Thud! by Terry Pratchett (quickie review)
Thud! is the 29th adult Discworld novel. It is also the sixth novel to revolve around Ankh-Morporck's ever growing City Guard. A cast of characters that started with four nightwatchmen in Guards! Guards! has grown to many dozens, all under the command of Commander Samuel Vimes, Duke of Ankh-Morpork.
I recently re-read Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms, the first two novels about The Watch. And it is fascinating to watch what has happened to these characters. Sam Vimes started out downtrodden, depressed, angry, and drunk. Now, he's probably the world's most famous cop, happily married, a father, a nobleman, and richer than god.
Pratchett is very well aware of the path he's taken Vimes on. More than any previous novel in this particular sub-series, Thud! rewards familiarity with previous books. The way the characters have grown and changed is an aspect of that, but many various plot threads are picked up here. I hope this isn't the last Guards book (for a while, anyway), but if it is, I won't be surprised.
So, a little about the plot. Well, it's a few days from the anniversary of Koom Valley, the famous battle between the dwarves and the trolls, and the city is full of unrest. A prominent dwarf is killed, and all trolls are immediate suspects. Plus, Vimes must cross yet another line he thought he never would and accept a vampire in the watch. And all of that pales in comparison with the utmost importance of something else in Vimes life - his daily reading of "Where's My Cow" to baby Sam.
That's the plot. But what is the book about? Well, it deals with some of Pratchett's favorite topics - the stupidity of war, the idiocy of hatred, the double idiocy of racial hatred (a topic which has long been a staple of the Guards books, and takes center stage here). And maybe more than that, it is a book about things that are IMPORTANT. About understanding what the important things are and making sure never to forget. I think it is Pratchett's best book in a while, probably since Carpe Jugulum.
Originally published at my blog.