Review of GOING POSTAL by Terry Pratchett (see his website)

A NOVEL OF DISCWORLD

HarperCollins, October 2004

Review by Jennifer Vilches

Moist van Lipwig is very surprised to wake up from his hanging to an assignment as postmaster to the dilapidated Ankh-Morpork postal service. Lord Vetinari has given the con-man a second chance, and the perfect parole officer - a golem who will never be distracted and will never sleep. But the post office is buried in undelivered mail and staffed by an ancient 'junior' postman and a young pin-collecting fanatic.

Moist puts his scamming skills to good use in reviving the post office in the hopes that real progress will follow if he gets the look just right. But a hint of success brings the ire of the dastardly head of the Grand Trunk clacks company, Reacher Gilt. This telegraph-like service was victim to a hostile takeover and is being run into the ground by greedy moguls. The competition between the clacks and the mail turns into a battle of wits and publicity between the two con-men, Moist and Reacher.

Thanks to a flashy gold suit and some inside information, Moist certainly seems to be on top of the battle. But will he prevail in a seemingly impossible race to be the first to deliver a message thousands of miles away? And more importantly, will he win the affection of the chain-smoking, crossbow-totting, golem-rights activist Adora Dearheart?

Pratchett effectively skewers corporate greed and technology without driving his points down your throat. He excels at using humor and fantasy to shine a light on the underlying ridiculousness of modern-day life. Fans of the series will love the cameos of established characters, while also enjoying getting to know the new players in Ankh-Morpork. New readers may miss some of the Discworld insider jokes, but will find this to be stand-alone enough to enjoy. Pratchett has used the fish-out-of-water redemption plot before, and uses it again here with great success.

Four Stars

Reviewed 11/13/04

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