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Discworld #36
Making Money
It's an offer you can't refuse.
Who would not to wish to be the man in charge of Ankh-Morpork's Royal Mint and the bank next door?
It's a job for life. But, as former con-man Moist von Lipwig is learning, the life is not necessarily for long.
The Chief Cashier is almost certainly a vampire. There's something nameless in the cellar (and the cellar itself is pretty nameless), it turns out that the Royal Mint runs at a loss. A 300 year old wizard is after his girlfriend, he's about to be exposed as a fraud, but the Assassins Guild might get him first. In fact lot of people want him dead
Oh. And every day he has to take the Chairman for walkies.
Everywhere he looks he's making enemies.
What he should be doing is . . . Making Money!
Who would not to wish to be the man in charge of Ankh-Morpork's Royal Mint and the bank next door?
It's a job for life. But, as former con-man Moist von Lipwig is learning, the life is not necessarily for long.
The Chief Cashier is almost certainly a vampire. There's something nameless in the cellar (and the cellar itself is pretty nameless), it turns out that the Royal Mint runs at a loss. A 300 year old wizard is after his girlfriend, he's about to be exposed as a fraud, but the Assassins Guild might get him first. In fact lot of people want him dead
Oh. And every day he has to take the Chairman for walkies.
Everywhere he looks he's making enemies.
What he should be doing is . . . Making Money!
394 pages, Hardcover
First published September 20, 2007
About the author
Terry Pratchett
649 books40.5k followersBorn Terence David John 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, The Color of Magic, in 1983. In 1987, he turned to writing full time.
There are over 40 books in the Discworld series, of which four are written for children. The first of these, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, won the Carnegie Medal.
A non-Discworld book, Good Omens, his 1990 collaboration with Neil Gaiman, has been a longtime bestseller and was reissued in hardcover by William Morrow in early 2006 (it is also available as a mass market paperback - Harper Torch, 2006 - and trade paperback - Harper Paperbacks, 2006).
In 2008, Harper Children's published Terry's standalone non-Discworld YA novel, Nation. Terry published Snuff in October 2011.
Regarded as one of the most significant contemporary English-language satirists, Pratchett has won numerous literary awards, was named an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) “for services to literature” in 1998, and has received honorary doctorates from the University of Warwick in 1999, the University of Portsmouth in 2001, the University of Bath in 2003, the University of Bristol in 2004, Buckinghamshire New University in 2008, the University of Dublin in 2008, Bradford University in 2009, the University of Winchester in 2009, and The Open University in 2013 for his contribution to Public Service.
In Dec. of 2007, Pratchett disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. On 18 Feb, 2009, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
He was awarded the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award in 2010.
Sir Terry Pratchett passed away on 12th March 2015.
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, The Color of Magic, in 1983. In 1987, he turned to writing full time.
There are over 40 books in the Discworld series, of which four are written for children. The first of these, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, won the Carnegie Medal.
A non-Discworld book, Good Omens, his 1990 collaboration with Neil Gaiman, has been a longtime bestseller and was reissued in hardcover by William Morrow in early 2006 (it is also available as a mass market paperback - Harper Torch, 2006 - and trade paperback - Harper Paperbacks, 2006).
In 2008, Harper Children's published Terry's standalone non-Discworld YA novel, Nation. Terry published Snuff in October 2011.
Regarded as one of the most significant contemporary English-language satirists, Pratchett has won numerous literary awards, was named an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) “for services to literature” in 1998, and has received honorary doctorates from the University of Warwick in 1999, the University of Portsmouth in 2001, the University of Bath in 2003, the University of Bristol in 2004, Buckinghamshire New University in 2008, the University of Dublin in 2008, Bradford University in 2009, the University of Winchester in 2009, and The Open University in 2013 for his contribution to Public Service.
In Dec. of 2007, Pratchett disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. On 18 Feb, 2009, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
He was awarded the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award in 2010.
Sir Terry Pratchett passed away on 12th March 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,299 reviews
January 29, 2023
It seems a good investment in Ankh Morporks´ future
And who is one of the angel investors wins
The ridiculous thing is that much of the real life economy, and especially the banking, investment, and insurance industry are managed in similar greedy and incompetent ways. And that didn´t just start with paper money or hedge funds, the whole of human history could be seen as
Driven by economic madness
Pratchett uses loads of allegories, innuendos, and puns to integrate many real, in the grey area of legality, happenings that are just normal to make the one or other extra buck or a billion of them. This inherent craziness comes from the fact that
Economics isn´t a hard science
And thereby open to close to any manipulation. As long as the ruling class, politicians, and media define what a healthy economy should look like, there is no debate. In this regard, it was more honest millennia ago when the rule of the god emperor was combined with the greed of the traders and businessmen. Today, it´s obviously ridiculous, but because one can´t stop an endless exponential growth system circle pyramid scheme once it has started, there may be a little future problem. As if this wasn´t already bad enough Pratchett adds
Slavery and schizophrenia into the mix
That he does this in an appropriate way is another sign of his talent and ingenuity, because balancing with topics that hot could easily fail is a quality master seal. But he exactly knows which amount of what humor he has to take to get laughs that don´t feel bitter. Just as with Going Postal the late, great Pratchett wrote a satire that exactly hits the nail on the head of 20th and 21st century politics, economics, and society in general.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
And who is one of the angel investors wins
The ridiculous thing is that much of the real life economy, and especially the banking, investment, and insurance industry are managed in similar greedy and incompetent ways. And that didn´t just start with paper money or hedge funds, the whole of human history could be seen as
Driven by economic madness
Pratchett uses loads of allegories, innuendos, and puns to integrate many real, in the grey area of legality, happenings that are just normal to make the one or other extra buck or a billion of them. This inherent craziness comes from the fact that
Economics isn´t a hard science
And thereby open to close to any manipulation. As long as the ruling class, politicians, and media define what a healthy economy should look like, there is no debate. In this regard, it was more honest millennia ago when the rule of the god emperor was combined with the greed of the traders and businessmen. Today, it´s obviously ridiculous, but because one can´t stop an endless exponential growth system circle pyramid scheme once it has started, there may be a little future problem. As if this wasn´t already bad enough Pratchett adds
Slavery and schizophrenia into the mix
That he does this in an appropriate way is another sign of his talent and ingenuity, because balancing with topics that hot could easily fail is a quality master seal. But he exactly knows which amount of what humor he has to take to get laughs that don´t feel bitter. Just as with Going Postal the late, great Pratchett wrote a satire that exactly hits the nail on the head of 20th and 21st century politics, economics, and society in general.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
October 4, 2022
Full review coming soon...
March 29, 2021
Making Money (Discworld, #36; Moist Von Lipwig, #2), Terry Pratchett
Making Money is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his Discworld series, first published in the UK on 20 September 2007.
Moist von Lipwig is bored with his job as the Postmaster General of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, which is running smoothly without any challenges, so the Patrician tries to persuade him to take over the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork and the Royal Mint. Moist, content with his new lifestyle, refuses.
However, when the current chairwoman, Topsy Lavish, dies, she leaves 50% of the shares in the bank to her dog, Mr Fusspot (who already owns one share of the bank, giving him a majority and making him chairman), and she leaves the dog to Moist.
She also made sure that the Assassins' Guild would fulfill a contract on Moist if anything unnatural happens to the dog or he does not do as her last will commands.
With no alternatives, Moist takes over the bank and finds out that people do not trust banks much, that the production of money runs slowly and at a loss, and that people now use stamps as currency rather than coins.
His various ambitious changes include making money that is not backed by gold but by the city itself. Unfortunately, neither the chief cashier (Mr. Bent, who is rumoured to be a vampire but is actually something much worse) nor the Lavish family are too happy with him and try to dispose of him.
Cosmo Lavish tries to go one step further — he attempts to replace Vetinari by taking on his identity — with little success. However all the while, the reappearance of a character from von Lipwig's past adds more pressure to his unfortunate scenario. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز دهم ماه مارس سال 2020میلادی
عنوان: دیسک ورلد (جهان صفحه) کتاب سی و ششم: بدست آوردن پول؛ نویسنده تری پرچت؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیایی - سده 20م
دیسک ورلد (جهان صفجه)، یک سری از کتابهای فانتزی هستند، که روانشاد «تری پرچت»، نویسنده ی «انگلیسی»، نگاشته اند؛ داستانهای این سری در جهانی با نام «دیسک ورلد (جهان صفحه)» میگذرند؛ که صفحه ای تخت است، و بر شانه های «چهار فیل»، با هیکلهای بزرگ، قرار دارد؛ این فیلها نیز، به نوبه ی خود، بر روی پشت یک «لاکپشت غولآسا»، با نام «آتوئین بزرگ» قرار دارند؛ در این سری از کتابها، بارها از سوژه های کتابهای نویسندگانی همچون «جی.آر.آر تالکین»، «رابرت هاوارد»، «اچ پی لاوکرافت»، و «ویلیام شکسپیر»، به گونه ای خنده دار، استفاده شده است؛
از سری «دیسک ورلد» بیشتر از هشتاد میلیون نسخه، در سی و هفت زبان، به فروش رفته است؛ این سری در برگیرنده ی بیش از چهل رمان (تاکنون چهل و یک رمان)، یازده داستان کوتاه، چهار کتاب علمی، و چندین کتاب مرجع، و مکمل است؛ از این سری، چندین رمان تصویری، بازی کامپیوتری، نمایش تئاتر، سریالهای تلویزیونی اقتباس شده است؛ روزنامه ی «ساندی تایمز» چاپ «انگلستان» از این سری به عنوان یکی از پرفروشترین سری کتابها نام برده، و «تری پرچت» را، به عنوان پرفروشترین نویسنده ی «انگلستان»، در دهه ی نود میلادی دانسته است؛
رمانهای «دیسکورلد» جوایز بسیاری از جمله جایزه «پرومتئوس»، و مدال ادبی «کارنگی» را، از آن خود کرده اند؛ در نظرسنجی «بیگ رید»، که «بیبیسی» در سال 2003میلادی، در «انگلستان» انجام داد، چهار رمان سری «دیسکورلد»؛ در فهرست یکصد کتاب برتر قرار گرفتند؛ همچنین مردمان «انگلیس»، در این نظرسنجی، چهارده رمان «دیسکورلد» را، در شمار دویست کتاب برتر، دانستند؛ تا کنون، از این سری، چهل و یک رمان، به چاپ رسیده است؛ «تری پرچت» که پیش از درگذشتش؛ در ابتدای سال 2015میلادی، از بیماری «آلزایمر» رنج میبردند، اعلام کردند که خوشحال میشوند که دخترشان، «ریانا پرچت»، به جای ایشان، به ادامه ی این سری بپردازند؛ تا جلد بیست و ششم رمان این سری، رمان «دزد زمان (2001میلادی)» به دست «جاش کربی»، به تصویر کشیده شده اند، اما نسخه های «آمریکایی»، که انتشارات «هارپرکالینز» آنها را، منتشر کرده، دارای تصاویر روی جلد متفاوتی هستند؛ پس از درگذشت «جاش کربی»، در سال 2001میلادی، نقاشیهای روی جلد کتابهای بعدی این سری، بدست «پائول کربی» کشیده شدند
کتابهای اول و دوم: «رنگ جادو»؛ کتاب سوم: «زنان جادوگر»؛ کتاب چهارم: «مرگ»؛ کتاب پنجم: «سورسری (برگردان فارسی جادوی مرجع)»؛ کتاب ششم: «خواهران ویرد»؛ کتاب هفتم: «هرم ها»؛ کتاب هشتم: «نگهبانان! نگهبانان»؛ کتاب نهم: «اریک»؛ کتاب دهم: «تصاویر متحرک»؛ کتاب یازدهم: «مرد دروگر»؛ کتاب دوازدهم: «جادوگران خارج»؛ کتاب سیزدهم: «ایزدان خرد (خدایان کوچک)»؛ کتاب چهاردهم: «لردها و بانوان»؛ کتاب پانزدهم: «مردان مسلح»؛ کتاب شانزدهم: «موسیقی روح»؛ کتاب هفدهم: «اوقات جالب»؛ کتاب هجدهم: «ماسکراد»؛ کتاب نوزدهم: «پاهای خشت (فیت آو کلی)»؛ کتاب بیستم: «هاگفادر»؛ کتاب بیست و یکم: «جینگو»؛ کتاب بیست و دوم: «آخرین قاره»؛ کتاب بیست و سوم: «کارپه جوگلوم»؛ کتاب بیست و چهارم: «فیل پنجم»؛ کتاب بیست و پنجم: «حقیقت»؛ کتاب بیست و ششم: «دزد زمان»؛ کتاب بیست و هفتم: «آخرین قهرمان»؛ کتاب بیست و هشتم: «ماوریس شگفتانگیز و موشهای آموزشدیدهاش»؛ کتاب بیست و نهم: «ساعت شب»؛ کتاب سی ام: «مردان آزاد وی»؛ کتاب سی و یکم: «هنگ بزرگ»؛ کتاب سی و دوم: «کلاهی پُر از آسمان»؛ کتاب سی و سوم: «گوینگ پوستال»؛ کتاب سی و چهارم: «تود!»؛ کتاب سی و پنجم: «وینتراسمیت»؛ کتاب سی و ششم: «بدست آوردن پول»؛ کتاب سی و هفتم: «دانشگاهیهای نادیدنی»؛ کتاب سی و هشتم: «نیمهش�� بایست بپوشم»؛ کتاب سی و نهم: «اسنوف»؛ کتاب چهلم: «بالا آمدن مه»؛ کتاب چهل و یکم: «تاج چوپان»؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 08/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Making Money is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his Discworld series, first published in the UK on 20 September 2007.
