NIght Watch

Rating:
Summary: A Light Novel Sprinkled with Deep Messages
Review:
Night Watch is a funny novel filled with serious messages. The book is reminiscent of Joseph Heller's Catch 22 and Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales in that it is trying to convey the author's opinion on things that happen in their respective worlds. However, all three of these books mask their opinion (frequently criticism) with an amusing plot.

The beginning of Night Watch introduces us to the character of Sam Vimes. It is the eve of the thirtieth anniversary of a small but memorable revolution. Sam Vimes is the Commander of Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city in Pratchett's fantasy world, Discworld. Vimes is a practical "copper" (policeman). He bends the rules when he needs to, and heeds them when he doesn't need to bend them. For instance, he isn't afraid to fight dirty, with brass knuckles and such. The criminals he's fighting do it, so "fight fire with fire". He's not afraid of taking risks, especially when those risks can further a good cause. In fact, he showed annoyance at being taken off the Assassins Guild's register, "it [being on the register] showed that he was annoying the rich and arrogant people who ought to be annoyed." Vimes also won't hesitate to chase after a murderous criminal himself, even if he is the Commander of the City Watch. Vimes is obviously one of those characters that feel he has ascended too far, and he yearns to go back to the time when he was doing the dirty work on the streets; not sitting at his desk pushing papers. Ironically, his wish is granted. On his ill-fated chase after the homicidal criminal, Carcer, on the eve of the revolution, Vimes is transported back in time thirty years, along with Carcer. Vimes is also aware of the events that will occur in the near future. Many unnecessary deaths occurred as a result of the revolution. And so he is faced with a hard choice. Does he allow things to occur the same way they did the first time around, which will allow him to come back to the future he once knew? Or does he change things, and prevent the needless deaths of some of his compatriots? Does he even have a choice? Or has the path of fate already been laid out?

Terry Pratchett is no stranger to fantasy books. Night Watch is one of Pratchett's thirty Discworld novels, which are all fantasy books set in the same world with the same characters. All of his books have a purpose, and using Discworld, Pratchett has said many things about the state of our world. In Night Watch, this is most certainly the case. Pratchett tells us his thoughts on revolutions and social unrest. The book is written in the third-person, but it is focused on one central character...Sam Vimes. Pratchett uses Vimes and the plot around him to portray his own personal beliefs. For example, on page 249 he writes, "...Some had been idiots as mad as Swing, with a view of the world just as rigid and unreal, who were on the side of what they called `The People.' Vimes had spent his life on the streets and had met decent men, and fools, and people who'd steal a penny from a blind beggar... but he'd never met The People. People on the side of The People always ended up disappointed, in any case...And so, the children of the revolution were faced with the age-old problem: it wasn't that you had the wrong kind of government, which was obvious, but that you had the wrong kind of people." This is one of the few occasions in which Pratchett actually spells out his beliefs for the reader. Most of the time, you are meant to discern it from the actions and words of the fictional characters in the fictional plot.

Because of this, Night Watch is a versatile book in terms of reading level. It is a light and amusing read if you want it to be, and this is perfectly all right. However, if you aspire to, you can choose to truly think about what's happening in the book, and try to connect the events occurring in this fictional world to events that occur in our world. Much of the material in the book can be related to revolutions like the French Revolution of the late 18th century and the Russian Revolution of the 20th century.

Night Watch is a thoroughly enjoyable book with a fabulous balance of laughter and serious contemplation. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading in general and feels the need for a split side combined with a splitting headache!





