Reviews with content warning for Death - מהומה רבה על לא דוור

Reviews tagging 'Death'

מהומה רבה על לא דוור by Terry Pratchett

8 reviews

bluejayreads's review against another edition

4.75

The Industrial Revolution sub-series of Discworld books has tended to be one of the more challenging ones for me. It doesn’t have one primary character like the Rincewind or Tiffany Aching sub-series, or even a cast of primary characters like the Witches or City Watch sub-series. The Industrial Revolution books are grouped not by character but by theme – some new invention or concept comes to the Discworld and makes things just a little more “modern.” Which just adds to the challenge, because I really enjoy the weird magical whimsy of the earlier books and I’m not sure a change for the modern is necessarily a change for the better.

But now that I’ve said all that, the good news about Going Postal is that none of these things actually bothered me. The modernization aspect wasn’t a huge issue for me because the clacks has been around long enough for me to get used to it, and Moist von Lipwig’s assignment of getting the old postal service functioning again had enough history and tradition tied up in the building and institution that it didn’t feel particularly modern. And the character thing wasn’t a huge issue either because even though Moist is a new character, he was fun and entertaining right off the bat. He is very much a con man who suddenly has to deal with the fact that he is now an “honest man” with a government job – but that doesn’t stop him from having an arsenal of con man tricks up his sleeve. And he has very few compunctions about using them in support of his new job, because he may be a con man but he’s got a challenge in front of him and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t give it his best shot. The fact that being successful at this will keep him on Lord Vetinari’s good side is a bonus.

Plus, I loved the concept of the post office. There were so many scenes I just eagerly devoured because the post office was weird and wonderful and full of opportunity and I just want to go there and get it all cleaned up and functional again. I love a good organizing challenge, and the post office, gone largely to ruin and full of decades of undelivered mail, is exactly that. (That aspect of it didn’t get resolved quite how I’d hoped, but I can still dream.) I’m a sucker for big, weird, long-abandoned buildings, and while the post office is technically not abandoned, it still fits the bill.

And this is all without even touching on everything new we learn about the golems, the drama and crimes happening in the leadership of the Grand Trunk clacks company, the wild world of pin collecting, Moist’s instance on always increasing the stakes leading him into some absolutely wacky situations, and more. There’s a lot going on in this book, a lot more than you would anticipate in a story about a con man operating a mostly-defunct post office. (Although now that I write that out, maybe exactly as much as you would anticipate in that kind of story.) It’s funny, it’s wacky, it’s zany, it’s clever, it’s entertaining, it has just enough dark and/or serious moments to anchor the story without making it too dark and serious. An entertaining, enjoyable Discworld book. And I’m looking forward to future ones – I’m pretty sure Moist features in at least one more Industrial Revolution book, and I’m excited to see what shenanigans he gets up to next.

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woweewhoa's review against another edition

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funny fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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ampharos906's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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hylian_narwhal's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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chalkletters's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It’s always exciting to make another inroad into the vast universe of Discworld, especially one which falls into a new subcategory, as Going Postal did for me. The name Moist von Lipwig was familiar, but everything else about the character and his history came as a delightful surprise. As goals go, ‘rejuvenate the postal system’ doesn’t sound as though it will be all that absorbing and yet, as Moist applies his skills as a conman to the business of civil service, the story sweeps you along nicely. Had Going Postalbeen nothing but a series of escalating problems successfully solved, it would have been enjoyable.

Of course, things can’t be that simple: the conflict is well-paced, reminding me a little of The Once and Future Witches, though with a less dramatic emotional punch. Everything that Terry Pratchett sets up pays off, or else seems like fertile ground for future novels to explore. Going Postal’s prose is of the clear, unassuming kind that doesn’t get in the way of enjoying the plot. The only rough part was a portion of dramatic irony, which I have an incredibly low tolerance for.

While it seems necessary to mention social commentary in any Discworld review, it’s not something which jumps out to me as a reviewer. This may be why I find Terry Pratchett’s novels enjoyable but not sparklingly magical. For any readers in a similar position: Going Postal is perfectly enjoyable without engaging with the deeper meaning!

While I’m not sure I’ll ever get around to reading every Discworld novel, I do hope to eventually make the acquaintance of Samuel Vimes and Granny Weatherwax, so this won’t be the last time I read Terry Pratchett.

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anna_m_k's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My first Discworld novel and it certainly won't be my last! This was a fun, funny, and insightful book with an amazing cast. Especially the protagonist, Moist von Lipwig, who goes from con man to respected government official by staying a con man at heart. He's a refreshingly down to earth protagonist who reacts quite normally to positively wild situations, even within a fantasy novel and his asides on the nature of government seem quite relevant even today.

Fun and clever, it was a great introduction to this world and one I highly recommend.

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crufts's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I adore this book. Out of the entire Discworld series, it's my favourite.

Questionable hero gets a redemption arc.
Realistic use of interesting technologies to drive the plot.
Hilarious jokes.
Despicable villains.
That little spark of magic and mystery.
Expressing a love of letters.
Ingenious combination of the hero's criminal background and the demands of his present (lawful) employment.

Strongly recommended as a standalone read, even if you haven't read the other Discworld novels.

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dealingwithdragons's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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