Guards! Guards!: A Discworld Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
by Terry Pratchett
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 3015)
Read in January, 2008
ever since i read soul music 12 years ago, i've been a fan of terry pratchett's. up until about a couple of years ago, i had really only read the discworld books as they came (starting with interesting times and then as i felt like it--i still hadn't read them all and i hadn't read them in order. so i started re-reading all of the books, in order, and along the way, i'd also read the ones i had never gotten around to.
the reason i mention this primarily has to do with the &quo...more
the reason i mention this primarily has to do with the &quo...more
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Read in August, 2007
i tried to read this series years ago because someone told me that he wrote like douglas adams. i was sorely disappointed at the time. but recently, i was inspired (by a teen recommendation) to try the series again and enjoy it on its own merit. i find that i still enjoy the books much more on audio versions (there’s something about the humor that just comes across better when spoken than when read) but i did find myself giggling throughout this one (mr. happy stuff noticed that too.). her...more
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Read in January, 2008
In a city when even the beggars get more respect that the police force it can be tough to be the lieutenant of the guards. Sam Vimes knows it is better to keep his head down and say ‘All is Well’ than end up another dead leader of the guards (yes the city watch really does not get any respect). Even the city has to agree, however, when rooftops are exploding in balls of flame from a thought to be extinct dragon that all is not well. The city contains one last hope before being overrun fro...more
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Read in September, 2005
I was a bit disappointed when I read "The Color of Magic", my first ever Discworld novel. I wondered what the fuss was all about surrounding this series. Then I read Guards! Guards!, my second Discworld novel, and I saw the light as they say. I loved it. It's absolutely hilarious, priceless, and the way Pratchett presents the world, the characters and the amusing situations in their lives made me chuckle and laugh outloud.
The story actually has a plot, despite all pretentions on the ...more
The story actually has a plot, despite all pretentions on the ...more
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This is one of five books that sits on my desk. It is the beginning of one of my favourite Discworld arcs: the City Watch. Here we are introduced to Sam Vimes (one of my favourite characters), Carrot Ironfoundersson (who helps turn being a cop from one of the most laughable to one of the most respectable professions on the Disc and who once arrests a horde of heroes), and Lady Sybil (one of the most brilliant female characters in existence. It also greatly fleshes out Lord Vetinari who is anothe...more
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Read in July, 2007
Guards! Guards! is the 8th Discworld series and the first in the City-Watch set. It introduces Vimes, Carrot, et al as recurring characters. In fact, all of the Discworld novels I've selected for this challenge are from the City-Watch set.
Carrot has endeared himself to me, putting himself on my short list of favorite Discworld characters (others include Rincewind, Death and Ook). Carrot is the antidote to the Garions of the fantasy genre. Carrot may start off naive and may be pushed towards ...more
Carrot has endeared himself to me, putting himself on my short list of favorite Discworld characters (others include Rincewind, Death and Ook). Carrot is the antidote to the Garions of the fantasy genre. Carrot may start off naive and may be pushed towards ...more
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Read in February, 2007
Terry Pratchett is a comic genius. In this first installment of the "Watch" series in his Discworld (a world not quite entirely unlike our own), we meet Captain Vimes of the Ankh Morpork Night Watch and a selection of his fine men as they face down a fire-breathing dragon with kingly aspirations.
This book has more one-liners than a joke book ("The people united can never be ignited!"), and is significantly funnier. Terry Pratchett also works his genius with situational ...more
This book has more one-liners than a joke book ("The people united can never be ignited!"), and is significantly funnier. Terry Pratchett also works his genius with situational ...more
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Read in September, 2007
"Knowledge = Power = Energy = Matter = Mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." p.3
"It is said that the gods play games with the lives of men. But what games, and why, and the identities of the actual pawns, and what the game is, and what the rules are- who knows?
Best not to speculate.
Thunder rolled...
It rolled a six." p. 21
"Doucheball!"
"If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it ...more
"It is said that the gods play games with the lives of men. But what games, and why, and the identities of the actual pawns, and what the game is, and what the rules are- who knows?
Best not to speculate.
Thunder rolled...
It rolled a six." p. 21
"Doucheball!"
"If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it ...more
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Read in November, 2004
In this, the first Discworld novel to star the City Watch, young Carrot leaves his adopted dwarf family to go to Ankh-Morpork and join the Watch. Meanwhile, unknown forces have summoned a dragon to terrorize the city, and Capt. Vimes is thinking a drink sounds good about now... This one isn't quite as good as the other books featuring Vimes and the Watch, as they haven't evolved into the fully-rounded characters they (particularly Vimes) are in later books. But this book is still hilarious, and ...more
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Read in January, 2008
This, the first in Terry Pratchett's City Watch-oriented DiscWorld novels, was not as good as I remember. There's a fair amount of development between this and the later books in the series, so many of the characterizations felt a little rough if not slightly contradictory with the mental images I'd built up from more recent additions. That being said, it's classic Pratchett, taking a basic question or premise, spinning a funny and interesting story out of it that is liberally dotted with some d...more
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Read in September, 2001
Downloaded from Audible.com
Narrator: Nigel Planer
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books, 1999
Length: 10 hours and 29 min.
