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The Fifth Elephant (Discworld #24)

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 22,796 ratings · 417 reviews

Everyone knows that the world is flat, and supported on the backs of four elephants. But weren't there supposed to be five? Indeed there were. So where is it?...

When duty calls. Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary answers. Even when he doesn't want to. He's been "invited" to attend a royal function as both detective and diplomat. The one role he relishes; the...more

Paperback, 370 pages

Published April 3rd 2001 by HarperCollins Publishers Inc t/a HarperTorch (first published 1999)

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Jun 19, 2008 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comedy

I know that many have stated that there had been a decline in his writing as time goes on… I personally would have to disagree. There is a change in his writing; however I feel that it has been for the better. As his book have progressed, he has leaned less toward the quick giggle and insane rush of nonsense and more toward a satirical plot with darker edges and the giggles interspersed within the story rather than his jokes running the story.

The Fifth Elephant is one of Pratchett’s more plot dr...more I know that many have stated that there had been a decline in his writing as time goes on… I personally would have to disagree. There is a change in his writing; however I feel that it has been for the better. As his book have progressed, he has leaned less toward the quick giggle and insane rush of nonsense and more toward a satirical plot with darker edges and the giggles interspersed within the story rather than his jokes running the story.

The Fifth Elephant is one of Pratchett’s more plot driven novels, there isn’t a giggle or a chortle on every page as with some of his others. I have always liked the Guard’s series for this reason, I like a good plot. If you have not read a discworld book before, I wouldn’t advise this be your starting place, instead I would start at the beginning of whichever series it is you want to read. This being part of the Guards Series I would start with “Guards Guards” which although it is by no means the strongest entry in the series, it is a good introduction to the lead character of Samuel Vimes and his crew. Each of the following books adds additional characters who become major players in the later books. The characters truly grow through each of the books and I think that having read the previous in the series will increase your enjoyment of this one.

Quick Summary: A strange theft and murder occur in Ankh-Morpork, and just as the Watch is about to investigate, The Patrician sends Vimes and his wife off to Uberwald to attend the coronation of the new Dwarfish Low King as ambassadors. While street hardened Vimes has to start learning about politicking, Angua disappears… and Carrot decides to go after her, unfortunately her trail leads to Uberwald, land of vampires, werewolves, and Dwarves who rarely come to the surface. As Sam Vimes always says – A cop will always find a crime, the origins of the strange crimes in Ankh-Morpork also lead back to Uberwald and the coronation ceremony. Vimes finds himself attempting to not only play politician and ambassador, but also detective to sort out the truth before the Dwarves are thrown into a bloody civil war.

The summary sounds a bit dark doesn’t it? Well this, much like “Carpe Jugulum,” is a darker more plot driven novel, but the humor is still there. Cheery accompanies Vimes back to her homeland as military attaché and unfortunately her modern ways cause issues amongst the more traditional dwarves of Uberwald. Detrius the Troll attends as the cultural attaché, unfortunately in Uberwald the trolls and dwarves have been at war for over a hundred years… then throw in Angua’s noble yet slightly psychotic werewolf family, and a Vampire clan that’s on the wagon from drinking human blood… everyone is moving their chess pieces and poor Sam has to figure it all out. Sybil has a much larger roll in this story than in the past, and her personality really begins to develop. This book is funny, full of action, and intrigue… who stole the Scone? Who murdered the prophylactics maker? Where is the fake stone? Who is behind it all? The opposing Dwarves? The Werewolves? The Vampires? Or is it someone from within?

Although I didn’t laugh nearly as much during this book, I found myself truly enjoying the read much more than some of the others. If I were to try to tell you what “The Color of Magic” was about… I really couldn’t other than to say it was about running away… True, I enjoyed it immensely, but this had a plot, a meaning, and more to learn from, I think this is an excellent addition to the Discworld series.
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Feb 07, 2013 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars

Everyone knows that the world is flat, and supported on the backs of four elephants. But weren't there supposed to be five? Indeed there were. So where is it?...