Moist von Lipwig is bored with his job as the Postmaster General of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, which is running smoothly without any challenges, so the Patrician tries to persuade him to take over the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork and the Royal Mint. Moist, content with his new lifestyle, refuses.
However, when the current chairwoman, Topsy Lavish, dies, she leaves 50% of the shares in the bank to her dog, Mr Fusspot (who already owns one share of the bank, giving him a majority and making him chairman), and she leaves the dog to Moist.
She also made sure that the Assassins' Guild would fulfill a contract on Moist if anything unnatural happens to the dog or he does not do as her last will commands.
With no alternatives, Moist takes over the bank and finds out that people do not trust banks much, that the production of money runs slowly and at a loss, and that people now use stamps as currency rather than coins.
His various ambitious changes include making money that is not backed by gold but by the city itself. Unfortunately, neither the chief cashier (Mr. Bent, who is rumoured to be a vampire but is actually something much worse) nor the Lavish family are too happy with him and try to dispose of him.
Cosmo Lavish tries to go one step further — he attempts to replace Vetinari by taking on his identity — with little success. However all the while, the reappearance of a character from von Lipwig's past adds more pressure to his unfortunate scenario. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز دهم ماه مارس سال 2020میلادی
عنوان: دیسک ورلد (جهان صفحه) کتاب سی و ششم: بدست آوردن پول؛ نویسنده تری پرچت؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیایی - سده 20م
دیسک ورلد (جهان صفجه)، یک سری از کتابهای فانتزی هستند، که روانشاد «تری پرچت»، نویسنده ی «انگلیسی»، نگاشته اند؛ داستانهای این سری در جهانی با نام «دیسک ورلد (جهان صفحه)» میگذرند؛ که صفحه ای تخت است، و بر شانه های «چهار فیل»، با هیکلهای بزرگ، قرار دارد؛ این فیلها نیز، به نوبه ی خود، بر روی پشت یک «لاکپشت غولآسا»، با نام «آتوئین بزرگ» قرار دارند؛ در این سری از کتابها، بارها از سوژه های کتابهای نویسندگانی همچون «جی.آر.آر تالکین»، «رابرت هاوارد»، «اچ پی لاوکرافت»، و «ویلیام شکسپیر»، به گونه ای خنده دار، استفاده شده است؛
از سری «دیسک ورلد» بیشتر از هشتاد میلیون نسخه، در سی و هفت زبان، به فروش رفته است؛ این سری در برگیرنده ی بیش از چهل رمان (تاکنون چهل و یک رمان)، یازده داستان کوتاه، چهار کتاب علمی، و چندین کتاب مرجع، و مکمل است؛ از این سری، چندین رمان تصویری، بازی کامپیوتری، نمایش تئاتر، سریالهای تلویزیونی اقتباس شده است؛ روزنامه ی «ساندی تایمز» چاپ «انگلستان» از این سری به عنوان یکی از پرفروشترین سری کتابها نام برده، و «تری پرچت» را، به عنوان پرفروشترین نویسنده ی «انگلستان»، در دهه ی نود میلادی دانسته است؛
رمانهای «دیسکورلد» جوایز بسیاری از جمله جایزه «پرومتئوس»، و مدال ادبی «کارنگی» را، از آن خود کرده اند؛ در نظرسنجی «بیگ رید»، که «بیبیسی» در سال 2003میلادی، در «انگلستان» انجام داد، چهار رمان سری «دیسکورلد»؛ در فهرست یکصد کتاب برتر قرار گرفتند؛ همچنین مردمان «انگلیس»، در این نظرسنجی، چهارده رمان «دیسکورلد» را، در شمار دویست کتاب برتر، دانستند؛ تا کنون، از این سری، چهل و یک رمان، به چاپ رسیده است؛ «تری پرچت» که پیش از درگذشتش؛ در ابتدای سال 2015میلادی، از بیماری «آلزایمر» رنج میبردند، اعلام کردند که خوشحال میشوند که دخترشان، «ریانا پرچت»، به جای ایشان، به ادامه ی این سری بپردازند؛ تا جلد بیست و ششم رمان این سری، رمان «دزد زمان (2001میلادی)» به دست «جاش کربی»، به تصویر کشیده شده اند، اما نسخه های «آمریکایی»، که انتشارات «هارپرکالینز» آنها را، منتشر کرده، دارای تصاویر روی جلد متفاوتی هستند؛ پس از درگذشت «جاش کربی»، در سال 2001میلادی، نقاشیهای روی جلد کتابهای بعدی این سری، بدست «پائول کربی» کشیده شدند
کتابهای اول و دوم: «رنگ جادو»؛ کتاب سوم: «زنان جادوگر»؛ کتاب چهارم: «مرگ»؛ کتاب پنجم: «سورسری (برگردان فارسی جادوی مرجع)»؛ کتاب ششم: «خواهران ویرد»؛ کتاب هفتم: «هرم ها»؛ کتاب هشتم: «نگهبانان! نگهبانان»؛ کتاب نهم: «اریک»؛ کتاب دهم: «تصاویر متحرک»؛ کتاب یازدهم: «مرد دروگر»؛ کتاب دوازدهم: «جادوگران خارج»؛ کتاب سیزدهم: «ایزدان خرد (خدایان کوچک)»؛ کتاب چهاردهم: «لردها و بانوان»؛ کتاب پانزدهم: «مردان مسلح»؛ کتاب شانزدهم: «موسیقی روح»؛ کتاب هفدهم: «اوقات جالب»؛ کتاب هجدهم: «ماسکراد»؛ کتاب نوزدهم: «پاهای خشت (فیت آو کلی)»؛ کتاب بیستم: «هاگفادر»؛ کتاب بیست و یکم: «جینگو»؛ کتاب بیست و دوم: «آخرین قاره»؛ کتاب بیست و سوم: «کارپه جوگلوم»؛ کتاب بیست و چهارم: «فیل پنجم»؛ کتاب بیست و پنجم: «حقیقت»؛ کتاب بیست و ششم: «دزد زمان»؛ کتاب بیست و هفتم: «آخرین قهرمان»؛ کتاب بیست و هشتم: «ماوریس شگفتانگیز و موشهای آموزشدیدهاش»؛ کتاب بیست و نهم: «ساعت شب»؛ کتاب سی ام: «مردان آزاد وی»؛ کتاب سی و یکم: «هنگ بزرگ»؛ کتاب سی و دوم: «کلاهی پُر از آسمان»؛ کتاب سی و سوم: «گوینگ پوستال»؛ کتاب سی و چهارم: «تود!»؛ کتاب سی و پنجم: «وینتراسمیت»؛ کتاب سی و ششم: «بدست آوردن پول»؛ کتاب سی و هفتم: «دانشگاهیهای نادیدنی»؛ کتاب سی و هشتم: «نیمهش�� بایست بپوشم»؛ کتاب سی و نهم: «اسنوف»؛ کتاب چهلم: «بالا آمدن مه»؛ کتاب چهل و یکم: «تاج چوپان»؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 08/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
January 29, 2019
If this book were made into a movie, I’d expect that either Adam Sandler or Frank Capra would be a fitting director (preferably Sandler since Capra has been dead for over 25 years).
Films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Mr. Deeds capture the crowd pleasing best elements of Making Money, Pratchett’s 36th Discworld novel, Nebula Award nominee and Locus Award winner. Again we visit with Pratchett’s loveable rogue Moist Von Lipwig and this time around Lord Vetinari has placed him in a leadership position with the Ankh-Morpork bank.
As any reader of economics may attest, getting any two economists to agree is like herding cats into a bathtub – messy and potentially dangerous for all involved. Pratchett tackles this conundrum with wit and aplomb representative of his other Discworld works and readers will happily note the return of such Discworld notables as Vetinari, Lipwig, Gladys the Golem, Sam Vimes, smoking-like-a-chimney Adora Belle Dearheart, Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler, and some new Dickensian characters who spark the Pratchett Smile-O-Meter to active life.
