Vimes. These secondary characters played important roles in this book, expanding the horizon of the story. At this point, I wish to bring up an important note:

Before you read Night Watch, make sure you read at least 3 novels from Ankh-Morpork City Watch sub-series. I would recommend starting from Guards! Guards!, then Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, and The Fifth Elephant. The reason? Night Watch features several 'younger versions” of prominent City Watch characters. A reader may not fully grasp the impact of the story in Night Watch, unless he/she already read a few earlier installments of City Watch books.

Most Discworld novels made me laugh, feeling all good and jolly. Night Watch is different. When I finished this book, I felt both sad and happy. This is a moving tale! Night Watch comes with a high recommendation from me. Just don't forget to read the earlier City Watch novels before you read this one.

The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #24)

In The Fifth Elephant, the 24^th Discworld novel, Sir Terry Pratchett took readers away from the city of Ankh-Morpork. Together with Samuel Vimes and the City Watch, we travel to the snowy land of Uberwald. This is a place where dwarfs dwell in the deep mines, while werewolves and vampires lurk in gothic castles, squatting upon the sombre, forest hills.

The Fifth Elephant is a medium sized novel. It tells a very gripping story. In fact, this novel drew me in so deeply that I finished it in 2 sittings. I'd say The Fifth Elephant ranks among my top 5 Discworld novels. This is my review for the book, let me begin by providing a synopsis.

Synopsis:

One has to wonder, whether if it is a mere coincidence, that from the earth to Discworld, people have the tendency to explain the question of origin via stories, legends and mythologies. Some people interpret these stories as real history, while some interpret them as metaphors, stories with meanings. One such a story, is the tale of the fifth elephant.

You see, legend on Discworld whispers that long ago, upon the back of A'tuin the Star Turtle, stood five elephants bearing the burden of the world. Until one day, the fifth elephant came crashing down through the sky as a fiery comet, and landed in what today is known as Uberwald. Over millennia, the remains of the fifth elephant fossilised and became mineral resources of great value, such as gold, iron and fat. At least, this is how dwarfs from Uberwald explain the origin of all the minerals buried there.

Thus begins our story. The dwarfs in Uberwald are having a new king. Commander Samuel Vimes was caught in surprise, when he was appointed the ambassador for Ankh-Morpork to attend the coronation. So together with Lady Sybil, Sargent Detritus, and Corporal Littlebottom, Vimes journeyed to Uberwald. However, a fine line divides the art of diplomacy from police work. This time, Vimes found himself in hot water, as he became trapped in a tidal wave of political tensions. Tensions that if not dealt properly, could lead to explosive outcomes.

My thoughts on this book:

In comparison to other Discworld novels, The Fifth Elephant is a very plot-driven book. The narratives focused on the main story with little distractions. This means the story in The Fifth Elephant moves at a fast pace, and the story flows very smoothly as one event transitioned to the next. For this reason, I particularly enjoyed The Fifth Elephant (more than Jingo), the adventure in this book is one heck of a ride! Apart from having a funny, and gripping story, The Fifth Elephant can also be seen as a social commentary. As the story takes readers to Uberwald on exhilarating adventures, they will also encounter contemporary issues that challenge our world; such as conservatism, sexism, modernisation, and advancing technology, all of which are related to “changes”, which is the main theme in this book.

I thought The Fifth Elephant can be described as a comedic thriller. The central plot for this book revolves around the theft of a priceless, dwarven artefact, and the story is shrouded in an atmosphere of suspense and mystery. This book also features a cast of vividly portrayed, and likable characters who are bound to cut marrow-deep impressions into readers' minds. Samuel Vimes took the spotlight as the main character, rummaging through Uberwald, stepping into dangers while becoming trapped in the shadow of political conspiracies. This book also narrates a sub-plot about Carrot and Angua's romantic relationship, which further spiced-up the already brilliant storyline, adding further depth to character developments. I would also like to mention, I am becoming very fond of a character called Cheery Littlebottom, a she-dwarf, and a brilliant forensic expert who serves in the City Watch, while fighting for her right to wear feminine clothes in a dwarven culture where feminine clothing and jewellery are considered taboo. For me, Cheery Littlebottom is one of my favourite female characters in fantasy fictions.

What sets Discworld novels apart from just some parodies of fantasy literature, is Terry Pratchett's writing prowess to use satires, and embed important issues and ideas in excellent storytelling, then getting his messages across. His satires are often thought-provoking yet inoffensive, inviting his readers to explore the sad realities of our world. Personally, this is what I like the most about Discworld novels. I often feel that Terry Pratchett spoke of important things in his stories that I, an average person, often find hard to articulate in words. This is why I really appreciate Terry Pratchett's works. In this regard, The Fifth Elephant is a classic example of a brilliantly written Discworld novel. It has a gripping story, vivid characterizations, and a meaningful message. Therefore, if you have read other Discworld novels featuring Ankh-Morpork City Watch, then The Fifth Elephant should be on your “must-read” list.

