83 books
—
931 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Going Postal (Discworld, #33; Moist von Lipwig, #1)” as Want to Read:
Going Postal
(Discworld #33)
by
Arch-swindler Moist Van Lipwig never believed his confidence crimes were hanging offenses - until he found himself with a noose tightly around his neck, dropping through a trapdoor, and falling into...a government job?
By all rights, Moist should have met his maker. Instead, it's Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork, who promptly offers him a job as Postmaster. Sinc ...more
By all rights, Moist should have met his maker. Instead, it's Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork, who promptly offers him a job as Postmaster. Sinc ...more
Get A Copy
Mass Market Paperback, 394 pages
Published
September 27th 2005
by HarperTorch
(first published September 25th 2004)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Going Postal (Discworld, #33; Moist von Lipwig, #1)
Reading for the 400th time. I needed the comfort, and the escape, and the world which has a lot of darkness so you can see the light better. God I miss Pratchett.
The mail must get through!
He was part of the government, wasn't he? Governments took money off people. That's what they were for.
Turns out, years spent scamming and conning the public have excellently prepared Moist von Lipwig with the skill set needed to run a vast corporation.
Who knew?
My Discworld-reading for the Humour Club has had its ups and downs. Some books I loved, some bored me to tears, one I didn't finish. I thrilled to the adventures of the witches, laughed at the exploits of the Nig ...more
He was part of the government, wasn't he? Governments took money off people. That's what they were for.
Turns out, years spent scamming and conning the public have excellently prepared Moist von Lipwig with the skill set needed to run a vast corporation.
Who knew?
My Discworld-reading for the Humour Club has had its ups and downs. Some books I loved, some bored me to tears, one I didn't finish. I thrilled to the adventures of the witches, laughed at the exploits of the Nig ...more
I love it when one work of art makes me think of another and my enjoyment of both is enhanced.
The executive office meeting subsequent to the gallows made me think of Mel Brooks’ hilarious 1974 film Blazing Saddles and Harvey Korman’s portrayal of Hedley LaMarr. So throughout the rest of the novel I eschewed the British aristocratic drawl of Lord Vetinari and replaced with Korman’s robber baron prose for full comedic effect.
Granny Weatherwax is still my favorite, but Sir Terry has succeeded again ...more
The executive office meeting subsequent to the gallows made me think of Mel Brooks’ hilarious 1974 film Blazing Saddles and Harvey Korman’s portrayal of Hedley LaMarr. So throughout the rest of the novel I eschewed the British aristocratic drawl of Lord Vetinari and replaced with Korman’s robber baron prose for full comedic effect.
Granny Weatherwax is still my favorite, but Sir Terry has succeeded again ...more
For the longest time, Going Postal has been my best known unread book. Having watched and rewatched the SkyOne TV adaptation, I had sort of tacitly decided that actually reading the book was not high on my list of priorities. Plus, Charles Dance is the quintessential Lord Vetinari as far as I'm concerned. Sorry GoT fans, the Discworld was here long before you.
Moist von Lipwig has dedicated most of his life to perfecting the intricacies of con-artistry, but his unparalleled streak of luck is abou ...more
Moist von Lipwig has dedicated most of his life to perfecting the intricacies of con-artistry, but his unparalleled streak of luck is abou ...more
Welcome to the Industrial Revolution! Well, technically we already had three books belonging to that sub-series (though I only really consider two of those truly to be of that subject), but this one is full of ... industry. And not as in factories but as in a man's industrious efforts.
Meet Moist von Lipwick. No, his parents really didn't think it through when naming him. He is up to no good, cheating people out of money (though always without using any form of violence) and he is about to pay th ...more
Meet Moist von Lipwick. No, his parents really didn't think it through when naming him. He is up to no good, cheating people out of money (though always without using any form of violence) and he is about to pay th ...more
This book was an excellent surprise; I love the Discworld series but was getting tired of seeing the same characters again and again in every book. But this book introduces an entirely new and refreshing cast of characters. I particularly liked the main character and felt he was very well-developed.
Pratchett's books are funny precisely because he has a very firm grasp of human nature. His best work feels surprisingly profound even though you're also laughing so hard you're afraid you might brea ...more
Pratchett's books are funny precisely because he has a very firm grasp of human nature. His best work feels surprisingly profound even though you're also laughing so hard you're afraid you might brea ...more
Out of all the books in the Discworld series, this is the first one that made me truly go from a fan to a diehard fan. I enjoyed them all, to be sure, but this is the one that made me downright giddy and pleased.