While Lipwig is certainly one of Pratchett’s most charismatic heroes and this does wrangle some tough subjects with Sir Terry’s characteristic comic timing and swagger, this is lacking something that I cannot quite define. Still a Terry Pratchett book and that means it’s better than most others. Good fun!
Films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Mr. Deeds capture the crowd pleasing best elements of Making Money, Pratchett’s 36th Discworld novel, Nebula Award nominee and Locus Award winner. Again we visit with Pratchett’s loveable rogue Moist Von Lipwig and this time around Lord Vetinari has placed him in a leadership position with the Ankh-Morpork bank.
As any reader of economics may attest, getting any two economists to agree is like herding cats into a bathtub – messy and potentially dangerous for all involved. Pratchett tackles this conundrum with wit and aplomb representative of his other Discworld works and readers will happily note the return of such Discworld notables as Vetinari, Lipwig, Gladys the Golem, Sam Vimes, smoking-like-a-chimney Adora Belle Dearheart, Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler, and some new Dickensian characters who spark the Pratchett Smile-O-Meter to active life.
While Lipwig is certainly one of Pratchett’s most charismatic heroes and this does wrangle some tough subjects with Sir Terry’s characteristic comic timing and swagger, this is lacking something that I cannot quite define. Still a Terry Pratchett book and that means it’s better than most others. Good fun!
May 28, 2023
“A banker? Me?"
"Yes, Mr. Lipwig."
"But I don't know anything about running a bank!"
"Good. No preconceived ideas."
"I've robbed banks!"
"Capital! Just reverse your thinking," said Lord Vetinari, beaming. "The money should be on the inside.”
4,5 stars
It is not as good as Going Postal, which is one of my favourite Discworld novels, but still brilliant and funny in its own right, so I am upping my rating from 4-stars to almost-five. :)
Moist von Lipwig, Discworld's most loveable con man, trickster, fraudster, impostor and chiseller is back!! He has become an Upright Citizen, Pillar of the Ankh Morpork Community and boy, IS HE BORED!
“He sighed. It had come to this. He was a responsible authority, and people could use terms like "core values" at him with impunity.”
'You have become an exemplary citizen, Mr Lipwig,' said Vetinari (...) 'You rise each morning at eight, you are at your desk at thirty minutes past. You have turned the Post Office from a calamity into a smoothly run machine. You pay your taxes and a little bird tells me that you are tipped to be next year's Chairman of the Merchants' Guild.'
(...)
'I shall get a very nearly gold chain,' said Moist."
But of course, Lord Vetinari has other ideas. Moist is introduced to Mrs Topsy Lavish (nee Turvey), Chairwoman of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork and the Royal Mint. Upon her death, she leaves her dog, Mr Fusspot in Moist's care. At the same time, Mr Fusspot inherits her 51% of the shares and is now Chairman.
Moist cannot say no to this legacy, especially after reading Topsy's heartfelt, moving letter:
“Dear Mr Lipwig,
I feel that you are a dear, sweet man who will look after my little Mr Fusspot. Please be kind to him. He has been my only friend in difficult times. Money is such a crude thing in these circumstances, but the sum of $20,000 annually will be paid to you (in arrears) for performing this duty, which I beg you to accept.
If you do not, or if he dies of unnatural causes, your arse will belong to the Guild of Assassins. $100,000 is lodged with Lord Downey, and his young gentlemen will hunt you down and gut you like the weasel you are, Smart Boy!
May the gods bless you for your kindness to a widow in distress.”
Awww, isn't that sweet?
Obviously, the rest of the Lavish family is very unhappy about the turn of events and are out for Moist, and so is a very nasty man from his past.
And then the mad ride begins with crazy economists, fool(ish) cashiers, necromancers of UU, golems and missing gold all in Sir Terry's usual style.
As I mentioned before, Making Money, is not as good as Going Postal was. Maybe because the baddies are nowhere near the cutting edge and style of Reacher Guilt, so despite all that is going on, the excitement never quite reaches any dramatic levels and so the ending is just a bit flat.
But Moist has the chance to shine, to dazzle and to embezzle again and he does it all with his usual suaveness and flair.
He always knows how to put on a good show.
I cannot help thinking that if he is an embodiment of a god, then it surely must be Loki. So obviously, while Richard Coyle was great in the Going Postal movie, if they should ever make a movie of Making Money, Tom Hiddleston would do just as well, or even better? ;)
"Yes, Mr. Lipwig."
"But I don't know anything about running a bank!"
"Good. No preconceived ideas."
"I've robbed banks!"
"Capital! Just reverse your thinking," said Lord Vetinari, beaming. "The money should be on the inside.”
4,5 stars
It is not as good as Going Postal, which is one of my favourite Discworld novels, but still brilliant and funny in its own right, so I am upping my rating from 4-stars to almost-five. :)
Moist von Lipwig, Discworld's most loveable con man, trickster, fraudster, impostor and chiseller is back!! He has become an Upright Citizen, Pillar of the Ankh Morpork Community and boy, IS HE BORED!
“He sighed. It had come to this. He was a responsible authority, and people could use terms like "core values" at him with impunity.”
'You have become an exemplary citizen, Mr Lipwig,' said Vetinari (...) 'You rise each morning at eight, you are at your desk at thirty minutes past. You have turned the Post Office from a calamity into a smoothly run machine. You pay your taxes and a little bird tells me that you are tipped to be next year's Chairman of the Merchants' Guild.'
(...)
'I shall get a very nearly gold chain,' said Moist."
But of course, Lord Vetinari has other ideas. Moist is introduced to Mrs Topsy Lavish (nee Turvey), Chairwoman of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork and the Royal Mint. Upon her death, she leaves her dog, Mr Fusspot in Moist's care. At the same time, Mr Fusspot inherits her 51% of the shares and is now Chairman.
Moist cannot say no to this legacy, especially after reading Topsy's heartfelt, moving letter:
“Dear Mr Lipwig,
I feel that you are a dear, sweet man who will look after my little Mr Fusspot. Please be kind to him. He has been my only friend in difficult times. Money is such a crude thing in these circumstances, but the sum of $20,000 annually will be paid to you (in arrears) for performing this duty, which I beg you to accept.
If you do not, or if he dies of unnatural causes, your arse will belong to the Guild of Assassins. $100,000 is lodged with Lord Downey, and his young gentlemen will hunt you down and gut you like the weasel you are, Smart Boy!
May the gods bless you for your kindness to a widow in distress.”
Awww, isn't that sweet?
Obviously, the rest of the Lavish family is very unhappy about the turn of events and are out for Moist, and so is a very nasty man from his past.
And then the mad ride begins with crazy economists, fool(ish) cashiers, necromancers of UU, golems and missing gold all in Sir Terry's usual style.
As I mentioned before, Making Money, is not as good as Going Postal was. Maybe because the baddies are nowhere near the cutting edge and style of Reacher Guilt, so despite all that is going on, the excitement never quite reaches any dramatic levels and so the ending is just a bit flat.
But Moist has the chance to shine, to dazzle and to embezzle again and he does it all with his usual suaveness and flair.
He always knows how to put on a good show.
I cannot help thinking that if he is an embodiment of a god, then it surely must be Loki. So obviously, while Richard Coyle was great in the Going Postal movie, if they should ever make a movie of Making Money, Tom Hiddleston would do just as well, or even better? ;)
November 29, 2020
Moist von Lipwig is bored. The Post Office can now function without his intervention, the Clacks Towers are also on the mend, so people keep supplying him with increasingly boring reports, and, on top of everything, his fiance is off on a mysterious business trip. With no other heart-stopping adventures to rear themselves on their own, our intrepid (anti)hero has no choice but manufacture one. And things almost get out of hand... for a minute or two.
Lord Vetinari, ever attuned to his favorite conman's mood, is ready with a solution: the opportunity to "survive on [his] own wits against powerful and dangerous enemies, with every day presenting fresh challenges". And all Lipwig has to do is agree to take on the sketchy business of revamping The Royal Mint, along with the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork. His lack of banking experience may even help, so that he has no preconceptions.
I have first read this novel some 10 years prior, cuddled up in a tiny Parisian hotel room, much more interested in exploring the French tourist sites, than the intricacies of financial humor. With almost no other social engagements to honor (courtesy of the current pandemic), I was able to give my full attention to the book. And what a fantastic ride it gave me!
I greatly enjoyed Lord Vetinari's ever changing tactics when it came toforcing gently cajoling people into doing his bidding. While in the prequel he would innocently threaten Lipwig with throwing him into an (almost) bottomless pit, this time around he was quite happy to leave things to the (ex-)conman's imagination, letting the man slowly but surely work himself up into a frenzy.
Then there was also Cosmo Lavish's obsession with the Patrician, firmly convinced that nothing short of stealing the man's identity would help him defeat Vetinari. An interesting plan, if only he weren't so easily duped into paying for fakes. As a reader however, following his delusional machinations certainly provided endless moments of entertainment.
There was precious little that I outright disliked in this story, mainly related to a very confusing memory of movie vs. book events from the prequel (see Going Postal). It seems that I got more attached to movie-Adora Belle's self-sufficiency than I thought, so I got rather annoyed at having Lipwig save her. But for those of you who have had the good sense to refrain from (re)watching the movie version tens of times, this will probably be a non-issue.
Score: 4.6/5 stars
With these two such different reading styles behind me, I have to conclude that going through the prequel before embarking on this book made for a vast improvement in reading experience.
===================
Other books starring Moist von Lipwig:
Review of book 1: Going Postal
Review of book 3: Raising Steam
Lord Vetinari, ever attuned to his favorite conman's mood, is ready with a solution: the opportunity to "survive on [his] own wits against powerful and dangerous enemies, with every day presenting fresh challenges". And all Lipwig has to do is agree to take on the sketchy business of revamping The Royal Mint, along with the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork. His lack of banking experience may even help, so that he has no preconceptions.
I have first read this novel some 10 years prior, cuddled up in a tiny Parisian hotel room, much more interested in exploring the French tourist sites, than the intricacies of financial humor. With almost no other social engagements to honor (courtesy of the current pandemic), I was able to give my full attention to the book. And what a fantastic ride it gave me!
I greatly enjoyed Lord Vetinari's ever changing tactics when it came to
Then there was also Cosmo Lavish's obsession with the Patrician, firmly convinced that nothing short of stealing the man's identity would help him defeat Vetinari. An interesting plan, if only he weren't so easily duped into paying for fakes. As a reader however, following his delusional machinations certainly provided endless moments of entertainment.