When duty calls. Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary answers. Even when he doesn't want to. He's been "invited" to attend a royal function as both detective and diplomat. The one role he relishes; the other requires, well, ruby tights. Of course where cops (even those clad in tights) go, alas, crime follows. An attempted a

...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Tz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Discworld is fun. There is no other way to explain. My first exposure to discworld was through the books of the Watch (Guards! Guards!) and so their storyline has always been my favorite. The great characters are still there, with Vimes and Carrot, and even Nobby and Colon. Furthermore, Pratchett has also started developing some of the other characters, most notably Angua, Detritus and Cheery. These three all have major roles throughout the book.
In the spirit of expanding, The Fifth elephant als...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Anna rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this book up at the library because a friend suggested Pratchett and it was his only book their. I have not read any of the other Discworld books, but that didn't seem to be a problem. What I did find to be a problem was the overall poor quality of the book. Let me clarify.

This book, at least my version, was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. The first appearing a mere two pages in and the next was only a few more pages away. That type of low quality editing and review really...more

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May 12, 2012 Rob Kitchin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It’s pretty difficult to write a summary of a Pratchett book and to sell the idea of the Discworld novels to those not interested in the comic fantasy genre. Once you try them though they are quite compulsive, which is why for a number of years Terry Pratchett was Britain’s best-selling author (he sold the most number of books of any author for the 1990s) with a reader base from 8 to 80 plus. At its heart, The Fifth Elephant is a political thriller meets police procedural. As usual, the characte...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Remo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007, novela, humor

Otra de Terry Pratchett [TP]. Se lo juro, estimados lectores, este hombre es una droga. No empiecen si no quieren leerse veintitantos libros y esperar ardientemente a que caiga el próximo en sus manos.

En esta ocasión se va a celebrar la ceremonia de investidura del nuevo Rey de los enanos de Überwald, tierra lejana y que asemeja a Alemania. El comandante Vimes, de la Guardia de Ankh-Morpork, es enviado como embajador a la ceremonia. Pero además de esta misión oficial tiene otra misión oficiosa,

...more

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Aug 31, 2011 apple rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to apple by: Teena R.

Shelves: fantasy

Please allow me one quick soul-searching moment. Before I was introduced to the awesomeness of Discworld…I was just an empty shell of a fan

I haven’t picked up Discworld book for quite some time (last one I read was Jingo) so reading the Fifth Elephant kind of gave me the warm and fuzzy feeling of falling in love with Sir Terry Pratchett’s work all over again. I think this book is the most action-packed volume in City Watch series yet. Imagine Bruce Willis all decked out in tights with British ac...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Kathryn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An Ankh-Morpork City Watch novel not set in Ankh-Morpork? After the generally weak Jingo, I was surprised to see Pratchett try it again. I've found the City Watch books to be highly irregular in quality, and the Fifth Elephant just adds to that.

Instead of Ankh-Morpork, the book takes place in Uberwald, which is the country Angua (One of the Watchwo-... Uh, Watchwerewolves) is from. For a book about her and her family, she's in it surprisingly little. The book revolves more around Vimes, Cheery (...more

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May 30, 2010 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terry Pratchett's Discworld series really caught me by surprise. I _expected_ airy, humorous fantasies with a satirical edge to them (I picked up on this from the title of the first one I read: GOING POSTAL). But that description does not do these books justice. These are good stories, regardless of the fact that many of the characters are fantastic or supernatural creatures (including a talking dog).

The main character of this book (Sam Vimes - featured in many of the Discworld novels) is on a d...more