Rating:
Summary: WWVD?
Review: As some astute readers have figured out by now, the title of this review is What Would Vimes Do? That is, What Would he Do if he was thrust immediately thirty years into the past, on the cusp of a great tragedy that he already survived once? This book deals with exactly that scenario. As previous reviewers have said, this book is far more serious than Pratchett's usual fare. However, that does not mean it is not funny. It is lacking much of the lowbrow, slapstick humor that acts as a "lowest common denominator" of humor in other Pratchett books, but his characteristic intelligent, satirical wit is alive and well, and uproariously funny. The book deals mainly with powerful themes: responsibility being the preeminent one. Responsibility to a community, to a society, to one's self. Prathcett goes deep here; the book left me thinking. The chracters are not developed as much as in other books, but since there are very few new ones (and the biggest new character is extremely, spookily well developed) this is no great loss to old readers of Pratchett works. To new fans, I would recommend Mort, Guards! Guards!, or Pyramids as a first read; progress to this one later.

Rating:
Summary: WWVD?
Review: As some astute readers have figured out by now, the title of this review is What Would Vimes Do? That is, What Would he Do if he was thrust immediately thirty years into the past, on the cusp of a great tragedy that he already survived once? This book deals with exactly that scenario. As previous reviewers have said, this book is far more serious than Pratchett's usual fare. However, that does not mean it is not funny. It is lacking much of the lowbrow, slapstick humor that acts as a "lowest common denominator" of humor in other Pratchett books, but his characteristic intelligent, satirical wit is alive and well, and uproariously funny. The book deals mainly with powerful themes: responsibility being the preeminent one. Responsibility to a community, to a society, to one's self. Prathcett goes deep here; the book left me thinking. The chracters are not developed as much as in other books, but since there are very few new ones (and the biggest new character is extremely, spookily well developed) this is no great loss to old readers of Pratchett works. To new fans, I would recommend Mort, Guards! Guards!, or Pyramids as a first read; progress to this one later.

Rating:
Summary: If you like Sam Vimes, you'll like this book
Review: I love Terry Pratchett. I've been reading him in chronological order and his writing gets better with every book. Night Watch is well written and features one of his more interesting characters, Sam Vimes. However, we see very little of the other lovable Watch characters in this book, since it's set in the past when Vimes was young. I didn't feel the villain was strong enough for Vimes, a formidable hero, which always makes a book's plot suffer. It also gets politically confusing at times and a subplot with Vetinari goes completely unsolved. This book is also not nearly as funny as Pratchett's other books.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Pratchett Yet
Review: Night Watch was by far my favorite work by Terry Pratchett to date, and I have read many. Vimes going back in time 30 years and reliving a key moment in the current Watch of Ankh-Morpork's history could have been another sad attempt at a back-story type book with time travel elements. Pratchett turns the entire premise into a gorgeous roller coaster of Morporkian history mixed with a closer look at some key players. Wonder how Reg Shoe became a Zombie? Why did Nobby join the watch? Did Vetinari really go to Assassin school? All of these questions and more are answered masterfully along with a slight parody of fascist governments and a nod to John "Duke" Wayne. This book has to be one of the best Pratchett has ever written, and I can't recommend it enough.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating character study of a good man
Review: Night Watch, the 27th (and brand new!) Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, is a wonderful character study of Samuel Vimes, the head of the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork. In this one, Pratchett turns kind of serious, though there are some amusing bits. Unlike Small Gods, it appears to work in this one. Maybe I just wasn't ready for it before. Or maybe Vimes is such an interesting character that I was willing to forgive. Whichever way it is, Night Watch is yet another masterpiece from Pratchett.

Carcer is one of Pratchett's best villains, I believe, because he's "normal." Yes, he's insane, but he could very well live in the world we live in, unlike some of Pratchett's other bad guys. Not to say that they weren't good as well, but Carcer adds that extra bit of chill. He's a survivor, able to adapt to many different situations. It takes some time for Vimes to adapt himself to what he has to do once he discovers what has happened. Even when the Monks of History (the main source of any humour in this book) tell him what he must do, he is still reluctant. Carcer, on the other hand, jumps in with both feet, ingratiating himself with the higher-ups, and starts establishing himself. Once he realizes what the situation is with Vimes (and the younger Vimes) it gets even chillier. He's very effective, and the reader is often left wondering just how Vimes can beat him.

