A Fine Body of Men, Mostly... (Men at Arms - Terry Pratchett)

Member Name: wyrdsister

Product:	Men at Arms - Terry Pratchett
Date:	27/10/02 (183 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fun, thrills, characters

Disadvantages: part of a series, humour is subjective

The world is flat and that’s a fact. Discworld, world and mirror of worlds, stands on the edge of reality. It also stands on the back of four elephants that rest eternally on the back of the Star Turtle the Great A’Tuin. Pratchett has written extensively about Discworld and its inhabitants, sometimes more successfully than others. There are a number of recurring characters in Discworld novels. Each book is usually concerned with a particular group of these characters, be it the Lancre Witches, Rincewind and his unhappy adventures, the Watch or Death and family. Men at Arms is the sequel to Guards! Guards! and the second book in what will turns out to be one of the finest series of Discworld novels.

Last year, a massive dragon came out of nowhere and rocked the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork. Last year, captain Samuel Vimes of the Night Watch stopped being a drunk long enough to start doing his job. Against all odds, he survived. Against all odds, he found what he wasn’t looking for. Now Sam Vimes, captain of the city guards is about to marry Lady Sybil, the richest woman in Ankh-Morpork. Now, after too many years, Sam Vimes is about to retire, and somehow, you’d think he’d be happy.

It all started with a madman’s dream, a man whose eyes were insanely fixed on the royal past of Ankh-Morpork. A golden age, long ago, when the city still had kings, an age where things were how they ought to be. It would have remained a dream too, if one day the past hadn’t walked past him in a Watchman’s uniform. It all started when the Assassin’s guild, quite uncharacteristically, blew up. Well, a good chunk of wall anyway, and something that should not have been there was stolen.

The Ankh-Morpork City Watch, (Night Shift) is expanding. The Patrician was quite insistent that the ethnic make up of the city should be reflected in its policing force. So, there are new men in the watch: Lance-Constables Cuddy,
Detritus and Angua. One’s a dwarf, the other a troll and Angua is, well, a woman…most of the time. The truth is, Samuel Vimes isn’t too happy about the new recruits. But then again, Samuel Vimes isn’t too happy about a lot of things. But mostly, in his new state of self-inflicted sobriety, Samuel Vimes is not happy about the string of strange murders in his city.

An alleged theft, unusual deaths and the unequivocal order from the Patrician not to investigate the case turn out to be too much for Samuel Vimes to simply ignore. And since he’s retiring at noon tomorrow, he’s only got twenty-four hours to solve the mystery. Will Cuddy ever get on with a troll? Will Detritus ever manage a salute? Will Angua ever find her feet in the city? Will the Watch survive the night?

As a sequel to Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms works very well. Although not essential, it is advisable to read the first instalment of the saga to get the full flavour of the book. From this point on in the series, most of the novels tend to derive or follow on from a previous Discworld story. The advantage of doing so for the reader and the writer is, I suspect, that you have more time to devote to the story as most of your characters are already well and truly established. This, of course, does not prevent the author from developing his character or introducing new ones. Life goes on, people grow and adjust, and so do those in Discworld.

The emphasis in the character development falls mainly on Carrot and Vimes. Although Vimes was always presented as an honest and upright man, the humiliation of his situation had lead him to depression and alcohol. Carrot’s arrival in the watch set in motions an unstoppable change in Vimes’ psyche. This transition is well followed on in this new chapter in the Watch chronicles. Just as he regains some self-respect and a new confidence in his work, he is about to retire to a life of comfort tha
t he doesn’t really want and in fact despises. The fears and doubts about his future are fully delved into and add a new dimension to Vimes that the readers will surely appreciate.

The character of Carrot also undergoes a subtle change. Carrot was initially introduced as a naïve and very literal minded sixteen-year-old dwarf (by adoption). Having been promoted by the Patrician, who incidentally will be watching his career very closely indeed, Carrot seems to have gained more maturity. Although Pratchett retains the notable simplicity of the character, he also puts his ostensible stupidity into question. The author also underlines his uncanny integration into the city, his hypnotic charisma and eerie likeability. Carrot is simple; he’s kind, righteous, and sincere. He believes in the hidden goodness of people. Would anyone really want him to become complicated?

Along with the return of the old Watch favourites like Nobby and Colon, Men At Arms sees the introduction of some new ones, and the return of a few others in a new part. Detritus the troll has been an intermittent character in Discworld novels and finds here a new and more important and interesting role. The same can be said for Gaspode the wonder dog, who, although a little gimmicky at times, is a great little character, eager to demonstrate his worth once more. There are also indispensable cameos from other Discworld regulars, such as the Patrician Lord Vetinari and Throat Dibbler amongst others.

The most important new characters are Cuddy and Angua. Cuddy is the first Dwarf, genetically speaking, to ever join the Watch. We find usual comical points associated with Discworld dwarfs: a tendency to be belligerent, literal minded and hateful of trolls. Pratchett teams him up with Detritus to provide a little humour as well as bit of thinking too. Angua initially appears to be nothing more than a potential love interest for Carrot, but appearances can be deceiving. Her ch
aracter is well thought out and becomes more appealing as she is confronted with living in Ankh-Morpork.

Pratchett fans know what they expect from a Discworld story, and the author certainly delivers in this new chapter of the life in the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. There’s plenty of funny and witty moments, a good thrilling and energetic storyline and some intelligent observations about human nature at its best and worst. Because they bend towards the crime novel genre, the Watch stories tend to show the more serious side of Discworld and the characters tend to feel more realistic and exposed, which may well appeal to readers who wouldn’t normally look at Pratchett. An excellent sequel to Guards! Guards! Men at Arms is an first-rate offering from the best selling British fantasy writer alive.

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