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Oct 30, 2009 Rebekah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. We are further into Uberwald, but with Vimes saving the day. The dwarves have to crown a new Low King, the closest to leader they have. They have no religion, but they do have some dwarves who have taken on a higher mantle of dwarfishness. They don’t come into contact with Humans or non-dwarves, but they have started coming to Ankh-Morpork because this human city has one of the largest dwarf populations. When the election occurs those in Ankh-Morpork change they sway of power and a different sty...more We are further into Uberwald, but with Vimes saving the day. The dwarves have to crown a new Low King, the closest to leader they have. They have no religion, but they do have some dwarves who have taken on a higher mantle of dwarfishness. They don’t come into contact with Humans or non-dwarves, but they have started coming to Ankh-Morpork because this human city has one of the largest dwarf populations. When the election occurs those in Ankh-Morpork change they sway of power and a different styled dwarf wins, suddenly they are on verge of civil war, and the Scone of Stone replica has been stolen. Yes the scone. Apparently for a non-religious group they have a deep belief in a stone shaped like a scone that holds a grain of truth, and this rock is their power base. Oddly enough someone killed the man who specializes in rubber replicas. He actually makes prophylactics as his cash cow, but also will cover anything in rubber to help make replicas.
Well Vimes is sent as an official ambassador, perhaps because he is the only one who can call upon a dwarf, troll and werewolf to go with him. Cheery who has been exploring her femininity is an interesting choice, and thankfully the winter makes Detritus’s brain work a little faster. Angua runs off though and Carrot unable to stay and hope she returns, goes after her.
This leaves Colon in charge and he has always been a sergeant and has no idea how to lead, he is a follower and I believe Vetinari appoints him just to see what might come from it. It causes the Watch to dissolve into a guild. I love that both sides of the watch realize that Vimes will go ballistic when he returns but neither are willing to resolve their differences.
Thankfully Vimes solves the crime. The original scone was not destroyed, in fact it was not even the original. The Ankh-Morpork made replica is confirmed as the real scone and the Low King is annointed. Lady Vimes turns out to be with child and this slows him in his tracks to the point where he takes his time returning. She has managed to negotiate a great contract, and Carrot and Angua have once again found equilibrium in their relationship.
I liked this one we got to expand knowledge of a couple of new character lines. Especially the Igor’s who even sent on of their own to Ankh-Morpork, though their Igor is a bit of a modern thinker. The dwarves story is expanded, as well as the werewolf backstory. And you have Vimes changing a bit of perspective. Overall a great story.(less)

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Jul 06, 2009 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The fifth elephant (anybody remember "The Fifth Element?") crashed into the Discworld millenia ago, resulting in the vast underground fat deposits of Uberwald. The theft of the Scone of Stone sends Commander Vimes on a diplomatic mission to Uberwald, home of dwarfs, vampires, and werewolves. Accompanying him are Lady Sybil, Sgt. Detritis, Corporal Cheery (that's Cheri) Littlebottom, and Corporal Angua. There is absolutely nothing that cannot and is not parodied in this book. If you don't laugh o...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Paul Cude rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My favourite book in the whole world...and the one I'd have to have on a desert Island. The whole story is so compelling and I can picture all of it, in the very last detail in my head. Clearly the author had been caught speeding or some traffic offense of one sort or another around the time he wrote the book, because the opening squence just shouts that out and is magnificent....Nobby Nobbs in a dress...what a thought! The twists and turns in the plot are just brilliant and the best bit of the...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery, humor, fantasy, satire

With this great British fantasy satirist, you know dabbling in his Discworld Series is going to send you over the top on a mapcap adventure that skewers most aspects of pride in our so-called civilization. It is a fun ride and I smiled along a lot, but my personal rating was short of a �4� because I did not quite achieve belly laughs. This one is a bit of a parable like the tale of the farmer and his wife who swap jobs, resulting in extreme consequences, all rendered with the overall flavor of a...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-science-fiction, authors-op

The Fifth Elephant is a Discworld novel and part of the subseries about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch (falling between Jingo and Night Watch). Commander Samuel Vimes (who is also the Duke of Ankh) is sent by the Patrician as ambassador to Uberwald, a country largely inhabited by werewolves, vampires, and dwarves, who are bickering about who should run the country.

Pratchett takes the opportunity to put his familiar characters - Vimes, his wife Lady Sybil, Captain Carrot, the werewolf Angua, Sergea...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Phil Waddell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I discovered this book by chance. Someone had left it on a table in a pub. As a Terry Pratchett fan, I couldn't stand the thought of leaving it to the elements and, after several hours spent in the pub and with no owner appearing, I took it home with me. The Fifth Elephant deals with the bread and butter of Pratchetts discworld. Werewolves, Vampires, Dwarves, Trolls and of course, Sam Vimes, who's skills as a copper (and a reluctant duke/diplomat) are tested when he has to solve a theft, a murde...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terry Pratchett is one of those incredibly prolific authors who, despite the incredible amount of writing they do, somehow still keep it all fresh and, in his case anyway, filled with dry British humor.