It’s a heist!! Um. Kinda. When a heist meets becoming an avatar for a god of incomplete stories meets confidence trickery meets MAIL DELIVERY.
I mean, this is Discworld. It makes perfect sense. Who other than a successful (albeit caught by Lord V) thief to run the biggest government con j ...more
It’s a heist!! Um. Kinda. When a heist meets becoming an avatar for a god of incomplete stories meets confidence trickery meets MAIL DELIVERY.
I mean, this is Discworld. It makes perfect sense. Who other than a successful (albeit caught by Lord V) thief to run the biggest government con j ...more
Ankh Morpork is hiring!
WANTED: Postmaster General
Employer: Lord Vetinari , Patrician (former Assassin's Guild member, tyrant & whatnot)
Salary includes danger bonus and a Golem bodyguard, as the former 4 postmasters died mysterious or suspicious (or both) deaths in quick succession within 1 month.
And Lord Vetinari's choice of the perfect man for the post?
...
'Oh, all right. Of course I accept as a natural-born criminal, habitual liar, fraudster, and totally untrustworthy perverted genius.'
'Cap ...more
WANTED: Postmaster General
Employer: Lord Vetinari , Patrician (former Assassin's Guild member, tyrant & whatnot)
Salary includes danger bonus and a Golem bodyguard, as the former 4 postmasters died mysterious or suspicious (or both) deaths in quick succession within 1 month.
And Lord Vetinari's choice of the perfect man for the post?
...
'Oh, all right. Of course I accept as a natural-born criminal, habitual liar, fraudster, and totally untrustworthy perverted genius.'
'Cap ...more
Oct 08, 2008
Nate D
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People who refuse to read fantasy novels.
This was really surprising, actually. Perhaps it shouldn't have been, given how many people whose opinions I respect are Pratchett fans, but I haven't read a fantasy novel since giving up on Robert Jordan's painstakingly prolonged The Wheel of Time (somewhere in book 5, I think) long before college. Actually, I suppose I read a few of the Harry Potters in the interim, but in some ways that felt more like keeping up with pop culture than reading actual fantasy.
In any event, Going Postal was purel ...more
In any event, Going Postal was purel ...more
Jun 05, 2007
E.H.
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
language and history geeks
Shelves:
theboxmarkeddone
I picked up this book to read on a 15 hour flight from Chicago to Vietnam, on the assumption that it would be a light, pleasant way to pass the dreary hours (after one flight to China during which I watched the first X-Men film three times, I decided it was best to err on the side of having too many books rather than too few).
My assumptions proved correct, and I enjoyed the book quite thoroughly. Three things struck me:
1) Pratchett's use of language is always fun, and he occasionally makes wond ...more
My assumptions proved correct, and I enjoyed the book quite thoroughly. Three things struck me:
1) Pratchett's use of language is always fun, and he occasionally makes wond ...more
I haven't read a lot of Pratchett -- I think this is only my second one -- but I do enjoy reading him for the color and the metaphor. The way he turns a figure of speech on the lathe will frequently leave you just sitting there in your chair with a table leg in your hand, and your wife says, "Hey, what's with the table leg." And I say, "I'm reading."
Monetary Relativity
No better theory of money exists than Pratchett's: money is founded on postage stamps that got out of control. Understanding that fact helps to explain the world better than relativity theory.
No better theory of money exists than Pratchett's: money is founded on postage stamps that got out of control. Understanding that fact helps to explain the world better than relativity theory.
Dec 31, 2007
Eleanor
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
satire / fantasy nerds
I am probably the last person on earth to read Terry Pratchett, but I'm glad I finally did. People have been recommending his books to me for years and although I had planned on starting with book 1, Color of Magic, the bookseller recommended I start with Going Postal instead (they were also out of stock of CoM). Every time I picked this book up I laughed out loud, it has a refreshing wit combined with a sharp perception of people and their funny habits. I ate this book up and bought copy of "Gu
...more
Still my favorite Discworld book of all time
Jun 11, 2015
Suzanne
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
series-in-progress,
fantasy
“What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.”
This was really a funny, fun book. Lots of digs at corporations, lotteries, and just life.
“People flock in, nevertheless, in search of answers to those questions only librarians are considered to be able to answer, such as "Is this the laundry?" "How do you spell surreptitious?" and, on a regular basis, "Do you have a book I remember reading once? It had a red cover and it ...more
This was really a funny, fun book. Lots of digs at corporations, lotteries, and just life.
