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Going Postal (Hardcover)

by Terry Pratchett (Author)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Doubleday UK (Sep 29 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385603428
ISBN-13: 978-0385603423
Product Dimensions: 23.8 x 15.6 x 3.6 cm
Shipping Weight: 663 g

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #258,236 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#69 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Series > Discworld

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This is item 31 in The Discworld Series.

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

British fantasist Pratchett's latest special-delivery delight, set in his wonderfully crazed city of Ankh-Morpork, hilariously reflects the plight of post offices the world over as they struggle to compete in an era when e-mail has stolen much of the glamour from the postal trade. Soon after Moist von Lipwig (aka Alfred Spangler), Pratchett's not-quite-hapless, accidental hero, barely avoids hanging, Lord Havelock Vetinari, the despotic but pretty cool ruler of Ankh-Morpork, makes him a job offer he can't refuse—postmaster general of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office. The post office hasn't been open for 20 years since the advent of the Internet-like clacks communication system. Moist's first impulse is to try to escape, but Mr. Pump, his golem parole officer, quickly catches him. Moist must then deal with the musty mounds of undelivered mail that fill every room of the decaying Post Office building maintained by ancient and smelly Junior Postman Groat and his callow assistant, Apprentice Postman Stanley. The place is also haunted by dead postmen and guarded by Mr. Tiddles, a crafty cat. Readers will cheer Moist on as he eventually finds himself in a race with the dysfunctional clacks system to see whose message can be delivered first. Thanks to the timely subject matter and Pratchett's effervescent wit, this 29th Discworld novel (after 2003's Monstrous Regiment) may capture more of the American audience he deserves.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School - When petty con man Moist von Lipwig is hung for his crimes in the first chapter of this surprising and humorous novel, it appears to be the end. But this is Discworld after all, a world "a lot like our own but different." Moist awakes from the shock of his hanging to find that the city's Patrician, Lord Vetinari, has assigned him a government job (a fate worse than death?) restoring the defunct postal system. Of course, there is much more to restore than the flow of letters and packages. Justice as well as communication has been poorly served by a hostile takeover of the "clacks" - a unique messaging system that is part semaphore, part digital, and under the monopoly of the Grand Trunk Company. Before Moist can get very far into the job, he encounters ghosts, the voices of unsent letters, and a ruthless corporate conspiracy. In this quickly escalating battle, the post office is definitely the underdog, but, as the author notes, "an underdog can always find somewhere soft to bite." Fortunately Moist has friends: the determined Miss Dearheart, a golem with more than feet of clay, and a secret society of unemployed and very unusual postal workers as well as a vampire named Oscar. The author's inventiveness seems to know no end, his playful and irreverent use of language is a delight, and there is food for thought in his parody of fantasyland. This 29th Discworld novel, like the rest of the series, is a surefire hit for fans of Douglas Adams and Monty Python. - Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All computer geeks should read this book..., Nov 23 2004

By	"canuckotter" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

The book starts with classic Pratchett humour, the laughs coming fast and hard with the idiosyncracies of Vetinari playing particularly well off the character of Moist. It's terribly funny, but for the first hundred or so pages it doesn't really get beyond that.

Then, it turns out, the book isn't about Moist at all, it's about the Railroad robber barons, it's about the vulture -- sorry, venture -- capitalists of Silicon Valley, and most particularly it's about the engineers who fuelled both eras. Pratchett must have some close friends who are engineers to capture the enthusiasm, dedication, mania, and gullibility of those fine folks so well. From the character of Pony to the Smoking Gnu, any geek will find a tremendous amount to relate to.

I would definitely rate this as Pratchett's best work of the past few years. Non-geeks may not find as much to relate to, of course, but even then it's still one of his top works to date.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to Government Service, Jan 25 2007

By	Craobh Rua "Craobh Rua" (N. Ireland) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Going Postal (Mass Market Paperback)

Terry Pratchett's first novel, "The Carpet People", appeared in 1971. "Going Postal" is the twenty-ninth novel in Terry Pratchett's hugely popular Discworld series and was first published in 2004. He won the 2001 Carnegie Medal for "The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents" and was awarded the OBE in 1998.