There was precious little that I outright disliked in this story, mainly related to a very confusing memory of movie vs. book events from the prequel (see Going Postal). It seems that I got more attached to movie-Adora Belle's self-sufficiency than I thought, so I got rather annoyed at having Lipwig save her. But for those of you who have had the good sense to refrain from (re)watching the movie version tens of times, this will probably be a non-issue.
Score: 4.6/5 stars
With these two such different reading styles behind me, I have to conclude that going through the prequel before embarking on this book made for a vast improvement in reading experience.
===================
Other books starring Moist von Lipwig:
Review of book 1: Going Postal
Review of book 3: Raising Steam
February 10, 2008
This is the follow-up to Going Postal, in which the former con-man Moist von Lipwig sets up the new Ankh-Morpork post office and thwarts the evil corporate wiles of the Clacks.
When my co-workers asked me what I was reading, I told them, "It's a fantasy about.... About banking."
I know, I know, it sounds like a bizarre topic for a fantasy novel, even for a Discworld novel, but gods bless Terry Pratchett, he can even make basic economic theory interesting. Why is it not that bad that a penny costs more than a penny to make? Why don't we need gold to back our currency anymore? Why do these little pieces of paper in our wallets actually mean anything?
It could be implied, from reading this, that modern economics are a result of a grand, elaborate con.
You see, money is only worth something because we say it is. Oh, we can pretend it's based on gold, which we think is valuable because it's rare, or shiny. We can pretend it's based on the integrity of our nation, and hope that our nation's integrity never falters. We can base it on anything we want, but the key is this - the paper in your wallet only has value because we all agree that it does.
Now the reason this book isn't an economic treatise, of course, is because it has a plot. Golems, assassins, and madmen conspire to rule the economic future of the city, and all of them want Moist von Lipwig out of the way....
When my co-workers asked me what I was reading, I told them, "It's a fantasy about.... About banking."
I know, I know, it sounds like a bizarre topic for a fantasy novel, even for a Discworld novel, but gods bless Terry Pratchett, he can even make basic economic theory interesting. Why is it not that bad that a penny costs more than a penny to make? Why don't we need gold to back our currency anymore? Why do these little pieces of paper in our wallets actually mean anything?
It could be implied, from reading this, that modern economics are a result of a grand, elaborate con.
You see, money is only worth something because we say it is. Oh, we can pretend it's based on gold, which we think is valuable because it's rare, or shiny. We can pretend it's based on the integrity of our nation, and hope that our nation's integrity never falters. We can base it on anything we want, but the key is this - the paper in your wallet only has value because we all agree that it does.
Now the reason this book isn't an economic treatise, of course, is because it has a plot. Golems, assassins, and madmen conspire to rule the economic future of the city, and all of them want Moist von Lipwig out of the way....
October 16, 2007
I'm a huge fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, but I have to say that this is not the best of the bunch. Maybe it's that the main character, Going Postal's Moist von Lipwig, is a thoroughly reformed scallywag. In Postal we all knew that he was going to realize that he had a heart of gold and do the right thing, but it was fun watching him discover it. And the plot is clever enough, but maybe just a bit too clever, with too many of its gears exposed. It's not bad -- I LLOLed* a few times -- but I've read better from Pratchett.
* It's well documented that LOL, originally "Laugh(ed) Out Loud", has become completely devalued. So I'm introducing LLOL -- Literally** Laughed Out Loud.
** Of course, since literally is also already devalued from its original meaning, I may be fighting a losing battle here.
* It's well documented that LOL, originally "Laugh(ed) Out Loud", has become completely devalued. So I'm introducing LLOL -- Literally** Laughed Out Loud.
** Of course, since literally is also already devalued from its original meaning, I may be fighting a losing battle here.
May 28, 2020
Out of all the recent -- or perhaps going back to the very start -- Discworld books, there has never been one that struck right to the core absurdity of our world more than this one.
Maybe that's just me. Or maybe I just find money outrageously funny.
It's probably just me.
Regardless of my little foible, Pratchett strikes to the heart of the matter, making fun of the gold standard and illustrating to us the absurdity of the IDEA of money, while all the while giving us golems, golden suits, clown guilds, a dog who runs a bank, and a very interesting con-man who keeps finding himself in bigger and brighter boiling vats of oil.
This might be one of my very favorite Discworlds. :)
Maybe that's just me. Or maybe I just find money outrageously funny.
It's probably just me.
Regardless of my little foible, Pratchett strikes to the heart of the matter, making fun of the gold standard and illustrating to us the absurdity of the IDEA of money, while all the while giving us golems, golden suits, clown guilds, a dog who runs a bank, and a very interesting con-man who keeps finding himself in bigger and brighter boiling vats of oil.
This might be one of my very favorite Discworlds. :)
May 31, 2020
Moist von Lipwig has become a responsible authority of the community as Postmaster in Ankh-Morpork. He’s designed numerous stamps, the Post Office is flourishing, he’s got staff and has to organize such quaint little things as pension funds etc. In short: he’s bored. Nothing challenges him anymore.
Lord Vetinari, as fans know, is THE leader. He’s the embodiment of silently threatening authority figures with a brain (the most dangerous and rare of combinations). As such, he knows of Moist’s problem. And as he really is a GOOD leader on top of everything else, he makes sure Moist gets a new challenge, which will also advance Vetinari’s own plans (win-wins are always nice).
Thus, after revolutionizing the Post Office, our favorite con man becomes the manager of the Royal Mint of Ankh-Morpork as well as the bank right next to it! Ayup, a master thief in charge of an institution managing other people’s money. He now must even figure out a way to make money! Once again, he has to dust off an old defunct system and find creative ways to make it work. Preferrably before Lord Vetinari makes one of his non-threats come true.
As if that wasn’t enough, there is also a certain last will and testament resulting in the Assassins Guild watching him VERY closely. And between having to take the Chairman for his daily walkies, Moist is also stressed out over his girlfriend potentially starting some legal action against/with the dwarves (which we all know is even worse than going to war against them).
Some entitled little brats are sure to get what they deserve. *evil grin*
Yes, this is Terry Pratchett taking on the financial sector and all the sheer indescribably criminal ways most people in it work around laws and take people’s hard-earned money. He never goes so far as to SAY that bankers STEAL but let’s be real here: he put a THIEF in charge. *lol* He’s basically pointing out the obvious that some refuse to acknowledge while others apparently don’t dare point it out. Yes, the author it beating us with a sack of coins and calls it a massage. *snickers* All the commentary is once again as deliciously dark-humored as one expects from this master storyteller. The ridiculousness of the machinations directly mirroring our real-world’s insanity. If you don’t believe me, look at some of the passages I quoted.
I think I liked this even more than the last one with the Post Office. Both topics are more than timely (apparently regardless of when you’re reading this book). I laughed out loud while also cheering every time TP was dealing out yet another blow. Which is to say, I never had a moment of rest while reading this as the story never lets up.
Wonderful as usual, this time spiced a little bit more than in some other installments of the series even. In fact, and I at first couldn’t believe it to be true, this might have become one of my favorite novels of the series!
Lord Vetinari, as fans know, is THE leader. He’s the embodiment of silently threatening authority figures with a brain (the most dangerous and rare of combinations). As such, he knows of Moist’s problem. And as he really is a GOOD leader on top of everything else, he makes sure Moist gets a new challenge, which will also advance Vetinari’s own plans (win-wins are always nice).
Thus, after revolutionizing the Post Office, our favorite con man becomes the manager of the Royal Mint of Ankh-Morpork as well as the bank right next to it! Ayup, a master thief in charge of an institution managing other people’s money. He now must even figure out a way to make money! Once again, he has to dust off an old defunct system and find creative ways to make it work. Preferrably before Lord Vetinari makes one of his non-threats come true.
As if that wasn’t enough, there is also a certain last will and testament resulting in the Assassins Guild watching him VERY closely. And between having to take the Chairman for his daily walkies, Moist is also stressed out over his girlfriend potentially starting some legal action against/with the dwarves (which we all know is even worse than going to war against them).
Some entitled little brats are sure to get what they deserve. *evil grin*
Yes, this is Terry Pratchett taking on the financial sector and all the sheer indescribably criminal ways most people in it work around laws and take people’s hard-earned money. He never goes so far as to SAY that bankers STEAL but let’s be real here: he put a THIEF in charge. *lol* He’s basically pointing out the obvious that some refuse to acknowledge while others apparently don’t dare point it out. Yes, the author it beating us with a sack of coins and calls it a massage. *snickers* All the commentary is once again as deliciously dark-humored as one expects from this master storyteller. The ridiculousness of the machinations directly mirroring our real-world’s insanity. If you don’t believe me, look at some of the passages I quoted.
I think I liked this even more than the last one with the Post Office. Both topics are more than timely (apparently regardless of when you’re reading this book). I laughed out loud while also cheering every time TP was dealing out yet another blow. Which is to say, I never had a moment of rest while reading this as the story never lets up.
Wonderful as usual, this time spiced a little bit more than in some other installments of the series even. In fact, and I at first couldn’t believe it to be true, this might have become one of my favorite novels of the series!
July 26, 2022
"A banker? Me?"
"Yes, Mr. Lipwig."
"But I don't know anything about running a bank!"
"Good. No preconceived ideas."
"I've robbed banks!"
"Capital! Just reverse your thinking," said Lord Vetinary, beaming. "The money should be on the inside."
Thus, Ankh-Morpork's longest-living Postmaster takes on the cutthroat world of banking.
It's quite a good book. I absolutely do not recommend reading it without also having tackled Going Postal and Feet of Clay, and for best results the other thirty-three Discworld novels that precede this one.
My only reservations, the only things that keep it from shining as brightly as certain other Discworld books, are: It's a bit slow to actually get into the bank, and it's too short for its content. This book introduces several new characters and amusing story elements that simply don't have sufficient room to breathe. The barely-hinged chief cashier Mr. Bent, the fully-unhinged mad economic scientist Hubert with his Glooper in the basement, and the variably-hinged genius precision artist Owlwick Jenkins, also in the basement, each deserved more page time for their development. The ostensible main villain was utterly unthreatening throughout, and the character threatening to expose Moist (which sounds like a rather gross activity) went nowhere. It all climaxes in a well-done but uncharacteristically cliche courtroom scene.
This is, sadly, the last Discworld novel published prior to Sir Terry's diagnosis of embuggerance.
February 22, 2015
This is more or less a follow-up to Going Postal in which Moist von Lipwig is pressured into doing for the banking system what he has done for the post office. Some great new characters in Fusspot, Chairman of the Bank (and a dog), Cosmo Lavish, head of the family that owns the bank and a Vetinari want-to-be, and Mr Bent, the chief cashier with a surprising past. Moist's girl friend makes an appearance as does a long dead wizard and an economic modelling machine called the Glooper. Not quite as brilliant as Going Postal, but vintage Pratchett nonetheless with plenty of laughs along the way.
