Action & Adventure
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Snuff: A Novel of Discworld (Discworld, 39)
"Pratchett . . . has a satirist's instinct for the absurd and a cartoonist's eye for the telling detail."
-Daily Telegraph (London)
"The purely funniest English writer since Wodehouse."
-Washington Post Book World
Sam Vimes, watch commander of Ankh-Morpork, is at long last taking a much-needed (and well deserved) vacation. But, of course, this is Discworld®, where nothing goes as planned-and before Vimes can even change his cardboard-soled boots for vacationer's slippers, the gruff watch commander soon finds himself enmeshed in a fresh fiasco fraught with magic, cunning, daring, and (for the reader more than for poor Vimes) endless hilarity. Did he really expect time off? As Vimes himself says in Feet of Clay, "there's some magical creature called ‘overtime,' only no one's even seen its footprints." Following the New York Times bestselling Unseen Academichals, Terry Pratchett delivers an enthralling new tale from a place of insuperable adventure: Discworld.
Discworld® is a registered trademark.
-Daily Telegraph (London)
"The purely funniest English writer since Wodehouse."
-Washington Post Book World
Sam Vimes, watch commander of Ankh-Morpork, is at long last taking a much-needed (and well deserved) vacation. But, of course, this is Discworld®, where nothing goes as planned-and before Vimes can even change his cardboard-soled boots for vacationer's slippers, the gruff watch commander soon finds himself enmeshed in a fresh fiasco fraught with magic, cunning, daring, and (for the reader more than for poor Vimes) endless hilarity. Did he really expect time off? As Vimes himself says in Feet of Clay, "there's some magical creature called ‘overtime,' only no one's even seen its footprints." Following the New York Times bestselling Unseen Academichals, Terry Pratchett delivers an enthralling new tale from a place of insuperable adventure: Discworld.
Discworld® is a registered trademark.
Editorial Reviews
"In short, this is as busy and as daft as any other Discworld yarn, which means it is the quintessence of daft. Nobody writes fantasy funnier than Pratchett." - Booklist
"This account of Unseen University's entry into the world of soccer (or, as they occasionally call it, "foot-the-ball") pushes past the usual conventions of satire to offer equal parts absurdist philosophy and heartwarming romance....A witty addition to the long-running fantasy series" - Kirkus Reviews
"A triumphant effort." - The Independent on Sunday
"Like Pratchett, [narrator Stephen Briggs] loves the comic rhythm, sound, and very taste of words-just for their own sake. So order up a tuna-spaghetti-jam sandwich (with sprinkles) and be prepared for a wonderful time." - AudioFile Magazine
"Thirty-seven books in and ... Discworld is still going strong...and doing so with undimmed, triumphant exuberance. " - The Guardian
"…[SNUFF is a] lively outing, complete with sly shout-outs to Jane Austen and gritty police procedurals." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The humor is sharp and the characters are charming, and the plight of the goblins creates moments of genuine pathos that are the highlight of the book." - Tor.com
"Brilliantly complex." - The Straits Times
"In the history of comic fantasy, Mr. Pratchett has no equals for invention or for range. " - Wall Street Journal
"Series followers will delight in this latest entry. . . . Pratchett's fun, irreverent-seeming story line masks a larger discussion of social inequalities and the courage it takes to stand up for the voiceless." - Library Journal
"Funny, of course, but with plenty of hard edges; and, along with the excellent lessons in practical police work, genuine sympathy for the ordinary copper's lot. A treat no fan of Discworld―and there are boatloads of them―will want to miss." - Kirkus Reviews
"This account of Unseen University's entry into the world of soccer (or, as they occasionally call it, "foot-the-ball") pushes past the usual conventions of satire to offer equal parts absurdist philosophy and heartwarming romance....A witty addition to the long-running fantasy series" - Kirkus Reviews
"A triumphant effort." - The Independent on Sunday
