The Barnes & Noble Review
With the debut of his first young-adult novel, science fiction writer Terry Pratchett invites readers ages 12 a... read full description
With the debut of his first young-adult novel, science fiction writer Terry Pratchett invites readers ages 12 a... read full description
reviews
Mar 09, 2011
Mariel
rated it: 
What was up with that bullshit message of Ratatouille? (I hope I'm spelling that correctly. I'm gonna look so dumb! In my defense, I've always been the pickiest of eaters.) That whole "Don't steal from humans!" thing. They were rats! What did they care if humans stuck flags and paper umbrellas in every little thing? They shouldn't. The rat had as much right to saffron as stupid Lugini did.
The rodents in Terry Prachett's Maurice and his Educated Rodents are - D'oh! Sorry, Ma More...
The rodents in Terry Prachett's Maurice and his Educated Rodents are - D'oh! Sorry, Ma More...
3 comments
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(7 people liked it)
Jun 02, 2011
Dan
rated it: 
Maurice, a talking cat, leads a group of talking mice and a stupid-looking kid into a town called Bad Blintz looking for one last score with their pied piper scam. Only Bad Blintz has troubles of its own...
Terry Pratchett really knows how to write a kids book. I would have devoured this thing when I was a lad. Maurice and the rats are good characters, as is Keith, the aforementioned stupid-looking kid. The origin of Maurice and the rats' intelligence was fairly well done. Hell, More...
Terry Pratchett really knows how to write a kids book. I would have devoured this thing when I was a lad. Maurice and the rats are good characters, as is Keith, the aforementioned stupid-looking kid. The origin of Maurice and the rats' intelligence was fairly well done. Hell, More...
2 comments
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(16 people liked it)
Jun 18, 2007
Alice
rated it: 
Well, I have definitely learned a lot about rats. I have mixed feelings about this book. Terry Pratchett is usually SO GOOD at mixing light-hearted silliness with a more macabre subject matter, but this time something felt a little… off. The rats are great at first, a nice blend of ratty grossness and the angst that comes with sudden enlightenment… or puberty. The rat characters are well-developed and as authentic as a bunch of talking rats can be. Maurice the cat is also a wonderful charac
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Jun 06, 2011
Cory
rated it: 
This is a 'young adult' novel? I think Terry must have gotten fed up with the run-of-the-mill children's books and decided to do a sort of parody of them, one where the characters constantly make references to the fact that real life is not like 'Mr. Bunnsy Has an Adventure'.
This is definitely a novel that teens can digest, but there are some parts that are even more grim and depressing than many of Pratchett's 'adult' books. I am reading the Discworld series in order of publication, More...
This is definitely a novel that teens can digest, but there are some parts that are even more grim and depressing than many of Pratchett's 'adult' books. I am reading the Discworld series in order of publication, More...
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Jan 15, 2012
Robert
rated it:
Oddly enough this one competes for my top favorite Terry Pratchett book. I think a great deal of it is that Maurice is a Real Cat as much as a Real Character. I'm as soft on cats as any cat lover. But like most real cat lovers, I like cats as they are and don't expect them to be cute little fluffy bunnies with pointed ears. They're fanged, clawed, whip-quick obligate carnivores with a sense of humor all too human at times and a wicked intelligence. The pleasure of having a cat is knowing one of
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Dec 23, 2011
Mjhancock
rated it:
Maurice, the intelligent cat, masterminds a team of similarly intelligent rats and a boy piper in a scam that's very familiar. They travel to a new town, only to find out that someone's beaten them to it, and that someone doesn't like sharing.
This is one of my favorite Pratchett books. While shorter than most, it still contains many of the major themes of its more "adult" brethren, and does it better to boot. There's discussions on the nature of humanity, the value of stories, More...
This is one of my favorite Pratchett books. While shorter than most, it still contains many of the major themes of its more "adult" brethren, and does it better to boot. There's discussions on the nature of humanity, the value of stories, More...
Oct 07, 2010
Myles
rated it:
I always do this with Pratchett books, I want them to last me a couple bus rides, but as soon as I get started I can never put them down when I get home.
This was one of the earlier books of Pratchett's I'd read, but I'd forgotten how dark it was. This book is certainly meant for a younger audience but it is a lot more serious than most of Pratchett's "adult" novels.
I was particularly disturbed by the Rat King, dear God, what the hell.
