Everything Under One Roof... (Truckers - Terry Pratchett)

Member Name: CaptainD

Product:	Truckers - Terry Pratchett
Date:	18/08/05 (664 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very entertaining, more so for adults than kids

Disadvantages: Rather short, shallow characters

Truckers is the First Book of the Nomes, also known as the Bromeliad, a trilogy of children’s fantasy books by Terry Pratchett. It involves the Nomes (not Gnomes), who are visitors from another planet – though at the very start of the book they don’t realise this. (It’s revealed early on though or I wouldn’t have mentioned it at all.) They’re little critters who are losing a fight for survival against the rats and other dangerous animals around their home. Dwindling in numbers, something has to be done, decides Masklin. He’s about the only young Nome in the tribe, and as such he gets lumbered with pretty much all the work there is going. Enough is enough, he decides – but he gives the others the option of going with him. Grumpily, they agree, and to their great surprise they end up finding other Nomes. These Nomes live in a department store, and as they have never seen Outside they are convinced that nothing exists outside the Store. (For is it not written, “EVERYTHING UNDER ONE ROOF”…)

With the tribe of Nomes is the Thing. This thing has been handed down for generations but doesn’t seem to do anything. That is, until it gets near the electricity of the store…

Masklin is aided and hindered in more or less equal measure by his compatriots Grimma (a female around his age), the fearsome Granny Morkie (who’s very good at shouting), and Old Torrit (who seems to be talking rubbish 99% of the time). New allies found along the way include Dorcas (an inventor type) and Gurder, who is to become Abbot but is in a crisis over his faith… especially when he discovers that the store isn’t quite as eternal as he’d thought…


Truckers is a delightful book, full of wordplay and irony. Though it’s written for children I suspect that adults will enjoy it more – it’s the little ironies of life that Pratchett points out so sharply that bring a smile to the lips most often. (As such it’s a good choice to read to your children since they’ll enjoy it but you’ll enjoy it more – just don’t let them realise that’s why you’re reading it or they’ll sulk and ask for Spot the Dog again…) It’s also full of religious satire – each chapter begins with a small quotation from the Book of Nome, which was written by the Nomes in the Store. The store’s owner, “Arnold Bros (est. 1905)” becomes their God and the signs around the different departments - Everything Must Go!, for instance – become their religious slogans… though sometimes they’re a little unclear as to the meaning of these. Like all of Pratchett’s books, however, a balance is achieved – just when it seems that a subject (which in his case can be religion, science, politics, or basically anything) seems to be getting a good brow-beating, it strikes back and shows that it does have its uses after all. Like the Thing – it seems a useless relic from a bygone age surrounded by meaningless mythological mumblings, but just when it seems to be in danger of being discarded, it turns out to be the most insanely useful thing imaginable.

Comparisons with Pratchett’s earlier book The Carpet People are inevitable if you’ve read that. A group of people much smaller than humans trying to make sense of their world (and frequently coming up with amusing explanations for things, like when they realise that the wind is created by all those trees waving about) is a goldmine for the satirical and comedic genius of someone like Pratchett, however, and both books have a completely different, fresh, and vibrant appeal. The characterisation in this book is a little stereotypical (though not terribly so for a children’s book) but is still consistent and amusing. The fact that I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the story lacks a certain depth for adults and much of the humour will be lost on younger ones. At the end of the day though, Truckers is an extremely enjoyable read for any age group (with the possible exception of 0-5…)

I wasn’t as taken with the next book in the series, Diggers, though I did make the mistake of reading that one first. But this is one that any Pratchett fan will enjoy.

You'll have no problem finding this in any good bookstore (don't forget to look in the Children's section not Fantasy though!). The Corgi paperback version is available at Amazon.co.uk for £4.79

Summary: Pratchett fans young and old will lap this up