'Night Watch' is undoubtedly my favourite book by Terry Pratchett, and maybe favourite read for pleasure. I noticed through the "Guards! Guards!" series that the atmospheric tone gradually became darker and more pensive as the evolution of Ankh-Morpork progressed closer to the modern day. Pratchett entices the reader with a plot which can stand-alone (searching for a homicidal murderer and trying to prevent a bloody revolution in a past no longer his), but also builds upon the previous books which add so much life to the central character, Sam Vimes. I personally can believe in the character, and the removal of all the magical, fantastical and mythical aspects from Discworld (there is little mention of trolls, werewolves, etc) makes the book far more intense.

Pratchett seems at ease to impart political comments, and I sense a particular personal feel to his style of writing. The senseless deaths, and the meaning of a revolution, are noted upon in-depth. I noticed that where there was humour, it was intelligent and dark, almost brooding. This leads to an emotional attachment in which the reader consciously passes opinion upon the ideas which Pratchett presents. Themes of poverty, hope, idealism, pragmatism, police states, revolution, the past and oneself are all evident, and provides much for the reader to digest. But despite the dark tone, the reading itself is surprisingly light and addictive, coated by Pratchett's sublime ability to write imaginatively and enjoyably.

I leave this quick review with a quote which I have interpreted and remarked upon occasionally, which may impart upon any reader a sense of what 'Night Watch' entails:

"... The People. People on the side of The People always ended up disappointed, in any case. They found that The People tended not to be grateful or appreciative or forward-thinking or obedient. The People tended to be small-minded and conservative and not very clever and were even distrustful of cleverness. And so, the children of the revolution were faced with the age-old problem: it wasn’t that you had the wrong kind of government, which was obvious, but that you had the wrong kind of people. As soon as you saw people as things to be measured, they didn’t measure up."