ingypingy2000's review
3.0
In true Terry Pratchett form, this play adaptation was silly and playful and had me laughing and rolling my eyes. A quick easy read, but one that has me desperate to see it actually played out on a stage. Well done!
smcleish's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally published on my blog here, in March 1998.
This is the seventh of Pratchett's incredibly popular Discworld novels. It is quite remarkable how the standards of the series have been kept up; in my opinion, the first novel, The Colour of Magic, is the weakest. This is in contrast to the usual deterioration of science fiction and fantasy series as the series lengthens, especially for series like the Discworld which are more groups of linked works set in a common world rather than a planned sequence.
The plot is a simple one concerning an attempt to sieze power in the city of Ankh-Morpork by summoning a dragon to terrorise the population, then arranging for a hero to kill it and be crowned king, with the plotter as power behind the throne. The plan is foiled by the generally despised city guard, described as being not so much 'rank and file' as merely 'rank'. The plot is not particularly important, acting as a springboard to Pratchett's imagination.
As usual, the book is full of great jokes and references to popular culture (I like the guards' motto: fabricati diem, punc). Altogether, a fun, worthwhile read. This is probably not news to anyone; I read recently that Terry Pratchett makes up over 50% of the science fiction and fantasy sales of a leading UK retail chain, WH Smith.
This is the seventh of Pratchett's incredibly popular Discworld novels. It is quite remarkable how the standards of the series have been kept up; in my opinion, the first novel, The Colour of Magic, is the weakest. This is in contrast to the usual deterioration of science fiction and fantasy series as the series lengthens, especially for series like the Discworld which are more groups of linked works set in a common world rather than a planned sequence.
The plot is a simple one concerning an attempt to sieze power in the city of Ankh-Morpork by summoning a dragon to terrorise the population, then arranging for a hero to kill it and be crowned king, with the plotter as power behind the throne. The plan is foiled by the generally despised city guard, described as being not so much 'rank and file' as merely 'rank'. The plot is not particularly important, acting as a springboard to Pratchett's imagination.
As usual, the book is full of great jokes and references to popular culture (I like the guards' motto: fabricati diem, punc). Altogether, a fun, worthwhile read. This is probably not news to anyone; I read recently that Terry Pratchett makes up over 50% of the science fiction and fantasy sales of a leading UK retail chain, WH Smith.
halfmanhalfbook's review against another edition
5.0
Ankh-Morpork has not had a king for hundreds of year, and the Unique and Supreme Lodge of the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night think is about time that they did again.They have hatched a plan to summon a dragon and to have a suitably regal looking knight to put it to the sword and claim the throne.
The night watch, a rag bag collection of the lower half of humanity, have a new recruit, Carrot Ironfoundersson, fresh in from the mountains, where at over six foot he no longer could work in the mines. He has a novel outlook on the role of the watch, namely that they should enforce the laws, in particular, the book he was give of old Ankh-Morpork laws that he has been studying.
Vimes, the head of the watch, decides to start investigating the dragons appearances having had a very near miss. As he learns more about the species he meets Lady Ramkin, a nobel and breeder of swamp dragons. As the dragon terraces the city, the puppet heir appears and defeats the dragon, in very suspicious circumstances; but the dragon that has been summoned decides that it likes being free, and appears back at the coronation to rule the city.
This is one of my favourite books by Pratchett, and one where we first meet the motley crew that is the watch. The characters are brilliant, from Nobby, the extremely bent copper, to Vimes, the alcohol marinated captain, all of whom are changed by Carrot, whose view on the world is an uncompromising black and white. The plot is not hugely strong, as there are no twists, and it is fairly easy to work out who is behind the scheme, but where this book wins is the humour and the wit and the origin of so many phrases that have passed into Pratchett lore.
Great book, so glad that I have re read it for the first time in along time.
The night watch, a rag bag collection of the lower half of humanity, have a new recruit, Carrot Ironfoundersson, fresh in from the mountains, where at over six foot he no longer could work in the mines. He has a novel outlook on the role of the watch, namely that they should enforce the laws, in particular, the book he was give of old Ankh-Morpork laws that he has been studying.
Vimes, the head of the watch, decides to start investigating the dragons appearances having had a very near miss. As he learns more about the species he meets Lady Ramkin, a nobel and breeder of swamp dragons. As the dragon terraces the city, the puppet heir appears and defeats the dragon, in very suspicious circumstances; but the dragon that has been summoned decides that it likes being free, and appears back at the coronation to rule the city.
This is one of my favourite books by Pratchett, and one where we first meet the motley crew that is the watch. The characters are brilliant, from Nobby, the extremely bent copper, to Vimes, the alcohol marinated captain, all of whom are changed by Carrot, whose view on the world is an uncompromising black and white. The plot is not hugely strong, as there are no twists, and it is fairly easy to work out who is behind the scheme, but where this book wins is the humour and the wit and the origin of so many phrases that have passed into Pratchett lore.
Great book, so glad that I have re read it for the first time in along time.
forstarrynights's review against another edition
5.0
Guards! Guards! is the first Discworld book I ever read, when I was in high school, and unsurprisingly it holds up beautifully to my adult sensibilities. Maybe even better, because I'm wiser to the stories it draws from now. Partway through this reread, I commented to some friends that I might have grown up to be a lot more patient with the archetypal surly alcoholic hardboiled detective if I hadn't read Guards! Guards! when I was 14 and seen it so beautifully deconstructed, and frankly I'm glad for that.
jennjuniper's review against another edition
5.0
I think I’ve read this book maybe five times, not including the reading the graphic novel or listening to the pretty solid BBC audio drama, but this is the first time I’ve read it since the EU Referendum. This is definitely about Brexit, with the dragon as Brexit, which has made me feel a little better about not having Sir Terry around in these nonsensical times.
aliibera's review against another edition
4.0
This is the book that I used to hook my (then under 12 reluctant reader) son on Discworld. Not only is it a terrific parody mashup of classic fantasy hero tropes (dragons, lost kings, damsels in distress) with noirish detective fiction (hard-drinking cynical cops, corrupt city officials) but it is brilliantly funny and deeply wise about human nature. And it speaks to this moment in a way that is both very kind and chillingly apt.
"Down there," he said, "are people who will follow any dragon, worship any god, ignore any iniquity. All of out a kind of humdrum, everyday badness. Not the really high, creative loathesomeness of the great sinners, but a sort of mass-produced darkness of the soul. Sin, you might say, without a trace of originality. They accept evil not because they say yes but because they don't say no."
Four stars only to give room for the later five star ones like Night Watch and Thief of Time.
"Down there," he said, "are people who will follow any dragon, worship any god, ignore any iniquity. All of out a kind of humdrum, everyday badness. Not the really high, creative loathesomeness of the great sinners, but a sort of mass-produced darkness of the soul. Sin, you might say, without a trace of originality. They accept evil not because they say yes but because they don't say no."
Four stars only to give room for the later five star ones like Night Watch and Thief of Time.