All of that misery an More...
This was one of the earlier books of Pratchett's I'd read, but I'd forgotten how dark it was. This book is certainly meant for a younger audience but it is a lot more serious than most of Pratchett's "adult" novels.
I was particularly disturbed by the Rat King, dear God, what the hell.
All of that misery an More...
Apr 24, 2010
Laurie
rated it:
A stupid looking young boy arrives in the town of Bad Blintz, along with a scruffy looking cat and a troop of rats. This is the Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. No, Maurice isn’t the boy. Maurice is the cat, who talks and is the brains of the operation. Maurice is, to put it bluntly, a con artist. The rodents also talk, courtesy of the garbage pile behind the wizard’s university. They are intelligent and self aware, and in fact are evolving their own system of ethics and religion. They
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Jan 07, 2010
Taylor
rated it:
This is an awesome book. Terry Pratchett knows how to make fantasy wonderfully satirical in a way that is similar to what Douglas Adams did with the sci-fi genre, and this book is a great example. Part of the Discworld series that Pratchett is famous for, the book opens with Maurice, who is a talking cat and con artist genius, and his companions, which are a "stupid-looking" musician kid named Keith and a band of intelligent talking rats. They are on their way to the next town to do a
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Dec 22, 2009
Monica
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Nov 10, 2009
Kevin
rated it:
There once was a time when towns and villages were so overrun with rats that they called in a piper to play a tune that would make all the rats come out of hiding and follow the piper who would lead them to their death by drowning in a river or lake. But what if it was all a scam? The rats and the piper were in cahoots and the brain behind the operation was a cat… a talking cat, no less. Oh yeah, the rats could talk too. And they have a plan. Their plan is to have the rats “infest” the town and
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Jul 24, 2009
Nicholas
rated it:
Terry Pratchett knows a lot of stories. It makes sense that he and Neil Gaiman are friends. They both pick apart fantasy traditions and rebuild them better.
"The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" is a young adult book set in the Discworld series. All that means is he scaled back the social and political commentary and took it easy on the quantum physics discussions.
It's a pretty good model for what young adult fiction should be. It's a good story, it's not e More...
"The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" is a young adult book set in the Discworld series. All that means is he scaled back the social and political commentary and took it easy on the quantum physics discussions.
It's a pretty good model for what young adult fiction should be. It's a good story, it's not e More...
May 25, 2009
Annotation
A talking cat, a clan of opinionated rats and a stupid-looking boy travel the land together, swindling unsuspecting villages until they encounter a town with evil lurking in the sewers, changing their plans entirely.
Review
Maurice is a big-mouthed cat and savvy con artist who teams up with a pack of talking rats and a stupid looking boy named Keith, taking their pied-piper scheme across the land to hilarious effect in another Terry Pratchett novel set in Discworld. T More...
A talking cat, a clan of opinionated rats and a stupid-looking boy travel the land together, swindling unsuspecting villages until they encounter a town with evil lurking in the sewers, changing their plans entirely.
Review
Maurice is a big-mouthed cat and savvy con artist who teams up with a pack of talking rats and a stupid looking boy named Keith, taking their pied-piper scheme across the land to hilarious effect in another Terry Pratchett novel set in Discworld. T More...
Feb 05, 2012
Ali
rated it:
I'VE NEVER FELT SOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY READING A BOOOK!!!!
CINEMATIC! LAUGHABLE! WITTY! PHILOSOPHICAL! SCIENTIFIC! DANCY! ANTI-WAR! ANTI-SEMANTIC! ANTI-MICE! LIVELY!
TERRY PRATCHETT <33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333!
AND! the whole thing in my imagination was a perfect Dreamwork's animation! I've just directed a whole animation based on a novel in ma head!!! lOl
here's just a list of the characters and ow i got them in More...
CINEMATIC! LAUGHABLE! WITTY! PHILOSOPHICAL! SCIENTIFIC! DANCY! ANTI-WAR! ANTI-SEMANTIC! ANTI-MICE! LIVELY!
TERRY PRATCHETT <33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333!
AND! the whole thing in my imagination was a perfect Dreamwork's animation! I've just directed a whole animation based on a novel in ma head!!! lOl
here's just a list of the characters and ow i got them in More...
