Making Money (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Making Money (Discworld)
Book Review: Not bad first draft
Summary: 3 Stars
For Pratchett this is really quite weak. It has the feel of a first draft of a novel that needed further work. The writing is disjointed and jumps between subplots in a mechanical sort of way. I had trouble remembering who some of the characters were and more trouble caring. It didn't make me laugh much or think, two things I expect from this author. It's a shame because Pratchett is king in my opinion. His other recent work including the children's novels have all been up to standard. To save you reading it I'll tell you the one funny bit. Veterinari says his predecessors devised a method of execution which was death by being torn apart by wild tortoises. It was a very slow death.Book Review: Not one of his best - but not the worst either
Summary: 4 Stars
Making money is not one of Mr Pratchett's best works - in fact it appeared rushed to cash in on the run on the Northern Rock Bank, not his usual smooth work.
I have to say I was disappointed on first reading the book, I then listened to my discs and I liked the book more. There's something about a listening to someone reading me a story that takes me back to a less stressful time (that Jackanory moment when I was a child and the troubles of the world were far, far away).
This story is not going to rank in my top twenty discworld stories but it isn't at the bottom of the list either.
It could be that the new Moist book came too soon on top of the Going Postal, that it would have been better if Mr Pratchett had returned to the Watch, or the Witches, or UU's faculty and Rincewind, or even Death, before moving back to Moist so quickly. Yet, for all its faults and similiarities to Going Postal, the Making Money story is a good one, even if it is lacking in the usual Pratchett polish.
Book Review: Mediocre, but you're probably going to buy it anyway!
Summary: 3 Stars
The thing with Pratchett is that he's addictive. Discworld is so detailed and vivid in our imaginations, the characters that live there are so wonderfully drawn out that they are real to us, that it's hard not to want more and more and yet still more. Even though the latest offering was only getting mediocre reviews I still bought it, and now pass on my review of its mediocrity to you. However, if you are a Pratchett fan can you resist the allure of a new book simply because it might not be one of his greats? If you can then you are a stronger person than me and I take my hat off to you.
In essence it felt as though Pratchett had a deadline to publish for Christmas, a lack of enthusiasm and the "writing a discworld novel formula" next to him. Step 1, think of your basic theme with easy parallels to "roundworld". Step 2, decide which existing character is going to star and who is going to be their love interest (for weak side plot). Step 3, decide on "the twist" (you can tell Pratchett is getting lazy when there is only one twist) and the manner of its revelation and resolution. Step 4, consider how to weave in the other mainstays of discworld such as Veterinari, the nightwatch, various guilds and their leaders, trolls, dwarves, Death, Mrs Cake, wizards, witches (not this time, haven't seen them for a while), and foreigners (usually Klatchians or Uberwaldians). Nip back and forth between the main plot and the development of the twist. Flesh it out with a few jokes. There you have it. Book. While most authors use some kind of formula along these lines, we've come to expect wit and creativity from Pratchett that mask the standard contrivances. This time I, and a lot of other folk, were disappointed.
The main character, Moist von Lipwig (from "Going Postal" where he was fresh and engaging), is led by Pratchett/Veterinari to save the Ankh Morpork bank. That's about it really. I don't think I laughed once, even the jokes seemed formulaic. The one original, creative part of the book was the idea of the Lord Veterinari Ward in the hospital. Come to think of it Pratchett hasn't done a hospital book yet - is he building up to it...
Sigh. Whatever you are bringing out next please take a holiday first Mr Pratchett and freshen up.
Book Review: Standard discworld fare
Summary: 4 Stars
What Terry Pratchett doesn't know about banking and economics could fill a rather large textbook.
As a fan of the discworld series, I always look forward to Mr Pratchett's latest offering. 'Making Money' is set in Ankh-Morpork with the usual grimy characters. Moist von Lipwig of 'Going Postal' fame is made an offer he can not refuse to govern a bank and control the Royal Mint. What could have become an allegory for the real world's corrupt fractional reserve banking system instead became a rambling account about the supposed benefits of paper money. Indeed, Moist von Lipwig asserts that potatoes are worth more than gold. I found the entire fallacy of the supposed benefits of paper money a bit difficult to swallow given that we face an impending world economic disaster - a disaster which is being engineered by Central Bankers who manipulate the money supply.
Admittedly Pratchett is an entertainer, not a political commentator but still I was left feeling that he's missed a great opportunity to parody real life by writing about how the pivately controlled Central Banks print money out of thin air like the Wizards of Unseen University. I just wish Pratchett had done a tiny bit of proper research rather than just re-hash some daft ideas. Paper money is the illusion of wealth.
Book Review: moist - and flabby
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm generally a great fan of Terry Pratchett's but think the last three (adult) Discworld novels have been increasingly disappointing, with this perhaps the weakest in the whole series. Maybe he should give Discworld a rest for a while? The mediocrity of Making Money was really brought home to me when I reread Lords and Ladies recently - it was so much sharper, richer and cleverer than his recent efforts. The characters in Making Money are comparatively bland and sketchy, the plotting tortuous, and the humour (one or two good moments aside) very tired indeed.