Jingo by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #21)

 Jingoism: the feelings and beliefs of people who think that their country is always right and who are in favor of aggressive acts against other countries

Jingo is the 21^th book in Sir Terry Pratchett's beloved fantasy series, Discworld. It is also the 4^th book in the Ankh-Morpork City Watch sub-series. In this book, Terry Pratchett took his readers away from Ankh-Morpork, and journey to the desert country of Klatch, where a diplomatic crisis brought Ankh-Morpork to the brink of war.

This book is witty and humorous, and it is certainly a solid entry to the long-running Discworld series. However, while I did like this book, but I personally did not find Jingo as a good book as other Discworld novels. Today, I will like to provide a review and share my thoughts about this book.

Synopsis:

On a silent night in Discworld, a small, and literally worthless island suddenly emerged from the sea. This island is at the half way point between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch, causing these two nations to dispute over the island's ownership.

Amidst the dispute, the Klatchian prince came to visit Ankh-Morpork. During the welcoming ceremony, a crossbow man made an assassination attempt at the prince's life. Fortunately, the assassination was foiled by the City Watch. Yet, this event fueled the already burning conflict between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch, bringing the two nations to the brink of war. Furthermore, the spirit of nationalism rose among the citizens of Ankh-Morpork, as ambitious politicians seek to rip personal profits from the war by encouraging people to bear arms, join the army, and “defend” what is rightfully theirs. The Ankh-Morporkians' line of thought is as simple as this: In a conflict against Klatch, Ankh-Morpork is "obviously" on the side of the right.

At this turbulent time, commander Samuel Vimes and the City Watch race against the clock to find the mastermind behind the devious assassination plot. Should they fail, then an all-out war between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch will be inevitable.

My thoughts on this book:

Jingo is a good book, but I did not enjoy this book as much as other Discworld novels. Instead, I have a lukewarm reaction about this book. Let me begin by sharing what I liked about this book.

Jingo has everything that made Discworld novels great. This novel can be seen as a social commentary, where humors are in good supply. Readers will find a story packed with witty satires. With a light-hearted, funny story, Terry Pratchett subtly invites his readers to think about topics such as racism, immigration, tribalism, and jingoism. I personally think this book is an excellent social commentary for the socio-political clime in the western world for the past 15 years.

Jingo features a cast of intriguing, and memorable characters. I like every character in this book, especially Samuel Vimes, who offers readers a view into the world through his unique perspective. Other characters, such as Carrot, Detritus, and Cheery also played interesting and major roles in this book. However, the same cannot be said about Angua. For some reason, in Jingo, the role assigned to Angua was somewhat uninteresting in comparison to her roles in the previous novels.

The story of Jingo treads along the line of a detective/mystery novel, and it managed to spin a web of suspense around the central story. However, the story structure in this book is what caused my lukewarm reaction. Allow me to explain. In this book, readers follow 2 major plots, which converged at the end. The first plot features the journey of Samuel Vimes and the City Watch in the land of Klatch, which was very interesting and funny. The second plot follows the sea adventure of Lord Vetinari , Leonard, Colon and Nobby. When I was reading this book, I found Vetinari's sea adventure uninteresting and difficult to follow, because there are too many random events here. In other words, I thought the story about Vetinari's sea adventure didn't feel cohesive. As a result of this, I found myself skimming through parts of the book, missing out crucial information in the story. At the end of the novel, I became a bit confused about the story.

Therefore, the bottom line is, while I did not enjoy Jingo as much as other Discworld novels, but I still think it is a good book. The themes about racism, immigration and jingoism are thought-provoking. It is in the human nature to slip into the "us" vs "them" mentality. This mentality is deeply rooted in a variety of human conflicts, from politics to culture, where we usually think "we" are always right and "them" are obviously wrong. But are "we" always right and "them" always wrong? Also, are we really that different? Terry Pratchett masterfully wrapped these topics in a good and humorous story, inviting us to re-think our assumptions, then put ourselves in other people's shoes, this is the true value of Jingo as an important piece of literature. What prevents me from liking this book as much as other Discworld novels, is the story in this book has too many random events and they are distracting. But that shouldn't stop anyone from reading Jingo, especially if you are reading the City Watch sub-series. A few words of advice, if you are going to read Jingo, just remember, don't skim through the parts of the book about Vetinari's sea adventure like I did.