Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Guards! Guards!
Book Review: In which the nature of Dragons, noble and vulgar, is considered as is the role of the City Watch
Summary: 5 Stars
Where Dragons come from and how they can benefit an urban renewal effort, the multitude of unique secret and enlightened orders, the character of swamp dragons, and Lady Ramkin's wisdom on the nature of officers. Dragons great and small star in this work and the Librarian thinks the situation is pretty hairy (takes one to know one...). It is a terrible thing when the figgin (small raisin scone) is threatened.
Through all this, the poor illegitimate who risks his neck every night for an unappreciative public is given his due. The city watch, the flat-foot officers of the law have been driven to drink and they never stopped to thank the city or tip the driver. Then a young lad from the mountains with a crown shaped birthmark and a sword joins them. Then the richest person in the city becomes enamoured of the Captain of the Anhk Morpork Night Watch (#177). And a swamp dragon named Erol, well, finds a rather creative way to use the notorious flame of dragons. Somehow, this motley crew called the Night Watch saves the city.
Five stars, barely. The structure of the story wasn't quite Pratchett's best, but the character development, some of the vignettes, and Lady Sybil's description of Colonels, Majors, and Captains picked up the slack. Many good points, but the end seemed somewhat abrupt, and not as complete as other works. I can still stand to read it again though.
Book Review: Intro to Guards
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful book on its own, and serves is a great introduction to the Guards series of Discworld books. It's also early enough in Pratchett's series that a new reader will not be overwhelmed by the "in jokes". For readers already familiar with the series, Pratchett has created a set a ordinary non-heroes who rise to perform heroic deeds, while poking fun at police fiction from Dragnet to Dirty Harry.Book Review: It all starts here!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is not the best book Terry Pratchett ever wrote. Nor is it the first. However, if you're going to read Pratchett's books (and you really should. He's a brilliant author!) I would start with this book.
"Guards! Guards!" introduces some of my favorite characters, including Sam Vimes, Fred Colon, Corporal Nobbs, Carrot Ironfounderson and Lady Sybil Ramkin.
Lord Vetinati was introduced in an earlier book, but only played a cameo role. His role in this book is much larger and his character is fleshed out much more.
The introduction of these characters are how the stories about the Ankh-Morpork night watch all began. Sam Vimes and his ineffective coppers undergo a transformation, starting in "Guards! Guards!" and continuing in "Men at Arms", "Feet of Clay", "Jingo" and "the Fifth Elephant".
By the time we get to "Thud", Sam Vimes's tiny, ineffective group of less than five men has grown to more than one-hundred. And they're not ineffective anymore. They're skilled, dedicated and results oriented professionals who respect Vimes (who has stopped drinking and become addicted to police work). Although not all of the watchman are "men" strictly speaking. There's several trolls, several dwarves, some gargoyles, a zombie, a werewolf, an Igor and a vampire.
You'll have to read thru several of Pratchett's books to get to that point, but you start with "Guards! Guards!" That's where it all starts.
Book Review: It's Pratchett
Summary: 5 Stars
The sense of irony and satire that have made Pratchett famous are in full display, in a mockerie of current government, and previous autocracies, and also in the fact that people are eager to follow anyone with a bit of charisma without even asking. Pratchett's cartoon of our world is always fascinating and fun to read.Book Review: It's a classic!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just re-read this book because I have, um, a crush on Captain Vimes, and not just because I know he's well on his way to being promoted whether or not he likes it. Vimes is one of the most likable characters ever written and I find any book with him in it infinitely enjoyable.
Terry Pratchett is a great humourist with razor-sharp perception. The Discworld books that feature Vimes and the Nightwatch are, in my mind, the strongest of them all, and this novel, in which those immensely memorable characters are introduced, is without doubt one of my favourites.
Highly recommended to those new to Pratchett or those existing fans who haven't found this book yet.