“People flock in, nevertheless, in search of answers to those questions only librarians are considered to be able to answer, such as "Is this the laundry?" "How do you spell surreptitious?" and, on a regular basis, "Do you have a book I remember reading once? It had a red cover and it ...more
One of my favourite Discworld novels - although I'm sure I've said that more thank once.
The way terry Pratchett plays with worlds is great - it adds to the pace and humour of this hilarious novel.
The way terry Pratchett plays with worlds is great - it adds to the pace and humour of this hilarious novel.
I loved every line and every chapter of this wonderful book.
This is a humorous fantasy novel, part of Discworld series, but can be read as a standalone. It was nominated for Nebula in 2005. I read is as a part of monthly reading in February 2020 at Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels group.
“You need a thief to catch a thief”, an old maxim, which both describes the idea behind a story and may be proven wrong at the same time. Moist von Lipwig is a con artist, is about to be hung. He is ‘saved’ by a local enlightened dictator Vetinari and receives a proposal ...more
“You need a thief to catch a thief”, an old maxim, which both describes the idea behind a story and may be proven wrong at the same time. Moist von Lipwig is a con artist, is about to be hung. He is ‘saved’ by a local enlightened dictator Vetinari and receives a proposal ...more
Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.
Going Postal definitely ranks among my top 3 Discworld books. That is to say, Equal Rites will ALWAYS be my favourite, as it was my first, and the one that got me into Terry Pratchett to begin with. After that, the list gets blurrier, but nevertheless, Going Postal is among best.
I saw the Going Postal movie no fewer than 3 years ago and I loved it. Which was my reason to postpone reading this book after I suffered from a severe Terry Pratchett fat ...more
Going Postal definitely ranks among my top 3 Discworld books. That is to say, Equal Rites will ALWAYS be my favourite, as it was my first, and the one that got me into Terry Pratchett to begin with. After that, the list gets blurrier, but nevertheless, Going Postal is among best.
I saw the Going Postal movie no fewer than 3 years ago and I loved it. Which was my reason to postpone reading this book after I suffered from a severe Terry Pratchett fat ...more
In this rich complex and darkly humorous story Terry Pratchett takes us to a side of Anke Morpork that the disc-world series had not previously visited; it's post office.
Moist von Lipwig is a con man of major proportions whose last fraud has come to haunt him, caught and about to hang he believes it is all over for him. Saved from permanent death, the Patrician of Anke Morpork, lord Vetinari offers him a job; to revitalise the wrecked and useless Post Office. To do so Moist must use all his ski ...more
Moist von Lipwig is a con man of major proportions whose last fraud has come to haunt him, caught and about to hang he believes it is all over for him. Saved from permanent death, the Patrician of Anke Morpork, lord Vetinari offers him a job; to revitalise the wrecked and useless Post Office. To do so Moist must use all his ski ...more
8.5/10
My first real attempt at a Terry Pratchett novel. Quite a while ago I picked up Colour of Magic and read it intermittently without ever really getting into it or thinking it was anything too special. I was given Going Postal as a gift a couple of years ago and finally picked it up and attempted it due to my keenness to get into the Discworld series. I'm glad I did!
It's very different to the normal sort of crime/action books I read and I'm trying to broaden my horizons with different styles ...more
My first real attempt at a Terry Pratchett novel. Quite a while ago I picked up Colour of Magic and read it intermittently without ever really getting into it or thinking it was anything too special. I was given Going Postal as a gift a couple of years ago and finally picked it up and attempted it due to my keenness to get into the Discworld series. I'm glad I did!
It's very different to the normal sort of crime/action books I read and I'm trying to broaden my horizons with different styles ...more
What happens when Ventari becomes an angel and puts a con man in charge of the decrepit Post Office? Nothing one expects, of course.
--------------------------------------------
There was a silence. In that silence, Moist tried out a variety of responses, from "Pull the other one, it's got bells on" to "That's impossible", and decided they all sounded stupid. Groat looked deadly serious, so instead he said: "How?"
----------------------------------------------
There are many, many characters in the ...more
--------------------------------------------
There was a silence. In that silence, Moist tried out a variety of responses, from "Pull the other one, it's got bells on" to "That's impossible", and decided they all sounded stupid. Groat looked deadly serious, so instead he said: "How?"