This book, however, is Sam Vimes' book. I've always found Vimes to be a fascinating character, throughout all of the City Watch books, and this book just builds on those. Every City Watch book is really about the development of Vimes, and Night Watch takes it to the next level, with an in depth character study, where you get under his skin and find out what makes him tick. When he's taken out of his element and dumped back in time, he has nothing to go on but his copper instincts. Times may change, politics may change, but coppers are coppers, and they just have to do what is right. Catch the bad guys, keep the peace. He sees himself as an extraordinarily simple man, and in a way, he is. But he's very dedicated to what he does, very strongly determined to do what's right, no matter what the consequences. When rebellion is flourishing all over the city, and the Unmentionables (the current government's secret police) is fomenting even more, Vimes is determined to make sure it doesn't reach the area of the Watch house. He uses some very unorthodox methods to make sure this happens, which doesn't put him on the good side of the Unmentionables (especially a new member, who has seemingly appeared out of nowhere). Vimes continues to show his intelligence, as well as his moralistic thinking. He's put through the ringer in this one, and a very interesting character throughout the previous books becomes a fascinating one instead.

The relationship between him (as John Keel) and the young Sam is a joy to watch. The young Sam is very impressionable. He wants to do the right thing, but he doesn't really know what that is. He took part in the round-ups of curfew-breakers (and delivering them to the Unmentionables) only because he didn't know any different. When Vimes arrives and sees what Sam is in danger of becoming, memories flood over him, and he becomes determined to ensure that Sam becomes what Vimes is. He also tries desperately to keep him out of danger, because he has to keep history going along the path it did before. The relationship is wonderful, and really aids in fleshing out the character of Vimes that we all know and love.

The plot is very interesting as well. Rebellion against the current Patrician of Ankh-Morpork is hitting the city all over the place. It is touching to watch the tragic inevitability of what happens, knowing that as much as Vimes tries, he really has to ensure that history repeats itself. The Lilac rebellion must occur in some fashion, and some good people, who he is getting to know again, are going to die. Carcer is going to do his best to make Vimes' life miserable, and if that involves changing history, too bad.

Pratchett ties everything together nicely into a tight plot with no holes that I could see. The story contains some interesting time travel theories, wonderful writing by Pratchett, and interesting characters. Fans of the series will be glad to see that not only are the Watch back (though they are only there in the present-day sequences), but also the Wizards play a small role. The Monks of History are around, trying to make sure that History is not damaged too badly by what is going on. Also, we get some history on Nobby Nobs, Sergeant Colon, Reg Shoe, Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler and we find out a very interesting aspect of the current Patrician, Vetinari. I've noticed that in recent books, Pratchett picks and chooses characters from his series to throw together into a book, and I think it really works.

But make no mistake. This book is about Samuel Vimes. He carries the book on his shoulders, and he does it very well. I wasn't sure if Pratchett could do much more with Vimes other than just another "adventure of the City Watch," but Pratchett proved me wrong. In spades. This is a wonderful book. While it's certainly readable as a first Discworld book, it loses a lot of its impact that way, so I would not recommend starting here. Get some background, then come back to this one. It's a keeper.

Rating:
Summary: Pratchett transcends
Review: No need to write much -- this is far and away the very best of Pratchett's discworld novels. This pulls away from the series novel onus -- oddly enough, though, it is the one book in this series that requires that you have read one or more of the others to fully enjoy.

It is witty, melancholy, rompous, gently cynical, open-hearted and loving toward its characters -- even the bad guys.