November 11, 2017
“He sighed. It had come to this. He was a responsible authority, and people could use terms like "core values" at him with impunity. ”
This was one of my favorites so far. SO many great quotes, and spot-on observations about our banking system.
This was one of my favorites so far. SO many great quotes, and spot-on observations about our banking system.
August 19, 2016
Quite fun. Fairly typical of the non-major-character stories in the series, although Moist von Lipzwig might be becoming a major character. The plot is a simplification of Going Postal: Vetinari ropes Moist into leaving his post as Postmaster and taking over as Assistant to the chairman of the Bank of Ankh-Morpork. Seeing as the chairman is a lapdog, this puts him in charge. The family that has run the bank for generations doesn't like this, the bank manager doesn't like Moist, and a mad scientist in the basement with an Igor is about to Do Something.
Oh, and Moist's girlfriend Spike is stirring up trouble with the golems again and might be starting a war with the Low King. Which is actually kind of tame for her. On the plus side, there is a lecherous lich leering after her, so Moist gets to get jealous.
As with all the Vetinari-centered, non-major-character stories (and with about half of the Vimes stories), this one is about the city as a living character in and of itself, asking the same question governments have been struggling with for thousands of years: what makes something valuable, and how can we get control of it? Ankh-Morpork is on the gold standard, which is entirely too inelastic for Moist's view of the world, but no Discworld economist has proposed any alternative and people don't know whether they can trust money they can't block magic with.
The economic question of automation springs up again, although the take on it is from the other side than it was in The Truth: what if it isn't one craft that's reduced from an industry to a cottage craft but instead categories of unskilled labor? How does the ripple of economic change spread and how can it gain momentum instead of lose it. This is always presented to Moist in the negative sense: how his rash ideas that words and passions can save people more than sensibility and money can could destroy even Ankh-Morpork; it takes him a long time to see the flip side of that coin.
On the downside, this isn't really anything excitingly new for Discworld. I'll keep reading the same stuff from Pratchett forever--it's brilliant. But sometimes he rises above the (already high) crowd and gives us a Night Watch, or a Fifth Elephant; if the occasional Monstrous Regiment is the price we pay to get them, then I'm happy to pay it.
I did laugh out loud through this one, reading far too many lines to my girlfriend (who was waiting to read it after me), so it's great in that Discworld-is-funny way (unlike, say Monstrous Regiment or Thud), but it's one of those "wait for the coincidences to catch up and then for Vetinari to show that he's known it all along" books, which are just so-so in my opinion.
Well, well worth reading for the humor, but don't drop Night Watch for it.
Oh, and Moist's girlfriend Spike is stirring up trouble with the golems again and might be starting a war with the Low King. Which is actually kind of tame for her. On the plus side, there is a lecherous lich leering after her, so Moist gets to get jealous.
As with all the Vetinari-centered, non-major-character stories (and with about half of the Vimes stories), this one is about the city as a living character in and of itself, asking the same question governments have been struggling with for thousands of years: what makes something valuable, and how can we get control of it? Ankh-Morpork is on the gold standard, which is entirely too inelastic for Moist's view of the world, but no Discworld economist has proposed any alternative and people don't know whether they can trust money they can't block magic with.
The economic question of automation springs up again, although the take on it is from the other side than it was in The Truth: what if it isn't one craft that's reduced from an industry to a cottage craft but instead categories of unskilled labor? How does the ripple of economic change spread and how can it gain momentum instead of lose it. This is always presented to Moist in the negative sense: how his rash ideas that words and passions can save people more than sensibility and money can could destroy even Ankh-Morpork; it takes him a long time to see the flip side of that coin.
On the downside, this isn't really anything excitingly new for Discworld. I'll keep reading the same stuff from Pratchett forever--it's brilliant. But sometimes he rises above the (already high) crowd and gives us a Night Watch, or a Fifth Elephant; if the occasional Monstrous Regiment is the price we pay to get them, then I'm happy to pay it.
I did laugh out loud through this one, reading far too many lines to my girlfriend (who was waiting to read it after me), so it's great in that Discworld-is-funny way (unlike, say Monstrous Regiment or Thud), but it's one of those "wait for the coincidences to catch up and then for Vetinari to show that he's known it all along" books, which are just so-so in my opinion.
Well, well worth reading for the humor, but don't drop Night Watch for it.
April 25, 2017
Making Money is the second book in the Moist von Lipwig subseries of Discworld. I’m enjoying this subseries quite a bit; I’m sorry it only has three books.
In this book, Moist von Lipwig finds himself unexpectedly involved in banking. The way in which this happens is pretty amusing, and the situation provides many chuckles throughout the book. I’m still really enjoying the character, and I also love that Lord Vetinari gets some decent page time in this subseries. The story itself wasn’t super exciting, and I was never in any great suspense about what would happen next, but it was funny and held my attention throughout.
In this book, Moist von Lipwig finds himself unexpectedly involved in banking. The way in which this happens is pretty amusing, and the situation provides many chuckles throughout the book. I’m still really enjoying the character, and I also love that Lord Vetinari gets some decent page time in this subseries. The story itself wasn’t super exciting, and I was never in any great suspense about what would happen next, but it was funny and held my attention throughout.
August 2, 2021
Siempre que leo alguno de los libros del Mundodisco (lo que últimamente parece ser con demasiada frecuencia, lo reconozco) digo lo mismo: que cualquiera podría ser el antídoto perfecto para una depresión. Y con este no va a ser con el que me retracte, pese a que no me ha atrapado como otros y a que tiene una resolución, a mi juicio, algo falta de chispa.
Sin embargo, lo que me ha hecho quitarle una estrella no ha sido eso, sino el hecho de que en este caso no solo no me ha parecido encontrarme con una novela independiente (si no hubiera leído anteriormente “Cartas en el asunto” me habría perdido muchas cosas y no habría terminado de captar del todo el funcionamiento de las dinámicas de relación entre varios personajes), sino que, además, no creo que se le de una buena continuidad a la que, se supone, le precede “temáticamente”. ¡¡Justicia para los funcionarios de correos!!
Sin embargo, lo que me ha hecho quitarle una estrella no ha sido eso, sino el hecho de que en este caso no solo no me ha parecido encontrarme con una novela independiente (si no hubiera leído anteriormente “Cartas en el asunto” me habría perdido muchas cosas y no habría terminado de captar del todo el funcionamiento de las dinámicas de relación entre varios personajes), sino que, además, no creo que se le de una buena continuidad a la que, se supone, le precede “temáticamente”. ¡¡Justicia para los funcionarios de correos!!
February 25, 2020
Probably I should have read Going Postal first. (Have I read that? Not sure - we read a bunch of the Discworld books a while back).
September 19, 2011
Moist von Lipwig, tired after making the Post Office such as success in "Going Postal", is itching for a new challenge - Vetinari sees this and turns Lipwig onto the banks and currency. Thusly Moist enters into a similar story to his last one where instead of the post, he is tasked with rejuvenating the money. The usual cast of new characters who seem familiarly like some previous new characters are present as are stock favourites, Vetinari, Vimes, Carrot, and a cameo by Death.
As others have pointed out the similarities to "Going Postal" are glaring and this is the problem with "Making Money" in that it has the feeling that we've been here before, not 2 years ago in fact! Sadly, it's very predictable fare. As Nobbs points out to Colon in the first third of the book: "Odds, sarge?" "You're running a book, Nobby. You always run a book" "Can't get any takers, sarge. Foregone conclusion. Everyone thinks he'll win" (p.132). And he does. A foregone conclusion. Yawn.
It wouldn't be so bad if Pratchett had made some interesting villains or obstacles but what we get is a rich guy who wants to be Vetinari, and something ominous but vague about golems which is quickly resolved in a paragraph at the end. Hardly edge of the seat stuff. Even the "secret" of Mr Bent, one of the new characters, is poor stuff. It's built up throughout the book and then revealed in a very weak punchline at the end. Vetinari disappointingly is present through much of the book when before he would have a couple of pages at the beginning and a couple at the end. His menace and mystique goes from interesting and dark to being that of a stern headmaster who is nonetheless approachable.
Also, there isn't much satire here. What exactly is he lampooning? Pratchett's always very sharp on his targets in Discworld but there doesn't seem to be a target here except that he wanted to introduce paper money to the citizens of Ankh Morpork which, really, he could have mentioned in a throwaway line in a better Discworld book ("What's this paper money for? Where's the gold?" "Y'know that Lipwig fellow? Vetinari put him in charge of the banks, so that's what we've got now" "Oh").
Who'd have thought it with Pratchett's ingenuinty - a by-the-numbers Discworld book? And it's hinted at the end that Moist will reappear to re-do the Ankh Morpork tax system! Dear me, I sincerely hope that book never materialises. The character of Moist was good for one book, two is stretching it, three is too much.
I can't bash this too much being a lifelong Discworld fan. It's well written and has enough going on to hold the interest even if you can see what's going to happen a mile off. Still, a visit to Ankh Morpork is always welcome and it's fun to see the familiar characters once again. Ideally a new Death book would be best but hey ho I guess Terry's lost interest in him and is content to churn out Young Adult Discworld like the atrocious Tiffany Aching/Nac Mac Feegle books. I just hope Terry goes with two of his other ideas "Snuff" featuring Vimes, and/or "Scouting for Trolls" a riff on "Scouting for Boys" instead of rounding off the trilogy of Moist (Moist! That name!) books.
As others have pointed out the similarities to "Going Postal" are glaring and this is the problem with "Making Money" in that it has the feeling that we've been here before, not 2 years ago in fact! Sadly, it's very predictable fare. As Nobbs points out to Colon in the first third of the book: "Odds, sarge?" "You're running a book, Nobby. You always run a book" "Can't get any takers, sarge. Foregone conclusion. Everyone thinks he'll win" (p.132). And he does. A foregone conclusion. Yawn.
It wouldn't be so bad if Pratchett had made some interesting villains or obstacles but what we get is a rich guy who wants to be Vetinari, and something ominous but vague about golems which is quickly resolved in a paragraph at the end. Hardly edge of the seat stuff. Even the "secret" of Mr Bent, one of the new characters, is poor stuff. It's built up throughout the book and then revealed in a very weak punchline at the end. Vetinari disappointingly is present through much of the book when before he would have a couple of pages at the beginning and a couple at the end. His menace and mystique goes from interesting and dark to being that of a stern headmaster who is nonetheless approachable.
