Feet of Clay (Discworld, #19; City Watch, #3) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Aug 17, 2017 Lyn rated it really liked it

This may be the funniest Discworld novel.

And definitely one of the best.

Terry Pratchett, ever the clever turn of phrase artist, is here in rare form. This is literally chock full of puns, clichés, similes, metaphors and enough droll word play to make Nabokov choke a chicken. His easy, almost swaggering virtuosity makes this a fun read; I was literally reading the story, but waiting for and expecting his next verbal tickle.

It is as though when he got to this one, his 19th Discworld novel first pu ...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Bradley rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2019-shelf, 2024-shelf

Re-Read 10/5/24:

This is something like my third time reading this book.
Obviously, I have found something worthwhile in reading them.

This time, it's really Cheery Littlebottom that did it for me. So, she isn't a novelty candle--but not for lack of trying. :)

Great stuff. Period.

Original Review:

I really enjoy the City Watch novels because every character is a hoot. Vimes is off the hooch, Nobby is about to be crowned king, and there are truly mysterious murders going on. And attempted murders. Of ...more

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Jan 22, 2019 Trish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This 19th Discworld novel is, once again, a small masterpiece. Yes, I‘m aware I sound like a broken record but it seems all of the novels have and keep this level of quality. It‘s something to behold.

This time, we are back in Ankh-Morpork, following Sam Vimes and the City Watch while they are trying to solve a few puzzling murders. It doesn‘t help that Vimes is a man of honour which means he‘ll keep his promise to his wife that he won‘t drink.
But the City Watch, now seriously enlargened and keep This 19th Discworld novel is, once again, a small masterpiece. Yes, I‘m aware I sound like a broken record but it seems all of the novels have and keep this level of quality. It‘s something to behold.

This time, we are back in Ankh-Morpork, following Sam Vimes and the City Watch while they are trying to solve a few puzzling murders. It doesn‘t help that Vimes is a man of honour which means he‘ll keep his promise to his wife that he won‘t drink.
But the City Watch, now seriously enlargened and keeping to build Watch Houses, gets a charming addition: Cheery Little Bottom (a dwarf and alchemist). What better place to group together this bunch of misfits?
Soon, it‘s not just the murders they have to solve because Lord Vetinari has also been poisoned and even though he recovers regularly, he also keeps getting worse again shortly afterwards.
Not to mention that half the city is almost up in flames (literally) because of the golems.
But never fear, the City Watch is on the case. Or do fear ... fear very much.

Artificial intelligence (well, the Discworld version of it), racism/discrimination, misogyny, religious beliefs ... and Knobby being crowned king of Ankh-Morpork (almost). That‘s one hell of a combination and thanks to the quirky characters of the watch (Colon as much as Angua, too), it‘s a wild smelly ride that works wonderfully. I kept chuckling, often even laughing out loud. From the power of words to destiny, the truly fantastic puns the author kept working in are what are standing out the most here. This installment isn’t as laugh-out-loud funny as others, but its humour is deep. Pratchett has always been great at putting a different spin at everyday expressions and conceptions but I think he put more of that in here (not least of all because the golems are all about the power of words).

My heart broke when (view spoiler). Tragic. And so life-like, of course.
Who I always love is Carrot. How he has no sense of humour (let alone sarcasm) whatsoever and what you see is what you get (or what he says). I especially enjoyed the scene with him „making others see his point“ (both the point of his sword and the point he was getting to when explaining the problem with the golems to people). And yet, despite a man of his word being the ideal, the author realistically shows what the shortcoming of such a person would be - because being only one thing is never enough, it can always backfire. Which is why he/we need(s) the others.

And despite Ankh-Morpork not being my favourite place on the Disc, I always feel at home, here, too. Which is why I thought it was such a wonderful scene when Vimes was able to take off his perfect boots at one point and exchange them against a used pair that let him feel every pebble as that is how he knows „his“ city.
Or his organizer!!! That was an source of endless delight. :D
Small scenes but definitely not unimportant. This is one of the strengths of Sir Terry: mundane (in a fantastical sense of the world) characters or settings or even only just one sentence delivering a powerful message, making this entire world come to life in a way that set the bar impossibly high for anyone else.

