05 October 2008

Making Money, Pratchett Style

Terry Pratchett's latest book just came out in paperback, and I just finished reading it, roughly 28 hours after buying it. It would have taken less time, but I was working on a take-home test for Theory of Knowledge.

It's a very good read. I don't like it quite as well as Going Postal or Night Watch. It feels ... fluffier, I suppose. Still enormously entertaining, however. Moist von Lipwig is back, and with the post office now running efficiently, he's bored out of his skull. He's taken to picking the locks on and breaking into his own building to relieve the boredom. Naturally, Vetinari knows all about this and has ... plans ... for Lipwig. The bank system is in need of an overhaul, and who better to fix a bank than someone who used to rob banks?

Just to give the overall flavor without spoiling anything: the Lavishes are every shiftless, greedy family on every soap opera, and one of them is having an identity crisis; Mr. Fusspot, the new chairman of the bank, has his paw on the pulse of, er, well, better not to ask what; the department of Definitely-Not-Necromancy has some translating to do; Mr. Bent isn't; things that go Gloop in the night Gloop; and some golems have a penchant for gold.

Recommended to anyone who likes a good laugh.

2 comments:

John said...

"I live in a world where that just happened; nothing matters"

Best. Line. Ever.

Qalmlea said...

There were a lot of good ones. I paraphrased this one for random quotes (and am currently too lazy to look up the original):

"Moist [pondered] how illogical logical thinking can be if a big enough committee is doing it."

Also good: "I wonder...am I really a bastard or am I just really good at thinking like one?"