Wednesday, June 18, 2008

'Making Money' by Terry Pratchett


ISBN: 0061161640
Format: Hardcover, 384pp
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Price: $25.95

Moist Von Lipwig is the original con man. He’s so good at it that he’s conned the entire city of Ank-Morpork into believing he’s honest and trustworthy. The thing is that they believe in him even though he keeps telling them they shouldn’t! After all, Ank-Morpork loves a good show. In Going Postal Moist took over the dying Ank-Morpork postal service and turned into a jewel of the city. So when the Royal Bank of Ank-Morpork falls on some hard times the obvious choice is the man in the Golden Suit.

Lord Vetinari, in a very Vetinari move, lets Moist maneuver himself into the job; a job that Moist is convinced he doesn’t necessarily want. But lately the Post Office just hasn’t felt the same and Moist is missing that zing from life that lets him know he’s alive. It doesn’t help that his fiancé, Adore Belle Dearheart or Spike for short, is away hunting Golems. With her gone Moist has resorted to Extreme Sneezing and picking all the locks in the Post Office building in the dark to get that zing.

But once Moist takes over the Royal Bank life is crackling again. He’s got a lot of work ahead of him if he’s going to convince the city that paper money is just as good as gold. Especially when the bank vaults turn out to be empty and oh-so-serious Mr. Bent, manger of the bank, decides that Moist isn’t the right kind of man for the job. With Cosmo Lavish, part owner of the bank, dreaming of being Vetinari and a man from Moist’s dark past creeping up from behind, Moist has a lot on his plate.

There are always a few supporting characters that steal the show. I’ve always been partial to the Igors when they show up, in whatever incarnation, and of course the Golems. In Making Money my hands down favorite was Mrs. Lavish. How fantastic is a gin-swilling, silver-cross-bow-toting old woman? Fantastic I tell you! Of course the Chairman was good too. How can you not love a dog that is partial to the kind of goodies kept in a bedside drawer? My one complaint with this whole wonderful book is that I felt Pratchett could have gone into more detail with the Royal Mint and the men who actually make the money, The Men of the Sheds. Instead these aspects were glossed over, mystery hinted at but never uncovered. I hate to complain (says the complainer) but I wanted more damnit! More!

However when I’m feeling a bit down and need a laugh I pick up my well loved paperback copy of (insert title here). You can’t go wrong with any of the Discworld novels. But, like his characters, Prachett is well rounded. He’ll make you laugh and think, possibly even tear up before a book ends. (Usually with laughter) Pratchett uses his humor to comment on the world today and the relevant issues we face. But he’s never preachy about it and he doesn’t let it get in the way of a good story.

If you are going to read Terry Pratchett for the first time I wouldn’t start with Making Money. You’ll get more out of this title if you’ve read Going Postal (especially since both books contain the same set of characters) and you’d get even more out of it if you’ve read the rest of the Discworld series.

6 comments:

Kimberly Swan said...

Moist Von Lipwig...now there's an original name. lol Great to see you back around Katie! :)

Pallav said...

Pratchett is god! I loved reading making money, the guy is too genius to ignore in any way...
great review! :)

Keep rocking!

N

Oh hey, by the way Patrick Rothfuss's Name of the Wind. Superbly written book. Do read it if you can get your hands on it :)

Katie said...

Hi Kimberly! It's a very orginal name. Gives you a good mental image. And thanks! I'm trying to get back into my blog :)

Nothingman, I totally agree! :) I'll have to look into Name of the Wind, you aren't the only one saying good things so it must be great.

Katie said...

Hi Kimberly! It's a very orginal name. Gives you a good mental image. And thanks! I'm trying to get back into my blog :)

Nothingman, I totally agree! :) I'll have to look into Name of the Wind, you aren't the only one saying good things so it must be great.

............ said...

Making Money was so much fun to read. Pratchett leaves little pearls of wisdom all over the text. Have you read "eating people is wrong" by Malcolm Bradbury? It has a slightly different tempo, not as peppy, but gentle and very carefully written like Pratchett's work, whose control is great, although Pratchett seems to control which words, which phrases, one is paying attention to, while he jazzes around in the background doing anything he wants.

Unknown said...

Excellent post! Thanks for the info, review! I've read a lot of Terry Pratchett's books, he actually saved my life :)... About ten years ago, there was a period in my life when everything seemed hopeless and meaningless, it seemed my studying of English would be endless (I’m not a native Englishman or American, I’m Bulgarian and realized very soon English was a very difficult language, with so many meanings of a single word, there were so many expressions I had to learn, etc.). After that, it seemed almost impossible to find a publisher for my translated in English book, or even a literary agent who would find a publisher... Then I was so depressed because all these happened so slow, that I wanted to suicide myself...
Fortunately, the reading of some of Terry Pratchett’s excellent books changed my mind and way of thinking once and for all. They made me realize to cope well with any situation in life one has to find the funny side even of the worst events and mishaps. But what was even more incredible was something else. Terry Pratchett’s books’ most amazing quality was that they could make anyone think about serious and important things like wars, good and evil, the real difference between perfection and imperfection, human stupidity and its many forms, the good and bad sides of humans’ faith, etc...
I’m really glad Terry Pratchett’s books appeared in my life at the right moment! Now, when my first book Tale Of The Rock Pieces is finally published I feel I have to thank Mr. Pratchett for his amazing works. I don’t know whether he will read this, but I have to admit he actually helped me to make my dreams come true!
Going Postal is my next in must-read list, now Making Money is next to it too ;)!
And I'd like to post a suggestion of mine, which any books' fan and blogger or writer would appreaciate I guess: using sites like zazzle.com, caffepress.com, fiverr, etc? They could be a good way for promotion and "removing" stupidity in streets like headlines on t-shirts, fridge magnets, cups, etc. of the kind My Boyfriend kisses better than yours, FBI - Female Body Inspector, etc... Every author could use some good, wise quotes from his/her works, some poems, illustrations, etc. I'm allanbard there, I use some of my quotes, illustrations, poems, like: One can fight money only with money, Even in the hottest fire there's a bit of water, All the problems in the world lead to one - narrow-minded people, Money are amongst the last things that make people rich, or
Love and happiness will be around,
as all the chains will disappear!
And Mountaineers will climb their mount,
and there won't be any tear!
I guess such lines sound and look much better than all those we see every day? Best wishes! Keep the good work going! Will be glad to read more reviews in the future! LET THE WONDERFUL NOISE OF THE SEA ALWAYS SOUNDS IN YOUR EARS! (a greeting of the water dragons' hunters - my Tale Of The Rock Pieces).