Making Money (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Making Money (Discworld)
Book Review: By the (serial) numbers
Summary: 2 Stars
While there are still flashes of genuinely inventive writing and humour, I felt this was a bit mechanical in execution and could have been presented as a leaner, taughter and funnier book. The sub plots seem contrived and the denouement is particularly weak. What was lacking in this book was a genuinely threatening opponent for the protagonist: the role filled by Reacher Gilt in Going Postal and in Night Watch by Carcer. I am a big fan of Terry Pratchett, but this goes in the pile marked "Disappointing".Book Review: Truly awful
Summary: 1 Stars
Like Thud, this book is unrepresentative of Pratchett. They are both boring, badly written and not funny. He labours his points to the extent that he makes you feel like screaming at him in frustration, "Yes, we get it, we're not thick". Interesting, clever, witty characters we have come to know & love well have now become mundane & inconsequential.
Pratchett seems to have nothing new to write about & I think it's time he lay down his pen.
Book Review: All About the Benjamins
Summary: 4 Stars
Moist von Lipwig is back in his second starring role in a Pratchett novel as the head of the increasingly successful Post Office. Things have become so successful for the former con man turned man of the people that he no longer fears from his life. With this boring fact in mind he is reluctant to take on the role of bank manager for a struggling chain, especially one were the Chairman is a dog that like to play with an unusual chew toy. Can Moist modernise the banking sector in the same way he did the post office? Not if the nasty and rich Lavish family have anything to say about.
A reader's enjoyment of `Making Money' will depend on their enjoyment of Moist von Lipwig's earlier book `Going Postal'. This is because the two books have so much in common that the new book almost feels like an extension of the first. As a fan of Moist this is not an issue because I like the way he tackles problems using his conman techniques. The middle third of this book is particularly good as Moist gets to grip with the old fashioned bank. The numerous enemies on offer are well written and funny. The only disappointment is the usual Pratchett problem of over complication. He always seems to over complicate the story near the end and make it more confusing that it needs to be. I would recommend this to fans of the author, but perhaps not for new readers as it is not quite his best work.
Book Review: Pratchett delivers. Again.
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't know how he does it, but once again Pterry has delivered a delightful window into the Discworld. Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this latest adventure, so easy to read and a laugh on every page. The imagery stays with you long after the book is back on the shelf, and all we can do is wait for his next work. More!Book Review: Mr P Never Fails to Hit The Mark...
Summary: 5 Stars
I have now reached the stage where I probably need to get out more,as I find myself waiting the release of each and every new Pratchett tale. Once this little number dropped onto the door mat, I became a social recluse again, as happens whenever i get my hands on these books. The children aren't fed and clothed properly and the dog isn't walked etc etc.
We follow one of our favourites, Moist Von Lipwig (aka Albert Spangler - deceased) on another (mis)adventure filled quest initiated by his nemesis/saviour the Patrician of Ankh Morpork, Lord Havelock Vetinari. The Patrician, this time, felt that having become the 'saviour' of the Post Office, Moist needed another challenge. On this occasion, it is to assist in the restoration the Royal Bank of Ankh Morpork back to some semblance of a financial institution that the city could be proud of - making money too, as the title suggests.
Moist ends up by being acting Chairman of the bank after the sudden death of it's previous Chairman, the widow of Mr. Lavish, member of the founding family of the bank. The real Chairman is in fact the deceased old lady's small (I suspect Pug-like) dog, who inherited the lion share of the interest in the bank. As 'Mr Fusspot's' legal guardian, Moist is then given the challenge of shipping the bank into shape.
He devises a plan to make paper money and remove the city's reliance on gold/stamps for it's currency. Fine in principal but things aren't straight forward. Very soon Moist in embroiled in a hapless series of events and it soon looks like he could end up being hung again for his efforts by the ever looming Patrician.
The Lavish family's surviving members are also constantly looming, in the background, trying to get back what they deem to be rightfully theirs, killing anyone they feel might assist their quest. The main player, Cosmo Lavish, has a Vetinari Obsession and is gradually stealing (or at least he thinks he is stealing) Vetinari's trade mark accessories one by one to assist in his metamorphosis into the infamous Patrician.
All this is occurring while an Igor is in the basement with another lavish family member doing what Igors do best - assisting with something insane; The bank's long serving chief cashier has a breakdown and runs off with his personal assistant and possibly with all the gold in the bank's vault; and several hundred very ancient and special Golems are discovered by Moist's girlfriend, Adora.....
Only on the Disc World....