Thief of Time
by Terry Pratchett
List Price:
Our Price: $3.96
You Save: $4.03 (50%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.71 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Terry PratchettEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-04
ISBN: 0061031321
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: HarperTorch
Book Reviews of Thief of Time
Book Review: "Time, like an ever rolling stream, Bears all its sons away
Summary: 5 Stars
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day." John Watts
First things first. This review is dedicated to Stephen Haines. A prolific, life-long reader Stephen (known to his friends on Amazon as The Bunyip) was a fine reviewer. Opinionated, literate, and coherent, Stephen covered a wide range of subjects. In particular though he was devoted to Terry Pratchett, science generally and Darwin specifically, and loved nothing more than to do battle with those who saw science as something to be feared or bent to serve some cause or ideology other than science itself. He loved to talk, loved to argue and enjoyed the battle of dissenting, sometimes spluttering opinions amongst his friends. He also loved the taste of single malt and how can you not like a guy who likes a sip of whiskey on a cold Ottawa night? So I decided to pen a review in Stephen's honor and since Stephen's time was too short; a skeletal man riding a white horse named Binky showed up too early at his door, I thought one of Pratchett's finest Discworld books, "Thief of Time" would be suitable. Stephen was a good man and a better friend.
Now, down to brass tacks. Thief of Time pits the forces of rules and order (in the morphing form of the Auditors) against the forces of chaos (humanity - in whatever form that takes in Discworld). The auditor are all about the rules, the laws of nature, numbers, and the objective `data' that goes into making a universe tick. The auditors have long despised the folks on Discworld. They don't know or understand `the rules' and they seem to always put a crimp in the beautiful order of things. So the auditors send one of its own, in the form of the aptly named Lady Myria LeJean (apparently a play on myriad and legion) to build a clock so perfect, so precise that it will stop time. Myria retains the service of Jeremy Clockson, an orphan apprenticed to the Clockmaker's Guild who is renowned for his clock making skills to make this perfect clock. At the same time Lobsang Ludd, also an orphan but one apprenticed to the Thieves' Guild, and who is renowned for his exquisite skills at thievery finds himself being taught new skills by the aged Lu Tze (think Dalai Lama with the skills of Jackie Chan). DEATH smells a rat (and it isn't his sidekick the Death of Rats) and discovers that the auditors are up to no good. He drafts his granddaughter Susan to help Lobsang and Lu Tze. The rest of the book tracks the two camps, Lu-Tze/Lobsang/Susan and Lejean/Jeremy/Auditors as they prepare for the inevitable clash. Oh yes, and DEATH tries valiantly to bring the four other (yes four) horsemen of the apocalypse to help do battle with the auditors.
The above plot description, as convoluted as it may be, is only a superficial description. As any Discworld reader knows, Pratchett's stories are set out in rapid-fire fashion and often include multiple plot lines. Thief of Time is no exception. But also no exception is that the thrill of reading any Discworld book is the unique combination of wit, humor, and insight that Pratchett brings to the table. He manages to take a raft of complex issues, in this instance time and our perception of time, and weave these pretty significant concepts into a fantasy world filled with pretty weird but strangely endearing characters. Lu Tze, Lobsang are two such characters.
All-in-all this is one of Pratchett's finest Discworld books in my opinion. Although it stands on its own, I think readers will enjoy Thief of Time a bit more if they have a few other volumes under their belt. It really would help to have an understanding, for example, of the role DEATH plays in the Discworld series.
Thief of Time closes with this: "Even with nougat you can have a perfect moment." There were a lot of perfect moments in Thief of Time just as I trust Stephen had a lot of his own. Stephen, we miss you. RIP Bunyip.
l. fleisig
Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literature & Fiction Books
Little Womenby Louisa May Alcott
Scribner; Published: 1986-06-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
The Killing Groundby JACK HIGGINS
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS LTD; Published: 2007; Hardcover; Book
Saving Fish from Drowningby Amy Tan
4th Estate; Published: 2005; Paperback; Book
Life Expectancyby Dean Koontz
Harpercollins Pb; Published: 2005-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.00
Constant Princessby Philippa Gregory
Touchstone/Simon & Schuster; Published: 2005; Hardcover; Book
Wolf of the Plains (Conqueror, Book 1)by Conn Iggulden
Harper; Published: 2007; Paperback; Book
Saharaby Clive Cussler
Harper Collins Pb; Published: 2005-03-21; Paperback; Book
Perelandra (Cosmic Trilogy)by C. S. Lewis
Voyager; Published: 2005-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.79
Price in other shops:
The Lord Of The Rings: Part 2 The Two Towersby J. R. R. Tolkien
Harper Collins Publishers; Published: 2001; Paperback; Book
Red Marsby Kim Stanley Robinson
Trafalgar Square; Published: 2001-06; Paperback; Book
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Going Postalby Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 2005-09-27; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.74
Price in other shops:
Monstrous Regimentby Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 2004-08-31; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.50
Price in other shops:
Carpe Jugulumby Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 2000-08-08; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.21
Price in other shops:
Reaper Manby Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 2002-07-30; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.01
Price in other shops:
Soul Musicby Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 1995-08-25; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.15
Price in other shops:
Night Watchby Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 2003-09-30; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.21
Price in other shops:
The Truthby Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 2001-09-04; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
The Fifth Elephantby Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 2001-04-03; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.96
Price in other shops:
Hogfatherby Terry Pratchett
Harper; Published: 1999-09-08; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.38
Price in other shops:
Mortby Terry Pratchett
HarperTorch; Published: 2001-02-06; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.96
Price in other shops: