Sunday, October 20, 2024

"Snuff" by Terry Pratchett

Plot summary: In which Ankh-Morpork Watch Commander Samuel Vimes takes a vacation to the countryside with his wife and his poo-obsessed young son. Unfortunately, then someone gets murdered.
 
This isn't really a whodunit so much as a "we pretty much know whodunit, now we just need to figure out what they dun and prove they dun it".

Pratchett seems to have been working toward some overarching plot of "goblins finally integrating into society and not just being constantly stepped on" in this, Unseen Academicals, and Raising Steam (the last three non-Tiffany Aching books in the series).

I find it somewhat hilarious that the edition of Unseen Academicals that I read had "Author of Snuff" on the cover, and the edition of this one that I read had "Author of Unseen Academicals" on the cover. 

Were this a videogame, I'd rate it: T15+ for crude humor and swearing. This one (unlike many other Discworld books) only has one plot, which means it would be a lot easier to make into a videogame.

3 stars. I admit that Discworld is something of a guilty pleasure for me; I like reading them, but I can't in good conscience give some of them 4 stars.

Favorite lines: 

    "...murder is the crime of crimes. According to the Omnians it was the third crime ever committed!*"
    *The first two being common theft and public indecency.
    Page 256.

    "...You beat up a dozen armed men single-handed?"
    "Oh aye, sir," said Wee Mad Arthur slyly, "but it was nae fair, I had them outnumbered."
    Page 325. Wee Mad Arthur is one of the Nac Mac Feegle, who are apparently the most dreaded kind of fairy despite being like six inches tall. I think they debuted in The Wee Free Men, which I'll read at some point.

(Endnote: I'm not entirely sure what the title's deal is.)

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