----------------------------------------------
There are many, many characters in the ...more
I have only read the Discworld books featuring the City Watch, and the related follow-up books featuring a spin-off character in this book, Moist Von Lipwig. That's because I'm afraid Pratchett's other books will not be my cuppa. As a writer, he walks a fine line, approaching my personal barrier — too much punnery and parody. I like the City Watch series (see Guards! Guards!) because Pratchett toes the line, proving parody in a neatly plotted mystery with the feeling of film noir, and I love the
...more
Okay, so this wasn't brilliant or incredibly original or anything that a 5-star novel should normally be, but it was funny and fast-paced and hugely entertaining. Pratchett's Discworld, with its hodge-podge of technologies, cultures, and magic, into which he shoehorns whatever anachronistic notion works for the story, shouldn't work as well as it does, but somehow you suspend your disbelief and just enjoy the ride.
Starting with the cringeingly-named protagonist "Moist von Lipwig," Going Postal i ...more
Starting with the cringeingly-named protagonist "Moist von Lipwig," Going Postal i ...more
Six months ago, if you'd tried to tell me I'd really enjoy reading a book about a guy whose first name is "Moist", I would've backed slowly away from you.
The length of time it took to read this book is not a reflection upon its quality. I just haven’t been very good at switching between books lately due to a number of distractions.
This one includes two things I have soft spots for: a talented con artist and the postal service.
As I’ve commented in other reviews, such as The Lies of Locke Lamora, I’m fascinated by a well-executed con. Moist von Lipwig (one of Pratchett’s most deliberately awful character names) is one grade-A con artist. He brilli ...more
This one includes two things I have soft spots for: a talented con artist and the postal service.
As I’ve commented in other reviews, such as The Lies of Locke Lamora, I’m fascinated by a well-executed con. Moist von Lipwig (one of Pratchett’s most deliberately awful character names) is one grade-A con artist. He brilli ...more
Apr 12, 2017
YouKneeK
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
completed-series,
fantasy
Going Postal is the first book in the Moist von Lipwig subseries of Discworld, which is also associated with the Industrial Revolution subseries. In the case of this book, it’s maybe a little more of an “Industrial Counterrevolution”.
The post office in Ankh-Morpork has effectively been out of commission for a while, with tons of undelivered letters sitting around. Meanwhile, over the past several books, we’ve seen the development of a faster and more efficient method of communication called the ...more
The post office in Ankh-Morpork has effectively been out of commission for a while, with tons of undelivered letters sitting around. Meanwhile, over the past several books, we’ve seen the development of a faster and more efficient method of communication called the ...more
This was such a fun reading experience, I loved it!!
Also posted on my blog Got My Book.
Real Rating = 4.5*
What can I say about Terry Pratchett & Discworld that hasn't been said before? His fantasy has layers inside it's layers.
BOOK DETAILS:
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett, read by Stephen Briggs, published by HarperAudio (2005) / Length: 11 hrs 27 min
SERIES INFO:
This is the first Discworld book about Moist von Lipwig, and is one possible (among many) starting point for newbies. There are two additional books, Making Money & Raising Steam in this su ...more
Real Rating = 4.5*
What can I say about Terry Pratchett & Discworld that hasn't been said before? His fantasy has layers inside it's layers.
BOOK DETAILS:
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett, read by Stephen Briggs, published by HarperAudio (2005) / Length: 11 hrs 27 min
SERIES INFO:
This is the first Discworld book about Moist von Lipwig, and is one possible (among many) starting point for newbies. There are two additional books, Making Money & Raising Steam in this su ...more
Cute, but kind of stale--like Seinfeld. It's superficially funny, but you get the feeling it's been done before. Many times.
In light of 2008's financial crisis, Going Postal might be taken as a timely reminder of the fallibility of humans, especially those entrusted with wealth or power.
In light of 2008's financial crisis, Going Postal might be taken as a timely reminder of the fallibility of humans, especially those entrusted with wealth or power.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugo & Nebula Awa...: February 2020 - Going Postal (No Spoilers) | 41 | 32 | Mar 13, 2020 01:47AM | |
| Books2Movies Club: Going Postal - book and TV | 3 | 20 | Feb 22, 2020 11:46AM | |
| Hugo & Nebula Awa...: February 2020 - Going Postal (Spoilers) | 11 | 18 | Feb 11, 2020 09:54PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Born 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, i ...more
Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, i ...more
Other books in the series
Discworld
(1 - 10 of 41 books)
Related Articles
Visit another world with just the flick of a switch! The fantasy wizard and science fiction expert team up for The Long Earth, a novel about infini...
94 likes · 28 comments
6 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?”
—
818 likes
“Did I do anything last night that suggested I was sane?”
—
750 likes
More quotes…