"Like Pratchett, [narrator Stephen Briggs] loves the comic rhythm, sound, and very taste of words-just for their own sake. So order up a tuna-spaghetti-jam sandwich (with sprinkles) and be prepared for a wonderful time." - AudioFile Magazine
"Thirty-seven books in and ... Discworld is still going strong...and doing so with undimmed, triumphant exuberance. " - The Guardian
"…[SNUFF is a] lively outing, complete with sly shout-outs to Jane Austen and gritty police procedurals." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The humor is sharp and the characters are charming, and the plight of the goblins creates moments of genuine pathos that are the highlight of the book." - Tor.com
"Brilliantly complex." - The Straits Times
"In the history of comic fantasy, Mr. Pratchett has no equals for invention or for range. " - Wall Street Journal
"Series followers will delight in this latest entry. . . . Pratchett's fun, irreverent-seeming story line masks a larger discussion of social inequalities and the courage it takes to stand up for the voiceless." - Library Journal
"Funny, of course, but with plenty of hard edges; and, along with the excellent lessons in practical police work, genuine sympathy for the ordinary copper's lot. A treat no fan of Discworld―and there are boatloads of them―will want to miss." - Kirkus Reviews
Readers Top Reviews
ClaudiaGuinea Pig
Zuerst muss ich leider sagen, dass ich "gezwungen" war, mir die engl. Originalversion zu kaufen, da die deutsprachige Ausgabe in der Übersetzung von Jung als auch in der veränderten Coverdarstellung nicht überzeugte. Mit dieser Taschenbuchausgabe habe ich endlich wieder ein Kidby Cover und kann mir sicher sein, dass der Inhalt (abzüglich der durch die Altzheimer Erkrankung verursachten, möglichen Einschränkungen Pratchetts) wirklich ein Pratchett ist. Zwar strotzt der Roman nicht wie früher mit häufigen Witzen und Wortspielen, dennoch ist diese Geschichte, in der Sam Vimes, Kommandant der Stadtwache von Ankh Morpork, der Hauptprotagonist und Held ist, sehr unterhaltsam und spannend. Vielmehr steht die Moral der Menschen in Bezug zu Klassenunterschieden, dem Verständnis von Recht und Unrecht, der Auslegung von Recht im Allgemeinen (sowie dessen Missbrauch von "Obrigkeiten, Aristokraten") und natürlich zu traditionellen Vorurteilen gegenüber Minderheiten oder anderer "Spezies", im Vordergrund. Das alles eingewoben in eine wunderbare Geschichte, in der auch die Unterschiedlichkeit von "Poo" verschiedener Tierarten, von Sam Junior akribisch gesammelt, inspiziert und analysiert, eine interessante Symbolik aufwirft. Man könnte eine Menge hineininterpretieren, was oder wen in der aktuellen Weltgeschichte nimmt er hier diesmal auf die Schippe, kritisiert er zwischen den Zeilen? Das gäbe sicher viele Abende an Diskutierstoff, dennoch - ich persönlich habe es auf unterhaltsame Weise genossen. Dass die eigentliche "Kriminalgeschichte" erst nach 70 bis 100 Seiten in Gang kommt, finde ich nicht so dramatisch. Ich fand es auch nicht langweilig, schließlich war Vimes noch nie auf "seinem" Landgut noch jemals auf dem Lande gewesen und da ist es, finde ich, durchaus akzeptabel, dass hier ein wenig über Land und Leute und die Geschichte seiner Frau Lady Sybil und der Umgebung usw. bildhaft dargestellt und erläutert wird. Man wird hier gewissermaßen in eine sehr mittelalterlich anmutende Zeit zurückversetzt, in der die hiesige Bevölkerung einen eher niedrigen Bildungsstand hat, wo Lords und Ladies standesgemäß angesprochen werden, wo man als Frau einen ordentlichen Knicks beherrscht usw. Dieses alles ist für Sam Vines sehr befremdlich und ist noch nie sein Ding gewesen. Er ist durch die Heirat mit Lady Sybil, gezwungener Maßen, in die gehobene Klasse aufgestiegen und muss immer wieder leidlich dieses "Theater" ihr zu Liebe mitspielen. Letzendlich ist Sam Vimes eben auch älter geworden. Er ist jetzt Vater eines sechsjährigen Jungen und die Verantwortung einer jeden Mutter, jedes Vaters auf die Grundbildung, Moral usw. des eigenen Kindes wird, wie ich finde, gut rübergebracht. Will sagen, dieser Aspekt ist in unserer Gesellschaft leider nicht mehr sehr stark vorhanden und es kann einfach nicht oft genug, immer wieder erwähnt werden ...