In this 24th (24th!) volume of Discworld, we find a classic Who-Done-It, wrapped up with werewolves, vampires, dwarfs, equal rights, political intrigue, spies, assassins, a police union strike and a talking dog. That sounds like a serious handful, but Pratchett keeps it all connected and entertai...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Lissibith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, novel

Another fantastic story, as usual taking a look at class, sex and culture differences and how people, for better or for worse, handle them.

Vimes this time is put in the uncomfortable position of going to Uberwald to represent Anhk-Morpork at the crowning of a new Low King of the dwarves. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) he's also chasing the threads of a pair of crimes from his home city that are woven all around the upper levels of Uberwald's political culture.

In his absence, we also get to see...more

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Jan 15, 2010 Nicolas rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, cycle-les-annales-du-disque-monde, complot, vampires, loup-garous, enquête, voyage, rayon-fantasy-et-sf

Dans ce roman, on asiste sans doute à la première sortie de Vimaire hors des doux murs d'Ankh-Morpokh, ce délicat refuge de la civilisation la plus cosmopolite du Disque-Monde. Sortie qui, bien sûr, n'est pas de tout repos.
En effet, Vimaire est envoyé, bien contre son gré, par le Patricien comme ambassadeur en Uberwald, contrée mythique des vampires, des loup-garous, et des nains intégristes.
Il est d'ailleurs curieux de voir à quel point, alors qu'on se serait attendu à ce que le roman nous parl...more Dans ce roman, on asiste sans doute à la première sortie de Vimaire hors des doux murs d'Ankh-Morpokh, ce délicat refuge de la civilisation la plus cosmopolite du Disque-Monde. Sortie qui, bien sûr, n'est pas de tout repos.
En effet, Vimaire est envoyé, bien contre son gré, par le Patricien comme ambassadeur en Uberwald, contrée mythique des vampires, des loup-garous, et des nains intégristes.
Il est d'ailleurs curieux de voir à quel point, alors qu'on se serait attendu à ce que le roman nous parle des deux peuples de la nuit, l'action se concentre sur les nains les plus intégristes. J'aimerais d'ailleurs tout de suite faire un parallèle sans doute déplacé.
J'ai eu la nette impression, tout au long de ce roman, que Pratchett utilisait les nains d'Uvberwald pour se moquer gentiment des communautés juives orthodoxes, comme les hassidiques, par exemple. Qu'est-ce qui me permet de lancer une métaphore aussi osée que prêtant à la controverse ? Eh bien juste une impression de lecteur, néanmoins tenace car s'appuyant sur les fameuses touches de détail que l'auteur se plaît à distiller dans tout son roman.
Bref, mis à part ces nains, qui rempliront bien le roman avec leur incompréhension totale des méthodes de Vimaire, on trouve aussi dans ce roman un Vampire qui a a arrêté, des loups-garous complètement dingues, et des montagnes de graisse.
Je trouve toujours formidable le talent qu'a Pratchett de donner du corps à ces mythes par des détails de tous les jours. Et cette fois-ci, c'est les loups-garous qui en prennent pour leur grade, incapable qu'ils sont de continuer à réfléchir quand ils deviennet des loups.
Bien sûr, avec le temps, je devine de mieux en mieux les petites blagues que glisse l'auteur dans ces romans, du coup il ne reste que la réfléxion, ce qui est déja pas si mal.
Pour finir cet avis en vrac, quelques mots comme ça ...
Gaspode est toujours aussi bien.
Carote arrive peut-être au bon moment, mais pas de la bonne façon, et c'est ça qui est bien (et surtout il se rachète avec les loups).
Et puis c'est quand même une bien bonne histoire, non ? Si, clairement.
Donc lisez ce roman, vous verrez c'est bien comme du Pratchett.(less)

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Apr 15, 2013 Aisha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't usually read a lot of fantasy but I'd had this kicking around for some time and thought I should give it a go. I'm glad I did. Prachett is incredibly witty and made me laugh out loud a few times. His imagination knows no bounds. At somepoint in the book you will be surprised to find that his world has become yours- without warning you will find yourself stolling down the grotty streets of Ankh-Morpork, or holding a candle out in front of you to light your way through the dank caves of Ub...more

