38 Book Review: "Going Postal" by Terry Pratchett << Prev Next >>
by: ColonelZen	IP: 101.146	rated: 0-0	posted: 2008-09-02 22:12:37
Originally at:http://www.ip-wars.net/story/2004/12/11/175620/03       Book Review: "Going Postal" by Terry Pratchett     Posted on Sat Dec 11th, 2004 at 17:56:20 EST     It's hard to give a fair review of a book by an author who has written many related books. One tends to compare the present work with past works and as it is impossible for anyone to consistently better all his prior works such comparisons are unfair.     That said, if you do not know Pratchett's work "Going Postal" isn't a bad start. I would recommend "The Truth" or "Feet of Clay" as better works, but this isn't bad. On its own I would say it is very good. And if you are a Pratchett fan even marginally, Going Postal is a must read.     The capsule plot is that our hero, a skilled con artist has been sentenced to death, except that Lord Vetinari has spared his life on sufferance to put him in charge of the now non functional Ankh Morpork post office. Of course Moist von Lipwig has many fascinating obstacles to overcome, both personal and practical before fulfilling his obligations and reaching understanding that his imprisonment is nothing more than freedom with responsibility.     For us, here, it is actually topical as the description of how Reacher Gilt took over Ankh Morpork's clacks tower communications business, ruining it and those who originally built it, reflects quite purposely much of what happened to many businesses in the dot-com era and how they met their downfall. Similarly his dispossessed heroes "The Lone Gnu" are clear hackers by self absorption in technical skill and contempt for the social organization against which they are pitted.     Like all of Pratchett's books, this one is littered with quirky, sometimes perverse observations and allegorical commentary on our world and the events of our times as well as our universal condition. Any of his books are worth reading just for these alone.     Now having fairly and clearly endorsed the book, a few criticisms are in order. In many ways this book too closely parallels "The Truth". We start with an alienated person at odds with the world who happens into an open niche and turns it into a major enterprise battling the established interests and a variety of endemic problems of the circumstances maturing and finding his place in the greater scheme of things. Of course in some measure the parallel is a requisite of them both being "coming of age" stories set against the well established background of the Patrician's Ankh Morpork, essentially an abstraction of 19th century London with Trolls, dwarves, and a variety of other miscellaneous fabulous creatures thrown into the pot.     And did I mention the parallel love interest with "The Truth"? Of course our hero needs a romantic interest. That sad and sorry convention is so hackneyed that I scream whenever I see it. Pratchett has the skill that I think he could do something new and different with it. The Sam Vimes and Lady Sybil relationship in the NightWatch books (Vimes is mentioned once or twice in this book, but never puts in an appearance) shows that even within the stringent confines of Victorian romance, Pratchett knows how to wring some interesting knots in the wretched cloth. But here, other than the lady's interest in golems and that she smokes like a chimney, the romance is callously cliche and fatuously formulaic.     The weakest part of this book is the personal transformation of von Lipwig. The reference to the magical influence of the millions of piled up letters - even with our knowledge of how magic works on discworld from other books - is used too much as a crutch, a deus-ex-machina to explain his maturation. Though it's alluded to in several spots I think Lipwig's personal comparison to Gilt and his loathing that he could become Reacher Gilt could have, with a bit more work, been used as a greater impetus and explanation for that process.     Even with it's weaknesses, though this is a must read if any of what has been said stirs your interest.     -- TWZ