Once again, Nigel Planer brought to life a diverse cast of impossible characters and I‘m already sad to know that he won‘t narrate all of them. I love the paperbacks with their funny covers but the audiobooks give the entire thing an additional flair. ...more

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Oct 05, 2024 Trish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The 19th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series and it was like coming home!

One reason why I decided to re-read the series is that I can never just indulge in one of the volumes. The other is that the audiobooks were newly produced and the casts looked amazing.

Reading this 19th book (in chronological order) are:

*takes a deep breath*
*regrets it instantly*
You smell that? The smell of Ankh-Morpork. The distinct smell of ... guild schemes, various assassination techniques (guild-sanctioned and The 19th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series and it was like coming home!

One reason why I decided to re-read the series is that I can never just indulge in one of the volumes. The other is that the audiobooks were newly produced and the casts looked amazing.

Reading this 19th book (in chronological order) are:

*takes a deep breath*
*regrets it instantly*
You smell that? The smell of Ankh-Morpork. The distinct smell of ... guild schemes, various assassination techniques (guild-sanctioned and otherwise), dragonfire and various other "things".
After an ominous prologue of sorts that introduced a new kind of golem, we dive straight back into solid police work with Commander Vimes and his City Watch as they have at least one murder to solve - while also trying to stop whoever it is that is trying (and succeeding at least a little) to poison Lord Vetinari.
Meanwhile, the guilds are starting to get antsy with the expectation of a soon-to-appear power vacuum and the work golems commit suicide which is quite impossible.

There is a lot going on in the city. From Vimes having to come to terms with the confines of being His Lordship to Nobby finding out about his unbelievable heritage to the newest member of The Watch being Cheery Littlebottom to said new forensics officer struggling with coming out as a female dwarf to the actual mystery of how all of this is connected.

Once again, a wonderful whodunnit. ore than that, though, this book was all about everything "different". From racism to artificial intelligence to misogyny to the clash of various belief systems to power plays and the maniacal greed for (more) power even if one might actually know one isn't suited for it. Bonkers, all of it! Just like our world.
I particularly liked watching Cheery and Angua trying to be themselves despite the male-dominated field in which they work and cultures they come from. In this regard, I have to once again mention just how wonderful Sam Vimes is: no, he is not perfect, but damn! He tries so very hard for everyone around him! If he wasn't married already ... ;P
And I loved that Cheery wasn't perfect just because she was a victim of misogyny herself. Just like Carrot wasn't perfect after all and had to learn a lesson or two. I miss really balanced and realistic characters so much in modern-day stories!

Jon Culshaw was once again brilliant in narratirng this adventure in his signature gritty voice that nevertheless didn't just fit "the copper" but the other characters as well.

Just brilliant! ...more

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Apr 19, 2015 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, humor

Part of the Pratchett reread with the SpecFic Buddy Reads group in 2018.

Back to the Watch sub-series and the introduction of Cheery Littlebottom to the force, the new Watch alchemist/forensics corporal and female dwarf. Just in time for a case that needs lots of forensics support, involving odd sorts of clay, golems and poison.

This has always been one of my favorite of the Watch series, introducing Cheery Littlebottom and Dorfl and even Wee Mad Arthur (who gets a retcon much later in the series ...more

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Dec 16, 2018 Linda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, 2018

I think the City Watch Discworld books have my favorite set of characters.

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Apr 28, 2011 Dawn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, own

Another book featuring the intrepid Sam Vimes and the cast of the Watch. In this one the Golems are featured as the possible murderers and as the latest victims of the ever present racism in Ankh-Morpork.
This was not one of Pratchetts better books but I love the character of Sam Vimes too much to give it less that a three star.

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