Also, there isn't much satire here. What exactly is he lampooning? Pratchett's always very sharp on his targets in Discworld but there doesn't seem to be a target here except that he wanted to introduce paper money to the citizens of Ankh Morpork which, really, he could have mentioned in a throwaway line in a better Discworld book ("What's this paper money for? Where's the gold?" "Y'know that Lipwig fellow? Vetinari put him in charge of the banks, so that's what we've got now" "Oh").
Who'd have thought it with Pratchett's ingenuinty - a by-the-numbers Discworld book? And it's hinted at the end that Moist will reappear to re-do the Ankh Morpork tax system! Dear me, I sincerely hope that book never materialises. The character of Moist was good for one book, two is stretching it, three is too much.
I can't bash this too much being a lifelong Discworld fan. It's well written and has enough going on to hold the interest even if you can see what's going to happen a mile off. Still, a visit to Ankh Morpork is always welcome and it's fun to see the familiar characters once again. Ideally a new Death book would be best but hey ho I guess Terry's lost interest in him and is content to churn out Young Adult Discworld like the atrocious Tiffany Aching/Nac Mac Feegle books. I just hope Terry goes with two of his other ideas "Snuff" featuring Vimes, and/or "Scouting for Trolls" a riff on "Scouting for Boys" instead of rounding off the trilogy of Moist (Moist! That name!) books.
May 26, 2018
1 January, 2009
I love these newer Discowurld books where Pratchett is bringing his creation into the industrial age.
***
June, 2009
Where a science fiction author might use robots to examine the idea of gender, Pratchett uses golems. For some reason, I love that. I also really enjoy how most of his stories are about how humans use stories to make sense of the world around us.
Library copy
I love these newer Discowurld books where Pratchett is bringing his creation into the industrial age.
***
June, 2009
Where a science fiction author might use robots to examine the idea of gender, Pratchett uses golems. For some reason, I love that. I also really enjoy how most of his stories are about how humans use stories to make sense of the world around us.
Library copy
January 1, 2020
10/24/19: Another audiobook re-read, this time so I could do crafts and miniatures painting with something to listen to. I liked the narrator better this time around, but it's good there isn't much Commander Vimes in this one, because I completely disagree with his interpretation of the character. Also noticed Moist's verbal tic of beginning a sentence with "O-kaaay," which I actually like. Now I have to decide if I'm going to finish off with Raising Steam, which I've only ever read once.
1/6/17: I re-read this as an audiobook as a test of the library's Overdrive system with my new phone and was surprised to see, when it's read aloud, how much there is of the Patrician in this book. (Stephen Briggs is not my favoritest narrator ever; his Patrician sounds like Stephen Fry, and yeah, who doesn't love Stephen Fry, he's just not how I imagine the Patrician sounding. And Briggs' default generic voice is Sort Of Scandinavian Or Something, which is just weird.)
Anyway, what I said below still goes, except for the final sentence, since now we know we got Raising Steam instead of the implied book about reforming the Ankh-Morpork tax system. I've only read that one once, which probably says something about how I liked it.
Read 8/12/10: Of all the Discworld novels, the ones featuring Moist von Lipwig are my favorites. I'm a sucker for rogues, and our hero is that in spades. What else can I say? I like everything about this book, including:
*the chain-smoking Adora Belle Dearheart, sensible and single-minded and still very attached to Moist
*Gladys the golem and her never-ending quest to become a Proper Lady
*the eternal question of how to deal with forgery (which in this case is to enlist the forgers on the side of Good)
*Angels, and the existence or lack thereof
*Igor
*The power of symbolism, in currency, necromancy, and the Golden Suit
I would very much like to see Moist tackle Ankh-Morpork's tax system, as the Patrician hints at the end of the book. Given Mr. Pratchett's health problems, that book would be especially welcome.
1/6/17: I re-read this as an audiobook as a test of the library's Overdrive system with my new phone and was surprised to see, when it's read aloud, how much there is of the Patrician in this book. (Stephen Briggs is not my favoritest narrator ever; his Patrician sounds like Stephen Fry, and yeah, who doesn't love Stephen Fry, he's just not how I imagine the Patrician sounding. And Briggs' default generic voice is Sort Of Scandinavian Or Something, which is just weird.)
Anyway, what I said below still goes, except for the final sentence, since now we know we got Raising Steam instead of the implied book about reforming the Ankh-Morpork tax system. I've only read that one once, which probably says something about how I liked it.
Read 8/12/10: Of all the Discworld novels, the ones featuring Moist von Lipwig are my favorites. I'm a sucker for rogues, and our hero is that in spades. What else can I say? I like everything about this book, including:
*the chain-smoking Adora Belle Dearheart, sensible and single-minded and still very attached to Moist
*Gladys the golem and her never-ending quest to become a Proper Lady
*the eternal question of how to deal with forgery (which in this case is to enlist the forgers on the side of Good)
*Angels, and the existence or lack thereof
*Igor
*The power of symbolism, in currency, necromancy, and the Golden Suit
I would very much like to see Moist tackle Ankh-Morpork's tax system, as the Patrician hints at the end of the book. Given Mr. Pratchett's health problems, that book would be especially welcome.
May 20, 2016
Another Discworld book. These are now so familiar and comfortable, like a well worn pair of slippers or a battered old leather armchair.
I confess that the plots are a little formulaic, and there is an element of repetition, but these books are done so well. The Discworld multiverse is coherent and consistant within its own logic, and the level of detail is superb. Pratchett's books ooze wit and repartee from every page, and to me his work bears comparison with the traditional standard bearers of British humour such as Carry On films, Monty Python or The Goons
One little example from this book that warms the cockles of any red blooded Englishman. The head of the Guild of Greengrocer's features on a single page - and his few lines are littered with inappropriate apostrophes - absolutely delicious. See https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/greeng...
As was once said "I get down on my knees every night and thank God for making me an Englishman" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_...
Moist von Lipwig is a con artist and a thief, so what better job for him than the head of the Bank of Ankh Morpork. Cue mishaps, jolly japes and adventures, with Moist coming through by the skin of his teeth, helped by a rich cast of characters. My favourite in this book is one of the regulars, Lord Vetenari (despot of AM) who deftly orchestrates much of the action, or at least thinks he does.
I confess that the plots are a little formulaic, and there is an element of repetition, but these books are done so well. The Discworld multiverse is coherent and consistant within its own logic, and the level of detail is superb. Pratchett's books ooze wit and repartee from every page, and to me his work bears comparison with the traditional standard bearers of British humour such as Carry On films, Monty Python or The Goons
One little example from this book that warms the cockles of any red blooded Englishman. The head of the Guild of Greengrocer's features on a single page - and his few lines are littered with inappropriate apostrophes - absolutely delicious. See https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/greeng...
As was once said "I get down on my knees every night and thank God for making me an Englishman" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_...
Moist von Lipwig is a con artist and a thief, so what better job for him than the head of the Bank of Ankh Morpork. Cue mishaps, jolly japes and adventures, with Moist coming through by the skin of his teeth, helped by a rich cast of characters. My favourite in this book is one of the regulars, Lord Vetenari (despot of AM) who deftly orchestrates much of the action, or at least thinks he does.
May 19, 2020
Part of the Pratchett reread with the SpecFic Buddy Reads group in 2020.
Moist von Lipwig is growing bored with being an upstanding member of society and head of the Post Office. He's been a little too successful with it, and now he doesn't feel challenged. Vetinari sees this, as he does everything, and gives Moist a brand new challenge: Master of the Royal Mint and the task of reforming Ankh-Morpork's financial system, which to date, mostly consists of sock-under-the-mattress savings and a bank that's devoted to the gold standard and only loaning money to people who've already got lots of it.
While Moist is a fun character, in a lot of ways this book is just a rehash of Going Postal with slightly different situations. It's also the book where it feels like Pratchett's illness began to change the way he was writing, but it could simply be that this is just a weaker entry in the series.
Still, its funny where it needs to be and further reforms Moist's character. It would have been interesting to see if Vetinari had him in mind to eventually succeed him, but the series never got that far.
Moist von Lipwig is growing bored with being an upstanding member of society and head of the Post Office. He's been a little too successful with it, and now he doesn't feel challenged. Vetinari sees this, as he does everything, and gives Moist a brand new challenge: Master of the Royal Mint and the task of reforming Ankh-Morpork's financial system, which to date, mostly consists of sock-under-the-mattress savings and a bank that's devoted to the gold standard and only loaning money to people who've already got lots of it.
While Moist is a fun character, in a lot of ways this book is just a rehash of Going Postal with slightly different situations. It's also the book where it feels like Pratchett's illness began to change the way he was writing, but it could simply be that this is just a weaker entry in the series.
Still, its funny where it needs to be and further reforms Moist's character. It would have been interesting to see if Vetinari had him in mind to eventually succeed him, but the series never got that far.
December 8, 2022
I enjoyed it even more on second reading.
September 21, 2020
There are two ways I can review this book. The first is to talk about the book. The second is to talk about me.
It's probably fairer to review the book first.
'Making Money' is one of the more recent books by the much esteemed and prolific Terry Pratchett, for whom everyone prays (even if they aren't the praying sort) that he staves off his senility long enough to crank out another 30 or 40 novels. Pratchett has a bit of something for almost everyone's taste and is one of the author's I turn to when I want to read but don't really feel like reading. I do this because his novels are just so fun.
'Making Money' is one of Pratchett's Discworld novels, set in the city of Anhk-Morpork with its attendant cast of characters, and the second featuring one of Pratchett's more recent protagonists - the con-artist with a heart of gold, Moist Von Lipwig. All of Pratchett's novels are subversively didactic, and of Pratchett's protagonists, Moist Von Lipwig is probably the least subversive vehicle for Pratchett's attempts to educate the reader. In this story, the topic of Pratchett's humorous inventive lecture in novel form is primarily economics.
‘Making Money’ has all of Pratchett’s usual sly turns of phrase and humor, but it suffers from Pratchett’s usual unevenness. Sometimes he’s very very good: one of the best. At other times, he doesn’t quite get it all to come together and the jokes fall a little flat. In this case, he’s better than his worst but nowhere near his best. The occasional flatness of the humor isn’t the worst problem though. The central problem of the story is that it takes far too long for our protagonist to encounter significant difficulty, and once obstacles are placed in front of him they prove insufficiently daunting in appearance and too easily surmounted in fact. Also, the subplots of the story are not nearly as interesting as they are in other Pratchett novels, and the story fails to be as good as its predecessor ‘Going Postal’. Most of all, the various threads of the story don’t come together as neatly and perfectly as we would desire in a story like this. True, Pratchett ties it all together toward the end and resolves all of his loose ends, but the resulting package is not very neat nonetheless nor does the ending give an satisfying structure to the basically random events that led up to it. The reader is left wanting something, or at least I was.
Still, it’s an enjoyable read on a cold afternoon under a blanket with a cup of hot tea near at hand.
