Night Watch: Discworld Novel 29
1 journaler for this copy...
Another book bought to read along with Mark discovering Discworld.
As with the rest of the Watch series, I already knew the book from the audiobooks from years back. I was still very much looking forward to Mark finally reaching Night Watch as it is (or was?) my favourite DW novel.
The plot: (spoilers, beware!)
When Sam Vimes, Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, is thrust into the past into the midst of a brutal revolution, he faces a harsh decision: will he try to return to his wife and unborn child, or should he stay to rectify the past and save innocent lives?
We read this book back in April. I don't know why I didn't write a review back then (probably just laziness), so this might be difficult.
Before I dived into this whole "read the whole Discworld series in chronological order" adventure, Night Watch was my favourite Discworld book, with Thud! following a close second.
Since then, I've discovered so many other amazing books in the series (mostly in the Witch sub-series) as well as gained appreciation for ones I'd overlooked before, that this question has become a lot more complicated. My top 3 at the time we reached this book was Carpe Jugulum, Small Gods, and Maskerade.
Interestingly, I still don't know where to place Night Watch. Maybe writing this review will help me make up my mind...
(many weeks later...)
Yikes, what was I planning to write?
This used to be my favourite Discworld book but now that I've read it again I'm a bit on the fence. On the one hand, the time travel shenanigans are great (though I'm way less anamored with the concept of time travel than I was when I first discovered the book), on the other hand this means that there are very few opportunities to meet my favourite Watch characters (Cheery and Detritus), both of whom, not being human, didn't live in Ankh-Morpork 30 years in the past.
On the one hand I have a much better understanding now of Lu Tze and both why and how he's helping Vimes to return to the present, on the other hand that destroys some mystery and my ability to emphatize with Vimes' utter confusion.
On the one hand, past Ankh-Morpork is fascinatingly dark, on the other hand it's all too realistic and maybe I'm not in the mood for dystopian fantasy right now.
I loved teenage Sam Vimes and also little Nobby's cameo, but my favourite aspect of this book is the backstory on Vetenari. It was mentioned before that he trained as an Assassin, but this book gives us a glimse into his life and (another, after Pyramids) inside view on life in the School for Assassins.
New ranking:
1. Carpe Jugulum
2. Small Gods
3. Maskerade
4. Men at Arms
5. Night Watch
6. The Truth
7. Jingo
-------- (imaginary line splitting special favourites from "normal" favourites)
8. Guards! Guards!
9. Reaper Man
10. The Fifth Elephant
Next up: The Wee Free Men
As with the rest of the Watch series, I already knew the book from the audiobooks from years back. I was still very much looking forward to Mark finally reaching Night Watch as it is (or was?) my favourite DW novel.
The plot: (spoilers, beware!)
When Sam Vimes, Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, is thrust into the past into the midst of a brutal revolution, he faces a harsh decision: will he try to return to his wife and unborn child, or should he stay to rectify the past and save innocent lives?
We read this book back in April. I don't know why I didn't write a review back then (probably just laziness), so this might be difficult.
Before I dived into this whole "read the whole Discworld series in chronological order" adventure, Night Watch was my favourite Discworld book, with Thud! following a close second.
Since then, I've discovered so many other amazing books in the series (mostly in the Witch sub-series) as well as gained appreciation for ones I'd overlooked before, that this question has become a lot more complicated. My top 3 at the time we reached this book was Carpe Jugulum, Small Gods, and Maskerade.
Interestingly, I still don't know where to place Night Watch. Maybe writing this review will help me make up my mind...
(many weeks later...)
Yikes, what was I planning to write?
This used to be my favourite Discworld book but now that I've read it again I'm a bit on the fence. On the one hand, the time travel shenanigans are great (though I'm way less anamored with the concept of time travel than I was when I first discovered the book), on the other hand this means that there are very few opportunities to meet my favourite Watch characters (Cheery and Detritus), both of whom, not being human, didn't live in Ankh-Morpork 30 years in the past.
On the one hand I have a much better understanding now of Lu Tze and both why and how he's helping Vimes to return to the present, on the other hand that destroys some mystery and my ability to emphatize with Vimes' utter confusion.
On the one hand, past Ankh-Morpork is fascinatingly dark, on the other hand it's all too realistic and maybe I'm not in the mood for dystopian fantasy right now.
I loved teenage Sam Vimes and also little Nobby's cameo, but my favourite aspect of this book is the backstory on Vetenari. It was mentioned before that he trained as an Assassin, but this book gives us a glimse into his life and (another, after Pyramids) inside view on life in the School for Assassins.
New ranking:
1. Carpe Jugulum
2. Small Gods
3. Maskerade
4. Men at Arms
5. Night Watch
6. The Truth
7. Jingo
-------- (imaginary line splitting special favourites from "normal" favourites)
8. Guards! Guards!
9. Reaper Man
10. The Fifth Elephant
Next up: The Wee Free Men