Jan 06, 2011
Travis
rated it:
I never read any of these young adult Discworld novels, because, well, they were YA, and they weren't "proper" Discworld novels, but recently I decided to give them a try anyway. [return][return]This is the first of the YA discworld novels (though I don't think the other ones are connected?) and I'm honestly not sure why it wasn't put out as just part of the main series. Sure, it doesn't have any of the familiar characters (except a cameo by Death and the Death of Rats), but there have
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Nov 28, 2010
Tanabrus
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 22, 2010
Diana
rated it:
Durch die magischen Abfälle der Unsichtbaren Universität können eine Gruppe Ratten und der Kater Maurice plötzlich denken und sprechen. Natürlich darf bei dieser Kombination ein Flötenspieler nicht fehlen und so ziehen sie von Stadt zu Stadt, inszenieren Rattenplagen und verdienen so ihr Geld.
Während der gewitzte Maurice nur daran denkt, seinen Reichtum zu mehren, stellen sich die Ratten immer öfter ethische Fragen und träumen von einer Insel, auf der sie in Ruhe leben können.
Doch d More...
Während der gewitzte Maurice nur daran denkt, seinen Reichtum zu mehren, stellen sich die Ratten immer öfter ethische Fragen und träumen von einer Insel, auf der sie in Ruhe leben können.
Doch d More...
May 27, 2009
Leanna
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
May 25, 2011
Jayden
rated it:
This was, easily, one of my personal favourite Terry Pratchett books at this given time. Its humour is impeccable, and overall, its just incredible in most every way.
Although, with this all being said, it is not my favourite book of all time (but this is another review entirely...).
Now, the anatomy of this book is simply joyus to the utmost degree. Its a thorough read, with plenty of information to keep you in a continuoius state of wanting. The characters are enjoyable as the story More...
Although, with this all being said, it is not my favourite book of all time (but this is another review entirely...).
Now, the anatomy of this book is simply joyus to the utmost degree. Its a thorough read, with plenty of information to keep you in a continuoius state of wanting. The characters are enjoyable as the story More...
Sep 17, 2011
M—
rated it:
Vegas Baby Vacation Read #2: Perfect for the switch; it's Pratchett so it's funny, but still something I can sink my teeth into.
This is Pratchett's first YA novel, if I remember correctly, and it seems like a nice way to introduce young readers to Discworld. I had a great time reading it, although it's probably not likely in my top-dozen or so Pratchett novels that I'd opt to re-read.
If you enjoyed the Ratatouille (film), you'd love this book.
Vegas Baby Vacati More...
This is Pratchett's first YA novel, if I remember correctly, and it seems like a nice way to introduce young readers to Discworld. I had a great time reading it, although it's probably not likely in my top-dozen or so Pratchett novels that I'd opt to re-read.
If you enjoyed the Ratatouille (film), you'd love this book.
Vegas Baby Vacati More...
May 29, 2010
Miramira
rated it:
I'm going to keep a copy of this book around for my kids for teaching them about the evolution of religion and existential thought. Also, pretty damned funny.
Excerpt:
- "What do you think happens after you're dead?" said a rat slowly.
"You get eaten. Or you get all dried up or moldy."
"What, *all* of you?"
"Well, people usually leave the feet."
The rat who asked the question asked, "Bu More...
Excerpt:
- "What do you think happens after you're dead?" said a rat slowly.
"You get eaten. Or you get all dried up or moldy."
"What, *all* of you?"
"Well, people usually leave the feet."
The rat who asked the question asked, "Bu More...
Jan 17, 2012
Susan
rated it:
Every book by Terry Pratchett is five stars by me, just so you know. Some of his are shelved in our YA section and, since I'm on a one woman crusade to get everyone in UA ereading Terry Pratchett, I thought I'd better check into this one in case all the Tiffany Aching series was checked out. It's a good read for a younger kid who's reading above grade level and isn't ready for the sex-drugs-and-vampires books. You can read it just for the plot: Rats hanging out at the dump behind the wizards' Un
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Jul 27, 2011
Brilliantly funny twist on the Pied Piper and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. The rats have gained the ability to talk by eating medical waste from a dump Maurice has done so by eating one of the rats. They have teamed up and travel from town to town, convincing the townfolk to hire their accomplise as the piper to deal with the sudden rodent problem.
The problems start when they arrive in a town with a huge rat problem and bigger crooks than they are running the rat catching business. Can More...