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Jun 14, 2010 astried rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

I still don't understand the connection with the title.. I'm growing to be a true Carrot hater (that's too harsh, not-a-fan?) since I enjoyed this book so much just because he didn't have big part in it. I think I have problem with man that everybody loves. I realized this problem as I was reading The Old Man at the Railroad Crossing and Other Tales and loved the man who has no friend better in one of the short stories. Carrot did behave marvelously by showing that Angua is more important than t...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Helen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The dwarves in Uberwald are about to crown a new king - only there is trouble brewing. The King elected isn't the one that everyone thought it would be, and now the scone of stone on which he's crowned has gone missing. Co-incidentally, so has the replica scone that was in the dwarf bread museum in Ankh Morpork, which is now the largest dwarf city on the disc and had a large part to play in the election.

The city needs to send an Ambassador to Uberwald for the crowning and The patrician decided...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I LOVE Pratchett's work; he astounds me as an author. The Fifth Elephant is one of my favorites of the Discworld series and the Night Watch set is my favorite sub-series in it. The humorous satire on the human condition is, as always, a delight and yet I found even more in the solid storyline and characterizations. I especially enjoy the interplay and dialogue between characters; it is a real skill to create a novel that is so vivid and yet doesn't waste time on descriptive narrative. I'll work...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: terry_pratchett, sci-fi_fantasy, 2011_challenge_shifter, authors_i_have_met

Samuel Vimes, Watchman extraordinaire, is about to be out of his depths and his comfort zone... again. Lord Vetinari has need of a diplomat up in Uberwald to witness the crowning of the new dwarf king. Samuel is, sadly from his point of view, a Duke, therefore a perfect candidate for this goodwill mission. But Lord Vetinari's schemes are usually far more complex and far more cunningly thought out. If Vimes is to go to Uberwald, there is more to it than Vetinari is saying. He needs Vimes there, n...more Samuel Vimes, Watchman extraordinaire, is about to be out of his depths and his comfort zone... again. Lord Vetinari has need of a diplomat up in Uberwald to witness the crowning of the new dwarf king. Samuel is, sadly from his point of view, a Duke, therefore a perfect candidate for this goodwill mission. But Lord Vetinari's schemes are usually far more complex and far more cunningly thought out. If Vimes is to go to Uberwald, there is more to it than Vetinari is saying. He needs Vimes there, not a diplomat. Which means... well, Sam isn't sure what it means, but it could very easily tie in with the unrest of the dwarves in Ankh-Morpork who are brawling left right and center, and the disappearance of a replica of the loaf of dwarven bread that was stolen from a museum recently. Yes, dwarves do take their bread that seriously, especially when this "Stone of Scone" is the seat upon which the new king will be crowed. Taking a full entourage incorporating the ethnic diversity of Ankh-Morpork, from Cherie, the dwarf, to Detritus, the troll, Vimes sets out hubwards, with his wife Sybil viewing it as a second honeymoon, or technically a first, which they never got due to Sam's devotion to his job.

The road is fraught with peril, but a few assassins is nothing to Vimes, he'd be more concerned with whats happening in Ankh-Morpork if he knew his second in command Carrot had quit to search for his girlfriend Angua. His girlfriend who happens to be a werewolf and whose family happen to be quite powerful in Uberwald and will be on hand when Vimes arrives. This leaves Colon in charge, who, in his sudden rise to power, becomes a little despot with no Watch to watch. Back in Uberwald, Vimes has landed in the center of a great political struggle, the dwarves have divided into factions, the old guard versus the new, while the werewolves and the vampires try to tip the scales one way or another in order to gain more control. But even wrongly accused of an assassination attempt and hunted through the woods by Angua's insane brother Wolfie, Sam will make sure justice is served, because that's what his family is known for. Even if you have to cut off the head of the king, justice will be done.

