Making Money (Hardcover)

How does he keep doing it? To my mind Terry Pratchett is the master of all writers. I get excited just knowing a new book is on the way from him and have yet to be disappointed. Making Money has fulfilled me again in the wierd and wonderful Discworld. Once I started I struggled to put it down as I was having so much fun seeing the story develop. Once or twice I got nudged by the wife for giggling in bed but that is what the Discworld books do I'm afraid. If there is anybody out there who has yet to dip their toe, please just do it and hopefully you will not be let down. I envy you the pleasure of discovering a genius with your first book and knowing that there are another 24 out there to be read.

An easy read Having read every discworld book now (usually more than three or four or more times) there are two truths: (1) It is always enjoyable discovering new characters and seeing them interact with the old favourites. The plots are kept fresh and the city 'alive'. (2) There is humour on the surface, and humour underneath, with alternative meanings and insights gained on subsequent readings, making the jokes go on and on..... "Making Money" whilst continuing to explore a new socio-political area of the city, falls fairly flat on both the above 'Pratchett Foundations' and so becomes a pleasant enough easy read but without the depth of other Discworld novels with the plot cramming much in without elaborating or building layers - what you see is what you get. Get it to keep your collection up to date, but the promising plot is confused and will not draw you back in. Terry Pratchett is still great and may long his work continue.

Moist Van Lipwig Rides Again Terry Pratchett back to top form with the return of Moist Van Lipwig - scally, scoundrel and risk taker extraordinaire. You need to have read Going Postal before this book to get the full flavour and understanding of the key characters. Brilliant, with a court room scene near the end to die for.

Finally! After a few below-Pratchett standard books, which may have been fun but didn't have the depth - we have finally seen TP return to the best of his form. Admittedly, there has been a change of style since the first Discworld books but now that the fusion has matured the story was engaging, the characters interesting and there was a storyline worth exploring! In Making Money we meet adventure-seeking Moist being given the 'choice' to run the Royal Bank of Ankh Morpork. And what can a guy like that like that enjoy more than given an impossible task of doing something he knows nothing about, not even the dangers. Having a bunch of relatives grown up on and attached to money who want nothing more than your blood for breakfast is just a tip of the iceberg. Of course, Vetinari 'steering' things makes thing just a lot more interesting. So I say read and rejoice!

Still Pratchett, but not a classic. Let's be honest, any Pratchett fan will have to admit that Moist von Lipwig looked to be the Discworlds next big character. Going Postal was one of TP's best "newer" books and that was almost exclusively down to the lovable rogue that is (or was) Moist. Where Vimes had began to grow stale, up popped Moist; another anti-hero persona, but from a completely different angle. Making Money was set to capitalise on the new character, but in this it failed. Just like Vimes before him, Moist has become dull, with his 'key to the city' (as Postmaster) and lack of worthwhile opposition the sense of suspense that kept him on his toes in the first book has pretty much vanished. The books problems don't end with Moist. Whilst reading through you get the distinct impression that you have been cheated out of a fresh storyline. Making Money, whilst maybe not a carbon copy, runs much too similarly to Going Postal. Having read Going Postal you can pretty much tell where Making Money is going from the first chapter. On the plus side, the story runs reasonably well and contains much of Pratchett's quirky comedy (mirroring our own 'Roundworld' in a way to exaggerate our own absurdities), but it doesn't feel like a classic Discworld. The plot is just too samey and the characters a little too set in their ways to offer much intrigue.