That is my review of the book, informed by my impressions but without really intruding into the review that much. What follows is a review of myself reading the book.
I think a lot. My thoughts just keep going and going and there is little I can do to stop them. Lately, my thoughts have been rather dampening my ability to enjoy fiction. The catalyst for this has been in part Goodreads. I can’t blame everything on Goodreads, as the rest of the internet and my relationship to it bears a portion of the blame, but it is Goodreads that bears most closely on my relationship to books and which most resulted in prompting this particular train of thought because it most exposed me to other people saying why it was that they liked books.
And the results of learning why people liked books have been rather horrifying to me, and have caused me to look at fiction with a general disgust that is not easily brushed off. I can safely say that over the past year I’ve read less fiction than in any other year since I learned to read. Pratchett is particularly well suited to illustrating the problem precisely because as I said, he offers a little something for everyone. To understand the problem, it’s important to note that my favorite books are J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and Gene Wolfe’s ‘Book of the New Sun’. Both authors I came upon something by accident - Tolkien in elementary school and Wolfe in college - without particularly seeking them out and without knowing anything particular about them.
At Goodreads as I read various people expounding on why they liked this book or that book, I noticed that the general pattern was that people liked books primarily because the books confirmed or validated for them something that they already dearly believed or liked to believe, about themselves, or the world, or other people. This could be in the form of some escapist fantasy in the case of a ‘lighter’ work of literature, or it could be in the form of some sort of philosophical or political point made cleverly or bluntly, openly or covertly. What I discovered was that people liked books, and in particular gave to books the label of ‘literature’, because they liked to be lied to. They liked to have complex problems simplified. They liked to have straw men representatives of things that they didn’t like held up to be mocked or defeated. They liked to have their opinions validated. They liked to have the truth simplified and dumbed down. They liked to believe that one single story reflected artfully in some broken mirror shard told them everything that they needed to know about the real world. That is what entertained them. And it didn’t seem to matter how intelligent the person was. In fact, if anything, the more intelligent the reviewer seemed, the more prone they seemed to this behavior. The less intellectual the reviewer and the less they seemed to think about what they read, the less prone to liking something for this reason that they seemed. Although, it often didn’t seem to matter because the less intellectual reviewers always seemed to find what they wanted to find in the story when they reviewed it at length even if it wasn’t actually there.
Or to put it even more plainly, nothing objectively separates the reading of works of literature from listening to that preeminent entertainer of our day Rush Limbaugh. For those of you that would rather gag on a pile of maggots than listen to Rush, he has always been very open about the fact that he is not a journalist but an entertainer. And he has always been very open about the fact that he succeeds at entertaining people and garnering listeners because he validates for his listeners in ways that they find artful and compelling what they have always believed anyway. Like Moist Von Lipwig, he has the gift of being able to show the trick to his audience and still get away with it. I’ve always found that Rush is a far smarter individual than his critics give credit for. It may be that he’s a complete hypocrite or that he’s wrong about everything, but he is no fool. I have lately come to the conclusion that Rush’s observation about why he succeeds in talk radio probably applies to all forms of artistic expression generally. We like what caters to us. And that’s all. Nothing more. Everything else seems very likely to me at this point to be rationalization and covering up for ourselves so as to claim that our opinions as to the value of art are objective facts – this is good and that is bad. Or, since ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are not words academia is fond of, we find some more nuanced way of saying exactly the same thing.
I’m forced to this conclusion by examining everything I do like. Although I loved the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and Gene Wolfe long before I knew them to be committed Christians, it is not I think incidental to my enjoyment of them that they are very covertly saying things that I believe. Sure, they are saying it so covertly that many readers probably don’t even notice it there and even I didn’t notice it there at first, and didn’t notice it until I learned of their beliefs and really started digging for it, but its not I think random that my favorite authors would turn out to be people whose beliefs about the world basically agree with my own. All up and down the list, it is the same. It’s even the same if we turn to the subject of movies. I like ‘Chariots of Fire’ and ‘Lily of the Fields’. I like ‘October Sky’, ‘Apollo 13’, and ‘The Incredibles’. And if you know me as well or nearly as well as I know myself, then the reply to this ought to be, “Well of course you do.”
When we speak of reading we often use the metaphor of eating. When we read a book we devour it with or mind; we drink it in. We digest its contents. Well, I find it not terribly surprising on reflection that the things which I find agreeable are those things which agree with me.
Pratchett is an excellent case in point. Amongst my friends of a particular political and philosophical bent, their favorites tend to be precisely the ones where Pratchett’s bit of didacticism most agrees with their own. These of course I found the least interesting, least readable, with the least empathetic characters, least amusing humor, and least satisfying twists. On the other hand, my favorites were stories like ‘The Night Watch’ and ‘Wee Free Men’. These I found to have the most empathetic characters, the most exiciting endings, the most amusing humor, and to be the most compelling reading. Of course, the stories I liked best were also some of the stories where Pratchett’s Libertarian, scientific, and nerdy inclinations most clearly intersected my own. So in fact, I find myself unable to state that they were better written or better conceived stories than the ones I didn’t like. Perhaps I find Pratchett’s writing ‘uneven’ solely because he and I are both highly eclectic individuals with diverse tastes, and all I was really critiquing was how closely he tacked to what I believed. Like Homer Simpson, do I find it funny only when I find it to be true?
I find the whole idea I've constructed here repellent. It causes me to question whether there is any real value in fiction at all. I don't like it, but I also don't see any evidence that it isn't true.
It's probably fairer to review the book first.
'Making Money' is one of the more recent books by the much esteemed and prolific Terry Pratchett, for whom everyone prays (even if they aren't the praying sort) that he staves off his senility long enough to crank out another 30 or 40 novels. Pratchett has a bit of something for almost everyone's taste and is one of the author's I turn to when I want to read but don't really feel like reading. I do this because his novels are just so fun.
'Making Money' is one of Pratchett's Discworld novels, set in the city of Anhk-Morpork with its attendant cast of characters, and the second featuring one of Pratchett's more recent protagonists - the con-artist with a heart of gold, Moist Von Lipwig. All of Pratchett's novels are subversively didactic, and of Pratchett's protagonists, Moist Von Lipwig is probably the least subversive vehicle for Pratchett's attempts to educate the reader. In this story, the topic of Pratchett's humorous inventive lecture in novel form is primarily economics.
‘Making Money’ has all of Pratchett’s usual sly turns of phrase and humor, but it suffers from Pratchett’s usual unevenness. Sometimes he’s very very good: one of the best. At other times, he doesn’t quite get it all to come together and the jokes fall a little flat. In this case, he’s better than his worst but nowhere near his best. The occasional flatness of the humor isn’t the worst problem though. The central problem of the story is that it takes far too long for our protagonist to encounter significant difficulty, and once obstacles are placed in front of him they prove insufficiently daunting in appearance and too easily surmounted in fact. Also, the subplots of the story are not nearly as interesting as they are in other Pratchett novels, and the story fails to be as good as its predecessor ‘Going Postal’. Most of all, the various threads of the story don’t come together as neatly and perfectly as we would desire in a story like this. True, Pratchett ties it all together toward the end and resolves all of his loose ends, but the resulting package is not very neat nonetheless nor does the ending give an satisfying structure to the basically random events that led up to it. The reader is left wanting something, or at least I was.
Still, it’s an enjoyable read on a cold afternoon under a blanket with a cup of hot tea near at hand.
That is my review of the book, informed by my impressions but without really intruding into the review that much. What follows is a review of myself reading the book.
I think a lot. My thoughts just keep going and going and there is little I can do to stop them. Lately, my thoughts have been rather dampening my ability to enjoy fiction. The catalyst for this has been in part Goodreads. I can’t blame everything on Goodreads, as the rest of the internet and my relationship to it bears a portion of the blame, but it is Goodreads that bears most closely on my relationship to books and which most resulted in prompting this particular train of thought because it most exposed me to other people saying why it was that they liked books.
And the results of learning why people liked books have been rather horrifying to me, and have caused me to look at fiction with a general disgust that is not easily brushed off. I can safely say that over the past year I’ve read less fiction than in any other year since I learned to read. Pratchett is particularly well suited to illustrating the problem precisely because as I said, he offers a little something for everyone. To understand the problem, it’s important to note that my favorite books are J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and Gene Wolfe’s ‘Book of the New Sun’. Both authors I came upon something by accident - Tolkien in elementary school and Wolfe in college - without particularly seeking them out and without knowing anything particular about them.
At Goodreads as I read various people expounding on why they liked this book or that book, I noticed that the general pattern was that people liked books primarily because the books confirmed or validated for them something that they already dearly believed or liked to believe, about themselves, or the world, or other people. This could be in the form of some escapist fantasy in the case of a ‘lighter’ work of literature, or it could be in the form of some sort of philosophical or political point made cleverly or bluntly, openly or covertly. What I discovered was that people liked books, and in particular gave to books the label of ‘literature’, because they liked to be lied to. They liked to have complex problems simplified. They liked to have straw men representatives of things that they didn’t like held up to be mocked or defeated. They liked to have their opinions validated. They liked to have the truth simplified and dumbed down. They liked to believe that one single story reflected artfully in some broken mirror shard told them everything that they needed to know about the real world. That is what entertained them. And it didn’t seem to matter how intelligent the person was. In fact, if anything, the more intelligent the reviewer seemed, the more prone they seemed to this behavior. The less intellectual the reviewer and the less they seemed to think about what they read, the less prone to liking something for this reason that they seemed. Although, it often didn’t seem to matter because the less intellectual reviewers always seemed to find what they wanted to find in the story when they reviewed it at length even if it wasn’t actually there.
Or to put it even more plainly, nothing objectively separates the reading of works of literature from listening to that preeminent entertainer of our day Rush Limbaugh. For those of you that would rather gag on a pile of maggots than listen to Rush, he has always been very open about the fact that he is not a journalist but an entertainer. And he has always been very open about the fact that he succeeds at entertaining people and garnering listeners because he validates for his listeners in ways that they find artful and compelling what they have always believed anyway. Like Moist Von Lipwig, he has the gift of being able to show the trick to his audience and still get away with it. I’ve always found that Rush is a far smarter individual than his critics give credit for. It may be that he’s a complete hypocrite or that he’s wrong about everything, but he is no fool. I have lately come to the conclusion that Rush’s observation about why he succeeds in talk radio probably applies to all forms of artistic expression generally. We like what caters to us. And that’s all. Nothing more. Everything else seems very likely to me at this point to be rationalization and covering up for ourselves so as to claim that our opinions as to the value of art are objective facts – this is good and that is bad. Or, since ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are not words academia is fond of, we find some more nuanced way of saying exactly the same thing.