I trully think that Sam Vimes and the City Watch are my second favorite group of people in Discworld. I'm sorry Sam, you are never going to unseat the witches... but your nod to their last story, Carpe Jugulum, with the Igors did make me oh so joyful. Discworld is just insane and funny and has everything from dwarven opera to werewolves that have spent too much time in wolf form and are becoming more and more like dogs. There is just no equal to Terry Pratchett's writing that goes from total absurdity to deep human insights at the drop of a hat. Everything always comes together in the end in an unpredictable way that just makes so much sense and leaves you happy and knowing you've read a great book. I'm also happy that there's still so many more for me to read. I just don't want Discworld to ever end. I hope, if you haven't already, you'll one day join me in the most wonderful of worlds that strides across space on the back of four elephants that ride the great turtle... after all, the Fifth Elephant had a bit of an accident...
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Jul 11, 2010 Myles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, humor, mystery

Here is where it all began for me, my first Discworld novel.

I had been having a dull summer staying at a friend's house in Massachusetts whose idea of fun was watching anime all day, and was wandering aimlessly through the town library, which I was unfamiliar with, when a librarian seeing myself at a loss, asked what it was that I liked to read. Hearing the word fantasy she grabbed this book off the shelf.

It is rather late in the story of Samuel Vimes and much of the characters took some gettin...more

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May 09, 2009 Luann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, adult, fantasy

I'm not sure why, but I just didn't enjoy this book as much as other Terry Pratchett books I've read in the past. Maybe I need to have read more of the Discword books before this one? Whatever it was, I just couldn't seem to get excited about it. There were parts I enjoyed such as the fun character names and the bits of Pratchett humor that sneak up on you and make you laugh out loud, but somehow that wasn't enough for me. I never had that "must know the ending" feeling and it was easy to stop r...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Robby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(Spoilers, maybe.)

A fine Discworld book in the tradition of putting Vimes in a situation that he's uncomfortable with and watching him figure it out and do what needs to be done. I loved the "politics" stuff, and the glimpse into dwarf culture in Uberwald was cool and, surprisingly, was what worked the most in terms of adding that layer of dramatic seriousness which always accompanies the comedy in Pratchett's best books. Just read Cheery's description of the "knockermen," a truly wonderful conc...more (Spoilers, maybe.)

A fine Discworld book in the tradition of putting Vimes in a situation that he's uncomfortable with and watching him figure it out and do what needs to be done. I loved the "politics" stuff, and the glimpse into dwarf culture in Uberwald was cool and, surprisingly, was what worked the most in terms of adding that layer of dramatic seriousness which always accompanies the comedy in Pratchett's best books. Just read Cheery's description of the "knockermen," a truly wonderful concept and speech that adds several layers of subtext to what we already know about the dwarfs and their internal conflicts.

What hurts this book more than anything else is that one subplot feels pointless while one feels sadly underdeveloped.

I suppose that Colon's adventures as acting Captain of the Watch and the ensuing strike led by Nobby were meant to be comic relief, but I didn't really see the point of it, nor did I think that the story needed the comic relief. I didn't even find it all that funny. The best that can be said for this subplot is that it shows how anachronistic Colon is in the current incarnation of the Watch. Any of the watchmen who were trained by Vimes could have at least done a competent job (why not Sergeant Stronginthearm? or... anyone else?), but Colon never had a chance. He's a man who was born to follow, and has been obediently following for over 30 years. Just look at Men at Arms, in which Sergeant Colon instinctively defers to Corporal Carrot throughout the book. One questions Vetenari's sanity in choosing one of the two watchmen who definitely could not handle being in charge of the Watch (no points for guessing the other). I guess the point was to show Carrot how much he was needed when he came back, but Carrot really needs no convincing on such things. He's so aware of his own abilities and importance in a pragmatic way that it's almost a complete waste of time to try to teach him a lesson like that.

