I tried to get out... they pulled me back in! (Feet of Clay - Terry Pratchett)

Member Name: bingo

Product:	Feet of Clay - Terry Pratchett
Date:	30/08/01 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very well written, Good plot, Strong characters

Disadvantages: Not much

I stopped reading Terry Pratchett books a while ago. Not for any particular reason, I just started reading more contemporary novels. When I stopped, this had just come out. When I saw it was another in the series of City Watch books, I was quite tempted as I enjoyed the previous Watch books, but still didn't buy. A couple of weeks ago I was looking around a discount bookshop and they had a large stack of Discworld novels with hefty discounts, and they had this so I decided not to miss out on the opportunity. Started reading it when I got home, and that was it, I was hooked...!

As stated before, this is a book about the City Watch in Ankh-Morpork. The Watch gets bigger and more respected in every watch novel, and this book continues the theme. The familiar Watch characters are there : Carrot, Commander Vimes, Angua, Detritus, Nobby, Sergeant Colon, etc. It also introduces a whole slew of new characters, both watchmen (And women) and city dwellers. One of the funnier characters is Wee Mad Arthur, a six inch tall rat catcher who speaks with a socttish accent and insists on head butting his victims. Another new character is Cheery Littlebottom, a dwarf alchemist who joins the watch. Cheery is a female dwarf who decides to show her femininity (Not traditional for dwarves) which in turn creates some funny scenes. The book also introduces Golems, living machines made of clay (Hence the title) who will work tirelessly without rest. Golems aren't really alive and the book explores peoples attitudes to them.

I don't want to give too much of the plot(s) away, but its very well done. The plot is quite intricate and provide a satisfying conclusion to the book. There are really two linked plots in this book. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you amused. As with any Pratchett novel there is a good mix of laugh-out-loud scenes and more subtle humour. There was one particular set piece that I couldn't picture, but other
then that the writing was flawless. The descriptions of the characters and the way that they talk really brings them to life. It really places a picture of the characters in your head.

Of course, the only problem with enjoying this book so much is that I'm going to want to catch up on the 6 or 7 other Pratchett novels that I've missed. And I've already got a pile of books to read!

In conclusion, this book is excellent. It has a strong, well thought out plot. It contains a good mix of slapstick and subtle humour. The characters are very well defined and are easy to picture. The writing is excellent. All in all, a recommended read.

Summary: