My latest Discworld read focused on Moist Von Lipwig, a new character for me. Moist is a scheming conman, but he’s also kind of sweet(!) and he has a good  conscience lurking somewhere beneath that money mad exterior. Being a conman was, in a way, an addiction for him, offering him a constant ‘thrill of the chase’ feeling. Lord Vetinari puts a stop to all that when he forces Moist into becoming the new Postmaster of Ankh Morpork. Well…it was either that or death..and after some consideration, Moist chose the post.

This story does not move along quite as well as some of the other Discworld tales, but it is humorous all the same, and has some classic characters. Post office worker, Stanley, is one of a kind: he obsesses over his pin collection and is liable to have one of his ‘fits’ if perturbed in any way. The golem characters, (workers made from clay) which were also new to me, were quite endearing too.

Maybe it was because I was reading this at work, and thus, wasn’t able to give it my full attention but some of the details were way over my head. Clacks towers anyone? These form part of a telegram type system which threatens the post office’s future, but fortunately the towers are constantly breaking down. Cue some long winded explanations and theories about clacks technology. I just read it without taking it in…

Definitely not the best Discworld book but still enjoyable and I’d like to see more of Mr. Von Lipwig.

Yet another Terry Pratchett book but this time it’s one that’s aimed at younger readers. Which is surprising really because it’s just as dark as anything you’d read in the Discworld series. It is affiliated with Discworld in that the Death character is present, but other than that there are few recognisable features. In this story, we have a talking cat, a horde of talking rats and a stupid looking boy who together experience an adventure of the toughest kind when they must face up to a rat king, rat traps, dogs and, of course, humans.

At first, I wasn’t so sure about this novel, and I must say that having finished it, I do still prefer the Discworld books, but the little rat characters are so endearing that you can’t help but be entertained by their plight. I never thought rats could be so appealing. Maurice the cat also provides some humour, although the laughs don’t come as frequently as in some other TP novels.

Reading this made me reflect on my childhood reading material: all I kept thinking as I read this was..ooh isn’t that a bit dark/shocking for a kid’s book. But then you remember reading Roald Dahl, an author who left such an impression on all of us because he wasn’t afraid to delve into the dark side now and again. This story does not play it too safe, although a happy ending is secure.

There’s quite a few layers to this tale actually. Adventure story aside, TP looks at the circle of life, spiritual belief, the conscience, the effect of humans on the world and the art of storytelling. Yes really! All these topics are touched, making this a novel ripe for discussion.

So, it’s another Disworld novel: this time Equal Rites. I think I liked this better than Witches Abroad even though it was lacking Nanny Ogg. Granny Weatherwax improved on me I have to say. And Esk, though only a child is a memorable little character with a strong heart. I found myself rooting for her in her attempts to secure a place as the first female wizard in the Unseen University.

Pratchett’s humour is such that I find it difficult to describe at times. I have attempted to explain certain discworld characters or events to other people but it is always lost on them.  You just have to read a Discworld novel to understand it. It’s like watching wacky comedy where the actions and expressions are the key to creating a laugh. Pratchett gives us just enough information to create the characters for ourselves in our minds. You can practically hear the accents and see the events unfold but each reader must experience this for themselves. Yet Pratchett’s characters are so distinct and well written that I think everybody’s images must be somewhat similar…in fact any cartoons or sketches I have come across of Discworld characters usually resemble the pictures I have in my head.

With Equal Rites, as with the other novels, Pratchett has commented on familiar issues which plague society and our daily lives. This time around, it is the place of women and their right to equality. The Discworld is rather old fashioned so naturally women are second fiddle to men a lot of the time. This doesn’t stop them making themselves heard of course! Both Esk and Granny have a knack for making the men feel stupid and inferior…and they’re right too! You’d never know I was a girl would you? Go Esk!

Last night I finished ‘Witches Abroad’ by Terry Pratchett himself. I don’t know why I say ‘himself’ but it seems to be a common occurrence when people mention TP, as if he’s going to disappear one day and return as a Discworld wizard or something. This is only the third Discworld novel I’ve read and only the fourth TP book (I read ‘The Carpet People’ some years ago). This was possibly the lightest reading that the Discworld series has offered me, not that you need to be a rocket scientist to enjoy these books…but anyone who’s read ‘Pyramids’ will know that all that bending of time and space gets a tad confusing. ‘Witches Abroad’ offered the comfort of being centred around traditional fairytales making it all the more enjoyable when these tales are twisted and turned by the characters within.

The main characters in question here are three witches by the names of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg (my favourite) and Magrat Garlick. Together they complement each other nicely with Weatherwax being the most conventional and also the most powerful of the tree, Ogg being the round loveable one with a penchant for banana based alcohol and Garlick the young impressionable witch or the ‘wet hen’ by her own admission. There are plenty other characters to boot but I won’t ramble on about them, even if Greebo the cat deserves an honourable mention.

As is usual with a TP book, this story could be peeled apart and viewed as either a straight out fantasy, a fairytale, a comedy or perhaps a satirical look at society…which perhaps explains TP’s overall popularity. I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of the fantasy genre. I’ve tried to become enthusiastic about a number of fantasy novels but it all seems a bit samey after a while, for want of a better word. If I see another book cover in Waterstones with three rings on the cover and the word ‘Lord’ in the title, I’ll go mad. With ‘Witches Abroad’ however, as with the other Discworld novels, the fantasy element is simply a base for the dozens of memorable characters which TP creates and the humorous aspects of each one.

It’s so nice, in a world where adult reading largely consists of depressingly adult issues, to pick up a Discworld novel and forget about our worries for a while.