Angua's subplot feels curtailed. By all rights, the werewolf subplot involving her family and especially her sadistic brother belongs to her. She should be the protagonist. Instead, it's given over to Vimes. The hints we get about her past and fears for the future are welcome, but I wish that she had been allowed to come to the forefront. The spectacle of her weeping in Sybil's arms while Vimes goes out to deal justice to Wolfgang was a powerful statement of her emotions, but I'd go so far to say that it's subtly and unintentionally sexist in that it has Angua overcome by emotion an unable to act, while Vimes simply shoves his emotions aside and does what has to be done.(less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Leons1701 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pratchett sends Commander Vimes and assorted others out of Ankh-Morpork (he really likes doing that), this time on a diplomatic mission to Uberwald. The dwarves are about to hold the coronation of the new Low King and a representative is needed. Should be simple enough, even if Vimes isn't much of a diplomat. But wherever you have policemen, you have crime, and soon enough Vimes is investigating the theft of an important artifact, a murder, a disappearance and wondering just what the vampires an...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Sally rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So far I've read 31 of the Discworld books, and The Fifth Elephant is the 5th of the stories featuring Sam Vimes and the City Watch. With reading many books by the same author comes a tendency to say one or another was a favorite. This one was perhaps a favorite for me, not because of the story line, although it was as good as are most of them, but because I caught myself chuckling out loud a number of times. I even had to read aloud little bits to my husband because he'd ask me what I was laugh...more So far I've read 31 of the Discworld books, and The Fifth Elephant is the 5th of the stories featuring Sam Vimes and the City Watch. With reading many books by the same author comes a tendency to say one or another was a favorite. This one was perhaps a favorite for me, not because of the story line, although it was as good as are most of them, but because I caught myself chuckling out loud a number of times. I even had to read aloud little bits to my husband because he'd ask me what I was laughing at.

Once again, Terry Pratchett is able to put some of the not-so-nice behaviors of humanity under the magnifying glass and then hold them up to ridicule without making the reader feel like it is a holier-than-thou harangue. Worked into this story are the ideas of ethnic differences, differences between tradition and progression, and the lengths to which some people (dwarfs, vampires, werewolves as well as humans, in Discworld) are willing to go because of the passion and conviction that their ideas are the one-and-only right. And, oddly, even Captain Carrot, who has always been a pretty-nearly-perfect character, finds he may be subject to jealousy and rage.

As an aside observation, because it occurred to me after reading this book, I think Captain Carrot might be perceived as an allegorical character for Jesus, in the way that he lives his life trying to do good by influencing others' behavior through the way he speaks and acts. I doubt very much that is what Pratchett has set out to do, but nevertheless, I found the idea to be intriguing. Also, it has occurred to me that in the Discworld books I have read so far, the are many characters who behave badly, even cruelly and with evil intent. There is no one who can make everything all right, enforce a change in behavior (not even Lord Vetinari nor kind Captain Carrot) nor even exact a just reward, although there are those that try. Perhaps Pratchett is saying that, yes, there are bad things in the world, but you ultimately have to get along with them somehow while making your own choices in how to behave, influencing others where you can, and avoiding those that you can not influence.(less)

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Apr 02, 2012 Silent_count rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pratchett_scale, commented, fiction

If you haven't read the previous "watch" books, start with 'Guards Guards' and come back to this later. ('Night Watch' is the next book in this series).

Sam Vimes is being sent to Uberwald to serve as Ankh Morpork's representative at the coronation of the new low king of the dwarves. Except that the wrong dwarf won the election, the scone of stone is missing so there may not actually be a coronation, nobody wants Vimes to be there, and Vimes isn't much of a diplomat at the best of times. What cou...more

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Feb 15, 2009 Macie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of my favorite books by Terry Pratchett, and that is saying something. If you're not a Pratchett fan, you might have some trouble keeping up, but it is worth the attempt. This one has political intrigue, a mystery, and Pratchett's usual satire and witty observations about human nature. It also has dwarfs, werewolves, Igors, a troll, a vampire, and a talking dog, but none of these things keep me from enjoying the Discworld books. Sam Vimes, with all his internal conflicts, is so much...more

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About Terry Pratchett

Sir Terry Pratchett sold his first story when he was thirteen, which earned him enough money to buy a second-hand typewriter. His first novel, a humorous fantasy entitled The Carpet People, appeared in 1971 from the publisher Colin Smythe. Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, including his first Discworld novel,...more

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“He'd noticed that sex bore some resemblance to cookery: it fascinated people, they sometimes bought books full of complicated recipes and interesting pictures, and sometimes when they were really hungry they created vast banquets in their imagination - but at the end of the day they'd settle quite happily for egg and chips. If it was well done and maybe had a slice of tomato.” — 213 people liked it

“A marriage is always made up of two people who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores.” — 121 people liked it

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The Fifth Elephant (Discworld #24)

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