Rodger WhitlockCl
I was wondering if Pterry's battle with Alzheimer's meant his writing wouldn't be up to snuff. Happily, I can report that Pratchett is writing as well as he ever did. Snuff takes place outside Ankh-Morpork, at Lady Sybil's "country place" (some place! hundreds of servants!). Young Sam is now seven years old, and takes a prominent part in the book, in the process developing a profound interest in poo; and there is the usual cast of villains, good guys, clowns, and so on. Pratchett even comes up with yet another race, the goblins, to incorporate into his multi-species world. I was especially pleased to spot one of Pratchett's endless in-jokes: a very fat woman, a member of the Ankh-Morpork Watch, a woman with a big heart. Named "Precious", I'm sure in tribute to Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe, the chief character in the Number One Ladies Detective Agency series. Anyway, a good read. Pratchett lovers, go to it!
GeorgiaRodger Whi
Per chi ha letto i romanzi del Mondo Disco, questo ha come protagonista il Comandante Vimes, personaggio che si è evoluto romanzo dopo romanzo, diventando la personificazione della giustizia... interpretata a modo suo! Il romanzo cattura, commuove e fa riflettere su temi profondi, tra cui il razzismo, le similarità tra gli esseri viventi, indipendentemente dal colore della loro pelle o dalle loro apparenze. Ci sono molti momenti comici, il tono è sempre leggero, in stile Pratchett, anche quando vengono descritte violenze inaccettabili. Credo sia il migliore tra i romanzi del Mondo Disco che ho letto finora. Il livello di inglese richiesto per comprendere il testo è, secondo me, medio, non da principianti. I dizionari online mi hanno aiutata con i modi di dire tipicamente britannici, che non conoscevo. Ad esempio "I'll see you in Lavender" che vuol dire "ci vedremo al cimitero", ovvero "ti ci manderò". "Snuff" si riferisce al tabacco da fiuto, prodotto attorno a cui ruota tutta la storia. Buona lettura!
Peter TileyGeorgi
The clear extent of prejudice in our modern society is reflected in this tale of right and wrong. The rich take their positions in life for granted and assume that they have power over those who have less. The hope that karma will have the help of the law is deep within those whose intelligence outweighs their wealth.
H. EngineerPeter
It is with a heavy hear that I give this 4 stars. I have read every pratchett book ever written, even though I started in the middle with Men-at-Arms. (Remember this one: Colon: Can you kill a man?; Angua: How long will i have?) But the last time I had the just-finished-the-latest-Pratchett feeling was with Going Postal. After Moist's lackluster performance in Making Money, I thought, hang on, this might be one of those things, wait for the next one, then we got Midnight and my misgivings were quieted. But......Snuff.....where to start? Now I love Vimes, I want to BE Vimes when I grow up. And Thud was his best performance ever. And I searched in vain in the book for the next hidden facet of this cop. I did not find it. What I did find was: a crime, a chase, Sam Vimes, loving-husband-doting-father-but-duty-always-comes-first-don't-harm-my-family, a very evil bad guy with no redeeming qualities, a group of beings that needs understanding and saving..... Did I hear someone say Night Watch? Thud? Or Unseen Academicals? (don't even get me started on that one!) That's right, all of those themes are here in this book. Now, I love the way Pratchett intertwines humor with human faiings and current issues, but I would have liked less of the "my heart bleeds for this downtrodden people" and more of the wit that makes you laugh even as you search inside your own hypocrisy. The characters: Sam Vimes is a hero on a mission. Fight with the local blacksmith? check. Chase bad guys through a terrifying flood? Check. Give advice to uppity girls on how to land husbands? HUH? A one page speech to aforementioned very evil guy while being tossed about on a barge? Pull the other one, its got bells on! And that mystical relationship with the Summoning Dark, which sounded very spine-tingling in Thud but now really feels like filler. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? who watches the watchman, Mr. Vimes? Willikins: butler with a warrior's heart (or brass knuckles), fastidious Willikins, now suddenly bosom buddy and sidekick, who can interrupt his master and go on lone-warrior missions. Not that I mind their close relationship but the clear line that he always maintained between his love for the family and knowing his betters made him such a great character, and I don't see that any more. The reason previous Sam Vimes novels were such deliriously good reads was because of the intricate relationship between Vimes and his team. Without Carrot, Angua, Fred and Nobby, and away from the cobblestones of Ankh-Morpork, Sam Vimes seems lost and incomplete, thus resorting to what he does best: all out, no-holds-barred, bloodhoundogged pursuit of the crime. It gets monotonous after a while, and Flutter and Beedle and Stratford just aren't multi-dimensional enough to hold our attention. Oh, and Sybil's being relegated to the role of lady of the house holding pa...