Rating:
Summary: Pratchett Pulls off Seriousness Mixed with Humor
Review: The novel, Night Watch by Terry Pratchett, may not be a Shakespearian tragedy, but the books concept along with Pratchett's wit and humor make it well worth reading. Night Watch is one of Pratchett's Discworld novels. It tells the story of Commander Sam Vimes of the city watch. Vimes goes back in time and is forced to go back in time to revisit one of the dark parts of his life, when he was just starting out as an officer of the night watch, only this time his current self must play the role of the sergeant that taught him everything. Since Vimes already knows what is going to happen he has a lot of trouble figuring out what actions to take as he finds that it's harder to fix history than he thought. Vimes has the constant longing for his future, "He wanted to go home. He wanted it so much that he trembled at the thought" (273). And he fears that his actions in the past might change his future.
Pratchett's excellent writing style held up to this slightly more serious book than he usually writes. Although Vimes's observations of the world around him do provide ample humor, Night Watch does have a more serious aspect to it, since Vimes is trying to ensure that his past self survives and that the future he left behind will not end up to only be a memory. It makes a person really examine his or her own past and realize how important the people in your life now matter to you. Pratchett skillfully weaves in this more serious side of the story with his usual assortments of puns, plays on words, and jokes. Pratchett really examines how hard it is to let the mistakes of the past happen all over again when Vimes is confronted with the choice of letting seven men die or trying to find a new past which may lead to a new future, "Supposing we don't lose? All they had to do was hold out...And there's seven unfilled graves in the cemetery...Would he be able to go back then? Supposing Madam was right, and he got offered the post of commander not as a bribe but because he'd earned it? That'd change history" (p273). Vimes has to wonder if taking the harder road of defending his men to try and keep them from being killed will end up erasing his happy future as a Duke with a loving wife, but his sense of humanity predetermines the choice he must make. This is one of the better parts of Pratchett's writing style, that his characters have such set, strong personalities that they never disappoint. Although Pratchett's endings are not always the perfect Disney endings where the charming prince marries the damsel in distress, the prince's squire will probably end up saving her and finding a suitable place for her to live.
The novel, Night Watch, is sometimes confusing. That is one down fall of Pratchett's writing style. His characters are so well developed that in order for his books to keep from being predictable, his plot lines tend to be interesting, but fast moving and at times confusing. For instance from the beginning of the book to page fifty seven, the character of Vimes is knocked out and wakes up again several times. This can be confusing because Pratchett does not explain Vimes' passing out very much, or always give a cause for it immediately, making it hard for the reader to determine what happened and where Vimes is. Also since during most of the book there are two Vimes, past and future Vimes, it can sometimes be confusing who Pratchett is talking about, "Vimes patted the man's belt. `Oh dear, what have we here a very nasty dagger. See this, Lance Constable Vimes?" (p138). It gets complicated since Vimes usually uses his last name when referring to his past self, while Pratchett always refers to Vimes' future self as Vimes as well and referring to past Vimes as Sam, and future Vimes is calling himself John Keel. When reading sometimes it take a moment to remember which one is being referred to.
Despite the slight confusion, the book is very well written. His characters are well developed, and his plot lines are fun and interesting. If you enjoy any of his other books about the Ankh-Morpork city watch or if you found one of his other Disk world novels too slow of a read, I would highly recommend reading Night Watch.


Rating:
Summary: missing Nigel Planer
Review: The story here is a nice addition to the Discworld series, and Vimes is a great character, though I felt Carcer was underdeveloped and a bit one-dimensional -- would have been interesting to get more background on him. My three stars are for the readers on the Book-on-tape. They all do a good job, but I desperately miss Nigel Planer as reader and hope he will be back for future Discworld titles. Hearing Vimes and company in someone else's voice(s) just seems *wrong*, Planer is such a talented reader and has such a tremendous range, I just couldn't get used to hearing anyone else. Please, PLEASE bring him back!

Rating:
Summary: My first Pratchett book.
Review: This is the first Pratchett book I read. He has a great writing style that at times is hilarious and others deeply touching. There are two great "so you would like to..." lists out there that give the exact chronology of the series. The Night watch section of the Disk World Series is the only one I've started but I can honestly say I would rank this up there with Robert Aspirin's "Myth-" series and is almost as funny as Adams' Hitchhickers Guide to the Galaxy.