Moist von Lipwig, a very gifted con-artist, is in trouble as "Going Postal" opens - he's on his way to the gallows for a crime he didn't commit. (Unfortunately, he's on his way to the gallows for a crime Albert Spangler - one of his aliases - committed). Luckily, his hangman (Daniel "One Drop" Trooper) proves is be something of an expert at his job; Moist is only hung to within an inch of his life and comes round in Lord Vetinari's office. Vetinari is Ankh-Morpork's Patrician, described by some as a tyrant while others simply question his parentage. He is also incredibly resourceful, fantastically well-informed and a graduate of the Guild of Assassins. He knows Moist's real name, his profession and has identified Moist as a fraudster by vocation, a habitual liar and totally untrustworthy. As such, Vetinari has realised that Moist is ideally suited for a job in government and offers him the position of Postmaster General. Moist could turn the job down; the decision would only cost him his life. However, largely because he doesn't fully realise what he's letting himself in for, he accepts the job offer...

Although Moist would rather disappear under another false name, Vetinari has wisely appointed a parole officer to him - a very determined golem called Mr Pump. Neither Moist nor Mr Pump are going to have an easy time in their new positions : for a start, the Post Office itself is a mess. There hasn't been a letter delivered in twenty years - all of them are still in the building, leaving very little room for people and golems inside. Moist only has two members of staff - a geriatric Junior Postman called Groat and Apprentice Postman Stanley (a little odd, though an expert on pins). Mr Pump indirectly leads Moist to Adora Bell Dearheart, a tall dark-haired woman who works for the Golem's Trust. She dresses severely, smokes and, by her own admission, is utterly lacking in a sense of humour. (In fact, she sounds a bit like Frasier Crane's ex-wife). For some reason, however, Moist falls for her and she becomes the closest thing to a friend he has.

Moist's biggest problem is going to be the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company and its new Board of Directors. The Grand Trunk provide a high-speed communication service, better known as the clacks - something like the Discworld's version of email. It's pretty clear the new board have cheated, embezzled and stolen their way to the company, are mistreating the workforce and are generally running things into the ground. Although represented by Mr Slant (not only a zombie, but also a lawyer), the most dislikeable and dangerous member of the board is Reacher Gilt. Like Moist, he's obviously a very gifted con-artist. However, it's his willingness to use buzzwords that really send shivers down the spine. (Anyone who has been at a meeting and heard phrases like "core competencies", "synergistically" and "striving for excellence" will know exactly what I mean).

This is the first of the Discworld series to feature Moist, with only very brief appearances from some `established' stars. As a result, it's a pretty good starting point if you've never read any of the other Discworld books and want to see what you're missing. Pratchett's books are always very funny - this one takes a particular swipe at big business. Definitely recommended.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Gets the stamp of approval, Oct 8 2005

By	wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Going Postal (Mass Market Paperback)

Lord Vetinari is not a crude man, and would never offer anything as crude as "the offer you can't refuse." You can always refuse. All you need to do is adjust expectations about your lifespan downwards by a good bit if you do.

It was an adjustment that Mr. Moist von Lipwig was unwilling to make, given that his recent execution was very fresh in his mind. What was this fate marginally preferable to another death? Civil service. And that doesn't just mean being polite. Moist became the new Postmaster, reviving the moribund band of letter carriers, and finding some way to enhance his undocumented retirement fund in the process. The extra challenge here was competition from the "clacks", a sort of mechanical internet (staffed by recognizable networking geeks), that could send a message across thousands of miles in just a few hours.

Moist, of course, succeeds, despite the rapacious financial lords of the competition, despite his geologically implacable parole officer, and despite his own chronic failure at anything resembling honesty. Come to think of it, that whole honesty thing seems over-rated by a fair margin, especially when there's a lot more work to do than time in which it can possibly be done.

Pratchett succeeds in keeping his Discworld franchise alive and healthy, infusing old characters and story lines with new life. He manages to connect to all the dozens of previous Discworld books and also to connect to the first-time reader. And, after so many books in the series, he keeps the new ideas coming - like the dreaded Woodpecker, the internet virus that would bring the network of gears and pulleys crashing down around their ears. (If you've ever seen data-dependent networking failures, this one will have a gut-sinking reality about it.)

If this new document of Discworld events lacks the frenzy of earlier volumes, it lacks nothing in cleverness and good fun. Enjoy!

//wiredweird

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5.0 out of 5 stars Best book in a while
I didn't really enjoy Night Watch; it was a little bit too dark for me. For some reason my sister loved it though.

This book on the other hand really captured me. Read more

Published on Feb 1 2005 by Steve Delong

5.0 out of 5 stars The ignoble hero accomplishes an impossible task
"Going Postal" presents a wonderful picture of a condemned criminal who, given a second chance at life, uses every (unsavoury) skill at his command to survive till he can escape... Read more

Published on Jan 16 2005 by Chara

5.0 out of 5 stars Holly Crap!!!
Wow, and I say it again, Wow. This book was absoulty fantastic. Terry pratchett is the master of wry humor. The way he puts together his stories is pure genius. Read more