Publisher's Summary
If you find yourself ruminating on questions like "Where have all the dragons gone?" then this is the story for you. Explore the crazy, creepy land called Discworld, where you'll discover that the dragons aren't asleep or dead - they're dormant, packed in like huge, scaly sardines. Join in the search for the key to their closed-in, comatose world in th...more
Narrator: Nigel Planer
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books, 1999
Length: 10 hours and 29 min.
Publisher's Summary
If you find yourself ruminating on questions like "Where have all the dragons gone?" then this is the story for you. Explore the crazy, creepy land called Discworld, where you'll discover that the dragons aren't asleep or dead - they're dormant, packed in like huge, scaly sardines. Join in the search for the key to their closed-in, comatose world in th...more
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I wanted to read a Discworld book, but since there are 36 and I didn't exactly want to start from the beginning, a friend of mine recommended this one. I really liked it, it's a funny, cute story with very compelling characters. I have come to find out the the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, which stars in this book, is heavily featured in nine Discworld books. I think I will read all of them, eventually. I really like the characters. They made me wish my own particular city watch job was a bit more li...more
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Super Sprecher; Super Buch: Nigel Planer, bekannt aus zahlreichen britischen Comedyserien, liest jeden Charakter mit anderer Stimme und Dialekt. Er ist so umwerfend, dass ich mir gleich 8 dieser Audiobücher gekauft habe. Es macht so viel Spass zu hören, wie er in den verschiedensten britischen Dialekten und Akzenten spricht. Ich kann die Isis Audiobücher nur jedem ans Herz legen! Viel Spass mit diesem Buch und wie ich denke den anderen, die man sich zwangsläufig danach auch noch kauft.
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Read in March, 2006
recommends it for:
people who like to contradict everything for no reason
I can't stand Pratchett. I think those that like him are people with absolutely no appreciation for internal consistency and contiguousness. His books make no sense, he invents new rules in his worlds for absolutely no reason, and he absolutely rambles. I could write a Pratchett book in 30 minutes. Just stream of consciousness it out and don't worry about any kind of rhyme, reason, sense, or purpose.
Bleh to them all. I read 2-3 of these books. Complete torture (did it for a friend.)
Bleh to them all. I read 2-3 of these books. Complete torture (did it for a friend.)
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Read in May, 2008
One of the better books which I have read from the fantastic discworld series. This is my first book from the guards mini-series and it might just become my favourite strand! Discworld is awesome - everybody should check this series out. It is the glorious exception where quantity of books does not imply a loss of quality. Almost all discworld novels are treasures and Terry Pratchett continues to surprise me, even though I have read so many of his novels!
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone looking for a laugh
Another great Discworld book. This one features a secret society trying to take over the kingdom. Well, the city. They need a king to have an actual kingdom. So they're working on that. Meanwhile, Carrot, adopted son of a dwarf, is looking for a new career and sets off to become the latest in the City Guard. He makes quite an impression on his first day on the job.
Lots of fun. I love this series and can't wait to read the next one!
CMB
Lots of fun. I love this series and can't wait to read the next one!
CMB
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Read in July, 2007
It was pretty decent. I've read so much Prachett that a lot of the characters/story threads run together. While this wasn't a bad read, it wasn't a Discworld story that stands out.
You do at least get to see the beginnings of Captain Vimes and Sybill. Oh, and there's Carrot's origin story. That's pretty decent as well. And the original Night Watch is always worth a laugh.
Oh, and there's dragons.
I want a dragon...
You do at least get to see the beginnings of Captain Vimes and Sybill. Oh, and there's Carrot's origin story. That's pretty decent as well. And the original Night Watch is always worth a laugh.
Oh, and there's dragons.
I want a dragon...
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Read in January, 2008
Hilarious! This is my first Pratchett novel; although it's the 8th in his Discworld series, I enjoyed it more than the 1st, which I'm now reading. I don't think it matters what order you read them in, and "Guards! Guards!" has very endearing characters. The author rambles a little with the plot (probably should have ended 50 pages sooner), but I was laughing the whole time so it didn't really matter.
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Comic genius Terry Pratchett has shaped a marvelous fabrication of the early adventures of the "Watch" of Ankh Morpork. Side splitting laughter will erupt on every page as the further adventures of the coppers are unfolded. Seriously, you can't beat three coppers sitting on a rooftop trying to decide how to make a million to one chance(since those chances never fail)of their arrow killing a dragon.
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This was the first Discworld book I read so I have a bit of a soft spot for it for that reason, but even after reading many, many others I find this one still is one of his best. It has more characters I find interesting that most of the Discworld books, and really does well with the blend of silly presentation and deeper ideas. Small Gods is another especially good one for that.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.13 (2632 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.11 (2400 ratings) number of reviews: 96popular shelves
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"If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life."
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