The problems start when they arrive in a town with a huge rat problem and bigger crooks than they are running the rat catching business. Can More...
Apr 18, 2011
Courtney
rated it:
All I can say is that I would love to have a talking cat like Maurice. Also, I'm not the fondest of rats but the whole crew (especially Peaches) really keeps the reader, as well as the towns they appear in, on their toes.
Pratchett draws a picture that makes the reader feel for the characters, even if they are trying to pull one over on the town's inhabitants. Each time I find myself back in the Disc World, I find myself chuckling from beginning to end. The puns that Pratchett comes More...
Pratchett draws a picture that makes the reader feel for the characters, even if they are trying to pull one over on the town's inhabitants. Each time I find myself back in the Disc World, I find myself chuckling from beginning to end. The puns that Pratchett comes More...
Aug 18, 2011
Anastasia
rated it:
Io amo la mia copertina. Ma, ma..è adorabile, e poi gli occhietti che riflettono la luce apposta. Cioè, questa copert..ehm, sì. Parliamo del libro.
Primo libro di Terry Pratchett: prova passata con buoni voti. La storia è sempre una storia per bambini, però è piacevole anche per chi è cresciutello. Divertente e carina, intrisa anche di riflessioni dal tono personalissimo dei topi Mutanti (che non sono come gli altri topi), specie su cosa c'è dopo la morte. Il Grande Topo? A proposito di nomi More...
Primo libro di Terry Pratchett: prova passata con buoni voti. La storia è sempre una storia per bambini, però è piacevole anche per chi è cresciutello. Divertente e carina, intrisa anche di riflessioni dal tono personalissimo dei topi Mutanti (che non sono come gli altri topi), specie su cosa c'è dopo la morte. Il Grande Topo? A proposito di nomi More...
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Jul 27, 2011
Marc
rated it:
"The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" was a charming read that was actually an assigned summer reading book from the Department of English at Illinois State University. Being handed a "children's book" for my first college text certainly raised a good deal of skepticism, however, this interesting piece of lit from the world of Pratchett was entirely worthwhile. Besides the likable characters, strong bits of commentary on the human condition, and general playful wit
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Nov 27, 2011
AnEyeSpy
rated it:
"The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents" by Terry Pratchett is a fun take on the pied piper tale, fast and clever, as long as he's not philosophizing about the meaning of life and such. Talking con-man cat convinces enchanted Changelings, thinking rat tribe, and "looks-stupid" boy piper Keith to take on one last Uberwald village. Mayor's daughter Malicia looks at life as if everything fits in a familiar story-line. Whereas in "real life ... when someone small and r
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Dec 13, 2008
Meor
rated it:
For a book that's aimed at young readers, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents is surprisingly deep and poignant. What starts out cheerfully as a simple, wacky twist on the Pied Piper story ends up delving deeper into very serious themes of loyalty, life & death, spiritualism, sentience, courage and finally(in one of my favourite scenes in the book), sacrifice.
That's not to say that the 'young readers' label is misleading in any way; this is a fun, educational, easy to read b More...
That's not to say that the 'young readers' label is misleading in any way; this is a fun, educational, easy to read b More...
Nov 07, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
Ich wollte das Buch schon immer mal lesen und konnte deswegen nicht widerstehen. Maurice ist ein ganz besonderer Kater, er kann nämlich nicht nur denken, er ist außerordentlich intelligent. Und da er außerdem auch noch geschäftstüchtig ist, hat er sich mit einem Haufen intelligenter Ratten zusammengetan, die denken können, seit sie von den Abfällen der Unsichtbaren Universität gefressen haben.
Zusammen mit Keith, einem etwas dümmlichen Jungen, der aber sehr gut Flöte spielen kann, zie More...
Zusammen mit Keith, einem etwas dümmlichen Jungen, der aber sehr gut Flöte spielen kann, zie More...
May 03, 2010
Ubalstecha
rated it:
Brilliantly funny twist on the Pied Piper and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. The rats have gained the ability to talk by eating medical waste from a dump Maurice has done so by eating one of the rats. They have teamed up and travel from town to town, convincing the townfolk to hire their accomplise as the piper to deal with the sudden rodent problem.
The problems start when they arrive in a town with a huge rat problem and bigger crooks than they are running the rat catching bus More...
The problems start when they arrive in a town with a huge rat problem and bigger crooks than they are running the rat catching bus More...