I’m forced to this conclusion by examining everything I do like. Although I loved the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and Gene Wolfe long before I knew them to be committed Christians, it is not I think incidental to my enjoyment of them that they are very covertly saying things that I believe. Sure, they are saying it so covertly that many readers probably don’t even notice it there and even I didn’t notice it there at first, and didn’t notice it until I learned of their beliefs and really started digging for it, but its not I think random that my favorite authors would turn out to be people whose beliefs about the world basically agree with my own. All up and down the list, it is the same. It’s even the same if we turn to the subject of movies. I like ‘Chariots of Fire’ and ‘Lily of the Fields’. I like ‘October Sky’, ‘Apollo 13’, and ‘The Incredibles’. And if you know me as well or nearly as well as I know myself, then the reply to this ought to be, “Well of course you do.”
When we speak of reading we often use the metaphor of eating. When we read a book we devour it with or mind; we drink it in. We digest its contents. Well, I find it not terribly surprising on reflection that the things which I find agreeable are those things which agree with me.
Pratchett is an excellent case in point. Amongst my friends of a particular political and philosophical bent, their favorites tend to be precisely the ones where Pratchett’s bit of didacticism most agrees with their own. These of course I found the least interesting, least readable, with the least empathetic characters, least amusing humor, and least satisfying twists. On the other hand, my favorites were stories like ‘The Night Watch’ and ‘Wee Free Men’. These I found to have the most empathetic characters, the most exiciting endings, the most amusing humor, and to be the most compelling reading. Of course, the stories I liked best were also some of the stories where Pratchett’s Libertarian, scientific, and nerdy inclinations most clearly intersected my own. So in fact, I find myself unable to state that they were better written or better conceived stories than the ones I didn’t like. Perhaps I find Pratchett’s writing ‘uneven’ solely because he and I are both highly eclectic individuals with diverse tastes, and all I was really critiquing was how closely he tacked to what I believed. Like Homer Simpson, do I find it funny only when I find it to be true?
I find the whole idea I've constructed here repellent. It causes me to question whether there is any real value in fiction at all. I don't like it, but I also don't see any evidence that it isn't true.
February 21, 2023
Мокр фон Губперука знову затягує Ветінарі в нову авантюру, цього разу- банк.
Це було не настільки цікаво і фаново як з поштою, але для розваги на кілька вечорів цілком згодиться :)
Це було не настільки цікаво і фаново як з поштою, але для розваги на кілька вечорів цілком згодиться :)
December 7, 2017
If you liked Going Postal, you'll like this. Unless you can still actually remember Going Postal, in which case you'll probably have a weird sense of deja vu.
Going Postal tried to make up for its being a basically thin and over-familiar installment of Discworld by being very well polished and very slick. Making Money rewrites Going Postal, but less well polished, and less slick, which magnifies all of the faults already present in Going Postal, adds some more, and actually makes the earlier book look weaker in retrospect by association. It was probably the worst Discworld novel in a decade.
But then again, that's praising with faint damnation. It may not be up the the heights of Pratchett's greatest hits, but it's still solidly enjoyable. For all the sigh-inducing misjudged, lazy or overwritten jokes or tired character beats, there's a moment of joy, particularly in the wonderful central section set in the Unseen University. The central character may actually be slightly better written than in his first outing. The plot, while by-numbers, does at least move along at a decent pace.
Because Going Postal is often recommended as an intro to Discworld (not wholly unfairly), there will be many people for whom Making Money is their second Pratchett... and that's not terrible. While it's safe and comfortable, that probably makes it a more accessible, less divisive early read than some of the actual early Discworld novels, and the tropes that have become too familiar for hardened fans may still be fresh for the newcomer, or for the casual reader who hasn't read nearly 40 of these things by now. It is by no means the worst of the Discworld novels, and is an entertaining light read.
It's just... well, it's not exactly a good book. It's not a bad book either. It's an OK book, if you like this sort of thing (and fortunately, lots of us do). It's... Not Bad.
...but if you want that assessment explained in greater detail, my full review is on my blog.
Going Postal tried to make up for its being a basically thin and over-familiar installment of Discworld by being very well polished and very slick. Making Money rewrites Going Postal, but less well polished, and less slick, which magnifies all of the faults already present in Going Postal, adds some more, and actually makes the earlier book look weaker in retrospect by association. It was probably the worst Discworld novel in a decade.
But then again, that's praising with faint damnation. It may not be up the the heights of Pratchett's greatest hits, but it's still solidly enjoyable. For all the sigh-inducing misjudged, lazy or overwritten jokes or tired character beats, there's a moment of joy, particularly in the wonderful central section set in the Unseen University. The central character may actually be slightly better written than in his first outing. The plot, while by-numbers, does at least move along at a decent pace.
Because Going Postal is often recommended as an intro to Discworld (not wholly unfairly), there will be many people for whom Making Money is their second Pratchett... and that's not terrible. While it's safe and comfortable, that probably makes it a more accessible, less divisive early read than some of the actual early Discworld novels, and the tropes that have become too familiar for hardened fans may still be fresh for the newcomer, or for the casual reader who hasn't read nearly 40 of these things by now. It is by no means the worst of the Discworld novels, and is an entertaining light read.
It's just... well, it's not exactly a good book. It's not a bad book either. It's an OK book, if you like this sort of thing (and fortunately, lots of us do). It's... Not Bad.
...but if you want that assessment explained in greater detail, my full review is on my blog.
April 12, 2019
So clever and so very amusing. I just loved it! I think everyone should have a feisty octogenarian in their life to keep them on their toes and remind them to be glad they are alive. I am referring here to one of my favorite characters, Topsy Lavish. Her dog Mr. Fusspot is also worth a mention! Here are my very favorite quotes:
“Rich as plum pudding and more complicated than a dwarf contract” on describing the new design of bank notes.
So descriptive and reminiscent of some family gatherings: "They got along like a bag full of cats."
So endearing and makes me feel nostalgic for rural England: "that most knowledgeable of beings, the man in the pub."
Inventive description, which provides us with a clear impression: "a voice like a saw encountering a nail with a slight additional touch of foghorn."
Added on 4/12/19: Finally, I found a scrap of paper under a cookbook on my kitchen counter with this quote scribbled on it, I must have been listening while baking: "If you want to sell the sausage you have to know how to sell the sizzle." In other words, you need to ignite the imagination of the customer to what your product can become in order to be successful at selling it.
“Rich as plum pudding and more complicated than a dwarf contract” on describing the new design of bank notes.
So descriptive and reminiscent of some family gatherings: "They got along like a bag full of cats."
So endearing and makes me feel nostalgic for rural England: "that most knowledgeable of beings, the man in the pub."
Inventive description, which provides us with a clear impression: "a voice like a saw encountering a nail with a slight additional touch of foghorn."
Added on 4/12/19: Finally, I found a scrap of paper under a cookbook on my kitchen counter with this quote scribbled on it, I must have been listening while baking: "If you want to sell the sausage you have to know how to sell the sizzle." In other words, you need to ignite the imagination of the customer to what your product can become in order to be successful at selling it.
January 27, 2020
This was a DNF due to an array of factors, the most important of which was the plot and odd sense of humor which while appreciated isn't the sort I gravitate towards. He's an extremely prolific author with a big following though I won't be added to the list!
October 17, 2014
7.5/10
Another enjoyable romp in the Discworld universe this time following up with Moist Von Lipwig and his escapades in Going Postal. To date Moist has to be my favourite character in the limited amount of Discworlds I have read and still retains the award for worst named character ever (no official award has been produced to my knowledge).
In the previous outing Moist took on the troubles of the Post Office, this time he takes on the issues with the banks. The usual dry and humorous observations are planted throughout which will raise a smile at the similarities to our own world but there are enough fantastical elements to make it a unique enough experience. Whilst you could label this fantasy it could easily be put under the bracket of satirical too.
Moist is the same character as in the previous novel in that he is a complete outsider thrust into a position of authority with no previous knowledge. This leads to some of the funnier moments as it is his questioning of some of the institutional thinking that is so inherently in place that people just do it rather than knowing why they are doing that really hit home and were easily identifiable with most of the places I have worked (and no doubt the majority of the readers!).
If you’re new to the Discworld series then this isn’t a book to start with. It could be read as a standalone but you would miss out on some of the hints to the previous novel. I’ve only read a handful and I definitely felt the experience would have improved with some more information on characters cropping up. Moist is a great character and there are plenty of funny parts and some great side characters to keep things moving along nicely. So whilst a book about banking might not get you salivating with anticipation, this is definitely worth your time.
If you enjoy this try: “Mort” by Terry Pratchett
Another enjoyable romp in the Discworld universe this time following up with Moist Von Lipwig and his escapades in Going Postal. To date Moist has to be my favourite character in the limited amount of Discworlds I have read and still retains the award for worst named character ever (no official award has been produced to my knowledge).
In the previous outing Moist took on the troubles of the Post Office, this time he takes on the issues with the banks. The usual dry and humorous observations are planted throughout which will raise a smile at the similarities to our own world but there are enough fantastical elements to make it a unique enough experience. Whilst you could label this fantasy it could easily be put under the bracket of satirical too.
Moist is the same character as in the previous novel in that he is a complete outsider thrust into a position of authority with no previous knowledge. This leads to some of the funnier moments as it is his questioning of some of the institutional thinking that is so inherently in place that people just do it rather than knowing why they are doing that really hit home and were easily identifiable with most of the places I have worked (and no doubt the majority of the readers!).
If you’re new to the Discworld series then this isn’t a book to start with. It could be read as a standalone but you would miss out on some of the hints to the previous novel. I’ve only read a handful and I definitely felt the experience would have improved with some more information on characters cropping up. Moist is a great character and there are plenty of funny parts and some great side characters to keep things moving along nicely. So whilst a book about banking might not get you salivating with anticipation, this is definitely worth your time.
If you enjoy this try: “Mort” by Terry Pratchett
April 27, 2020
I think I read a much earlier Discworld book many moons ago. I'm probably not the right audience for this, as humorous fantasy/SF usually doesn't appeal as I find it a bit predictable and not very funny. I quite liked some of the characters, but I didn't find enough tension between the humour. The plot seemed very thin, and although various perils were set up for the hero Moist - whose name is presumably meant to be amusing but doesn't really seem so to me - they were quickly resolved or just forgotten, such as the assassins guild who fired a couple of arrows but afterwards just disappeared. The main threat - from the man with mechanical dentures, who threatened to reveal Moist's criminal past - is similary easily resolved by a bit of good luck. Towards the end there is an introduction of clowns which I have always found creepy, rather than funny, so that didn't help either. So although I did occasionally chuckle and did enjoy the visit to the necromancer, I can't say this was uproariously funny. So for me a solid 3-star read.
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